Musings in Haiku-time

It’s early summer and I’m busy (who isn’t?) and I’m just feeling the need to share some new haiku. I thought after I’d written 5,000 that maybe, just maybe, I’d put the bug behind me. I guess not. Anyway, enjoy, thanks for reading, and have your best possible day.

Namaste,

Jason

5178
Good and Bad exist,
Whether God or Man made them
They exist nonetheless.

5179
Know that rewards come
When the naysayers say “no”
But you respond “yes.”

5180
Making enemies
Is sadly part of the game.
There’s always a foe.

5181
It’s far too easy
Too acquiesce in defeat.
It’s hard to stand strong.

Don’t let the aliens get ya!

5182
There’s always someone
Less fortunate than yourself.
Fight on in their name.

5183
Lead by example.
Courage, integrity, grace:
They’re not unnoticed.

5184
Your son deserves the
Best you you can offer him.
Don’t squander his wealth.

5185
Faiths that focus on
Fear, division, and judgement
Don’t speak to my heart.

5186
Have you ever seen
A sick giraffe and uttered
“Now that’s a sore throat?!”

5187
“Where do we go next?”
the boy asked sitting by Dad.
“We go on,” my son.

Fat Man and Little Boy

Advertisements

Well, It’s Been Awhile Haiku – March 2019

For some reason I just needed to get these out today. I wrote many of these weeks and/or months ago, but they are no less relevant today. Life has been crazy, busy, tempestuous, frustrating, and (time permitting) joyous. A more thorough update/investigation of me and my family is warranted, (or at least a 4 page summary), but today these haiku will have to stand as testament to my mood. I hope they bring you comfort, inspiration, resilience, and motivation. Yeah, I’m working on it too.

Peace to you all.

Until next time,

Jason

Carefree and reckless;
How alive one must feel when
Running with scissors.

It’s all too easy
To repay low with low, but
High requires work.

Don’t give in to fear.
Real or manufactured, both
Should be met with love.

Some people lack both
Common sense and decency.
They are our crosses.

Who can you count on
To be there when it matters,
When it’s not easy?

 

Nancy and I on a very cold camping trip in Prince William State Forest

Science and wisdom
Await our return from the
Lowlands of the Lie.

When someone hurts you,
Focus on healing yourself,
Not taking revenge.

Hare or tortoise? Choose.
Each offers advantages.
Me? I’m a tortoise.

 

 

 

Roll with the punches.
Take what life gives you gladly.
No, it’s not easy.

Let’s work together,
Build our ‘more perfect union’
On peace, love, and facts.

Shadow says, “May you find time for this today.” And food. Lotsa food.

New Year, New Haiku (2019 Edition)

Dear Reader,

Happy New Year, 2019. It has been over 5 months since I connected with you. So much in my, and my family’s life, has changed. We live in a new house; we’re closer to our work; I have started a new job with the Stafford Regional Choral Society; Nancy is two chapter revisions away from defending her dissertation; John Adams is in Kindergarten; and there are many smaller, subtler changes and adjustments that have altered our lives since last writing. We are still packing and unpacking. We are still finding our footing in a new home. There has been less than a little time to be creative with the move, and then  into the holidays. But I am still here; we are still here. And I am still dedicated to my blog and my writing. So with that said, please enjoy these new haiku, written over the last few days; the first new writing I’ve done in awhile, and certainly the first writing I’ve done in 2019. Until, next time, thanks for reading, thanks for noticing me, and thanks for being a part of my life, online or other, in 2019.

Blessings, Bounty, and Bacon,

Jason

The New Year’s begun.
Will it bring big surprises,
Or more of the same?

We are our actions.
Inaction is an action,
A choice of no choice.

Character matters.
Your actions and words matter.
Children are watching.

Model behavior
You wish to come back to you,
For it will return.

We have adopted
A white lump of fat some say
Used to be a cat.

Shadow set to spin

The road up is hard.
The road down all too easy.
Which road are you on?

No resolution
Can survive January
Without discipline.

I love New Year’s Day:
We resolve, renewed, hopeful;
Tabula rasa.

A cool blast of change
Blows with a wintry crispness
Across our country.

 

Pray for each other.
Listen to each other.
Love one another.

The family on Christmas Eve, 2018

Last New Haiku in an Old Home

Well, here we are: less than ten days away from moving into a new home we are blessed to have been offered, but the sadness and nostalgia of the moment is competing with the excitement, challenge, and exhaustion of a major move; even one just across town to convenient Fredericksburg. Our little 9-room idyllic rancher in King George, VA has been mine and Nancy’s home for eight years. It was our first home together. While in it we became engaged, married, pregnant with John Adams, gave birth and raised him for almost five years. I received my MFA. She all but completed her doctorate. We adopted our beloved cats, Duke, Ceyde, and Shadow. We leave our hearts behind with Ivan, Scoutie, Kisaki, The Nix, and many, many fish. We have borne illnesses and celebrated Openings and successes. We have as many memories as the clutter that we seek to escape. Who knows what comes next. Hopefully, we are trading the good for the great, the inconvenient for the convenient, the isolation for community. Only time will tell. So much to do before and after the move. We are so truly excited. Well, excited and scared. Anyway, enjoy the haiku, draw strength or insight from them if you find them worthy, and we’ll talk soon.

Namaste and may your life be one of exciting change,

Jason

 

 4776
Most differences
Can disappear with the words,
“But I accept you.”

4777
Be reliable.
Be someone they can count on
Even when they’re not.

4779
Animals know us;
They perceive our fears and moods
In ways we can’t hide.

4780
Attention expands
Those things which we put it on.
Where is your focus?

4781
Meditate daily
On your unique perfection.
You’re like no other.

 

First Forsythia of Spring

4782
In adversity
The most gorgeous flowers bloom.
Seek out mud puddles.

4783
I am perfect health.
I am perfect abundance.
I am perfect love.

4784
Why are you waiting?
With each passing year you age!
Take those risks right now.

 

4785
There’s only one way,
And that is the way forward.
There’s no going back.

4786
Seek the difference
Between opinion and fact,
Between spin and truth.

Our home in King George, VA (2010-2018)

Haiku – Late May Musings – All is Perfect

The school year’s ending. Life is crazy busy as we all gear up for summer. Change is in the air. Pause and appreciate the accomplishments of the last few months, and of your place in the universal whole. Take a moment to glance through my haiku below, and remind yourself that you are perfect. All is as it should be. And as changes arise they too are part of the ever-evolving and expanding perfection of the universe. And remember…breathe.

Namaste,

Jason

 4763
Within or without,
The Source of All surrounds us.
We’re part of the Whole.

4764
There is only now.
Whatever you do with now
Defines the next now.

4765
Rejoice and be glad,
For God made you as you are,
Perfect and unique.

4766
Christians, Muslims, Jews,
Buddhists, Hindus, Confucians,
Taoists, Pagans, Love.

4767
I have a strong heart;
It beats in empathy for
Myself and others.

 

Caledon riverscape

4769
When we help others
We reveal our best nature.
Service is godly.

4771
The mind’s eye sees all.
Though words can deceive the world,
Souls know only truth.

4773
Grasp infinity
With your warm, mortal tendrils,
Yearning to know both.

 

 

4774
Unclutter your soul.
Discard the broken pieces
Of the half-lived life.

4775
Love that which loves not.
Love that which knows only fear.
These are our burdens.

“I can do anything!”

Early May Haiku – Breathe

We’re all so very busy. Stop. Breathe. Meditate. Read my ten little haiku below. Meditate on one of them. If that brings you a few minutes of peace today I will have done my job. Good luck and thanks for reading.

Namaste,

Jason

4731
All realities
Were first dreamt upon before
Manifesting them.

4748
Listen to silence,
It speaks peaceful and profound
Of love, always love.

4750
Life is a struggle
Between the forces of Light
And those of Darkness.

4751
Life’s dualistic.
To assume there is evil
Is to assume good.

4752
How many people
Do evil in ignorance,
Blind, or in denial?

Pink Flowering Dogwoods

4753
Anger solves nothing.
It’s but a conduit to
Higher emotions.

4754
Invest in yourself.
Make self-development a
Recurrent focus.

4757
Do what you can do
To be a better person,
One change at a time.

4761
The Keys to Success:
Vision, Passion, Persistence,
Doing what it takes.

4762
You are a unique
Expression of the Divine.
Cherish your Being.

The towering trees of Caledon State Park

Late March Haiku/Such a Long Week!

This week was a long, LONG week! On Friday, Nancy and I drove to her parents home outside of Philly and had dinner. On Saturday, Nancy and I went to our 15th consecutive Philadelphia Flower Show to celebrate our First Date Anniversary.

Me and a Flower Show cow

On Sunday, I drove to Stafford, VA to conduct a three-hour rehearsal for the choir of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. On Monday, I went to the First Dress Rehearsal for Hunchback. On Tuesday, I had unsuccessful blood work done, taught lessons, and went to the Final Dress Rehearsal of Hunchback. (Hunchback opened successfully on Weds at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg and I’m very proud of all the choir’s hard work and our involvement in the production, but I wasn’t in attendance.) On Weds., I had successful blood work done, a doctor’s appointment, taught piano, and conducted two handbell rehearsals. On Thursday, I taught voice and took our cat, Duke, for enema surgery to remove the impacted feces from his swollen colon. On Friday, Nancy and I went to Black Panther. On Saturday, I received the lab results from the blood draw, which were fine, but a stressful wait, and then I drove to the West Virginia border to perform in a murder mystery with Murder Mysteries Will Travel. Sunday morning, my Adult Choir performed two pieces and then Nancy and I drove to Baltimore to have dinner with my in-laws and collect my wayward, vacationing son.We drove home Sunday night and I pretty much collapsed.

It’s Monday and I’m exhausted. But if I could do all that, surely you can do anything.

Enjoy the haiku and hopefully I’ll essay again soon.

Namaste,

Jason

4720
No life is perfect.
Handling the imperfections
Defines character.

4721
You have the power.
You can make a difference.
You can change the world.

4722
Wake up each morning
Determined to make the world
A little better.

4723
Being a success
Starts with a good attitude.
This is no secret.

4724
Make a difference.
I can’t tell you what or how.
That’s yours to decide.

4725
How can you deny
The interconnectedness
Of all existence?

4727
Time’s always fleeting.
So many untraveled roads.
Make quick, wise choices.

4728
Live in gratitude.
Whatever you possess you
Could always have less.

4729
In every way
Take responsibility
For your life and health.

4730
Just hold your head high,
Forgive them their trespasses,
And keep on smiling.

Rows of spring flowers – my favorites – at the Flower Show

Empowerment Haiku

I find myself wanting to share some more haiku this week…just because. It has been a very good – exceptional – week, and though I am tired on Monday (nothing new) I’m happy. John Adams was back this week after an extended visit with his grandparents. I announced two new career opportunities on social media: I have been hired by International Baccalaureate as an Examiner in Theatre, and also I have been hired as the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Stafford Regional Choral Society. Both wonderful opportunities and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Nancy paid down some debt and made progress on her dissertation. My UU Choir performed magnificently in our church Variety Show. The Christmas tree finally came down. And perhaps most importantly, John Adams had his four-year-old checkup and he is completely healthy. It’s been a long week and even the house feels fatigued, we got through it. So here’s some (mostly) empowering haiku to remind you that whatever you want or are struggling with, you can beat it, you can bear it, or you can weather it, you can do it!

Blessings to you all, and here’s wishing you peace, joy, and the resolve to make your dreams come true. Talk soon.

Namaste,

Jason

4695
Within you is the
Strength, drive, and ability
To do anything.

4696
Never celebrate
Even the worst person’s death.
They were someone’s child.

4702
Sins of the parents
Should not be held against the
Next generations.

4712
You’re The Decider
Of what you can and can’t do.
It’s your right by birth.

4713
Are you strong or weak?
Pessimism is easy,
Optimism’s hard.

4714
You can work through this.
You have the ability
To do anything.

4716
You must do your best
To surmount the obstacles
Life puts in your way.

4717
Ev’ryone has pain,
Mostly hidden from the world.
Knowing this, be kind.

4718
Breathe. Center yourself.
Acknowledge the world’s problems,
But don’t own each one.

4719
Hope can pull you through,
Even in the worst of times.
Never give it up.

Out of the Shadows – Haiku!

I have not written a blog post since before Thanksgiving, and even then it was haiku and not prose commentary. I have been busy. I have been tired. The country is upside down and so many struggle daily to not believe we are in a post-optimistic world I fall prey to this just as much as the next compassionate soul and frantically cling to my belief that we as a world can weather anything and that good can come from bad. If only it would come sooner than later. Until I choose to write again (which I also hope will be sooner than later) here are some haiku from the vault – from 2016 – to post and to keep me, and hopefully you, going. To hanging in there!

Namaste,

Jason

4679
If you’re reacting
Rather than acting on life,
You’re not in control.

4680
If you’re struggling
Look for ways to change your life,
Not someone to blame.

4681
Curb your addictions.
They are pathways to disease
And unhappiness.

4685
May the winds of change
Blow in support of freedom
And enlightenment.

4687
Do the best you can,
Knowing that probably you’ll
Crash and burn most times.

Across from Independence Hall at a magnificent wedding reception

4688
Light hides in darkness.
Also, the reverse is true.
Darkness hides in light.

4689
Know that each person
Is living the best they can
By rules they’ve been taught.

4691
A sin in private,
That nobody knows but you
Still affects your soul.

 

 

4693
Cultivate wonder.
There’s so much to see, do, know,
How could you be bored?

4694
Alone with my thoughts,
I contemplate life, death, love,
Peace for all mankind.

John Adams and Shadow posing along Lee Drive

Pre-turkey Haiku

It’s been several months since I did a purely ‘haiku’ post. I’ve been taking a bit of a hiatus from poetry writing since June, but, hopefully, now that’s done. There are so many things to be thankful for in the Michael household as we head into Thanksgiving – a well-stocked fridge, good health for our son, a loving, giving, spiritual community where we all work – ordinary, significant blessings all. Perhaps a gratitude post is forthcoming , but today I’ll just focus on the poetry, intentionally empowering, since so many people struggle at this time of year. I hope something in the next ten haiku brings you up, gives you strength, makes you laugh, let’s you know that you can do it, and you’re not alone. Hang in there and good living.

Namaste,

Jason

4666
My optimism
Is what wakes me up each day;
Expecting better.

4667
Which road will you take?
Run the race or eat the cake?
It’s your choice to make.

4669
Lead by example.
Clarify with your words, but
Lead with your actions.

4670
Inspire to greatness
Those who can’t find that power
Within their own hearts.

4671
Walk into a room
And raise the consciousness of
Ev’ryone present.

4673
We all know some friends
Who prefer the dark clouds to
The silver linings.

4674
Dog butts are funny.
Walking wagging heiny cheeks.
How can you not smile?

4675
You must make choices.
They’re a part of living, but
Try to make good ones.

4676
Failure or success.
Your life’s your choices, actions,
And recoveries.

4678
Don’t quit on your dreams.
Their achievement takes longer
Than you think it should.

My corny son!