Poem on a Post-It [4]: Canalside Haiku
Canalside Haiku
Bare sycamore tree,
no twirling helicopters
today hum her name.
Cold water ripples
broken by paddleboard oar,
paddler finding peace.
Purple fingered child
and hungry bird departed,
Bramble sleeps til Spring.
Cyclist’s grunting breath
fills path, runner’s eye locks mine:
Quick! We jump aside.
Goose couple, chests proud
bark disgruntlement at swan.
Moorhen potters past.
Acrid diesel fumes
conjure up industries past,
motor loud, boat departs.
Narrow here, ‘neath road
three men-spreading towpath width.
I, small, hold my stride.
Urgent splashing race
‘til caught – she’s violated.
Duck shakes, head held high.
At cosy tea shop
in hot chocolate sated bliss,
my pen finds her voice.
Madame Duck takes roost.
My thoughts fill: rights of women,
or lack. On we fight.
The day I wrote this poem was the day I realised that writing had not only taken over my mind, but also stolen my heart.
Since losing my job, my reason to go out of the house is also gone. Once busy, always busy, working in one city, living in another, always driving on working or on call. Now, I mostly sit, and write.
On the day I wrote this poem, I’d decided to visit a bookshop, just to be among the books. I travelled into Nottingham with my husband on his way to work at the University, around two miles from the city. A few streets from the south side of the University campus runs the Nottingham & Beeston canal. The waterway opened in 1796 as an important route for coal traffic and remains in use today as part of the navigation for the River Trent.
When I lived near the University, I often walked the towpath into town. Spring time was always my favourite - the tiny ducks and geese and endless source of joy. On this particular day, still winter, the waterfowl were fully grown but still made excellent company for my stroll. On this day I deliberately left behind my headphones, determined that I would pay attention to the sights and sounds around me. Oh what a wonderful decision that was.
As soon as I started to walk, and allow myself to be in the moment, to observe, the words flowed around my head. My senses converged, somehow, solely, in haiku. The poem above is the result.
I hope you enjoy it!
Louise x
For today’s prompt, I invite you to take a stroll - perhaps in a new place, or maybe somewhere you know well, but where you could pay attention differently.
Notice the details of sights and sounds, of the feel of the wind in your face or the bracken on your ankles, or of the smells of freshly cut grass or the taste of the coffee you sip to keep warm.
When you have opportunity to rest, note down some thoughts, and see what emerges
If you’d like to share your resulting piece, whether haiku, other type of poem, prose, or visual art, you’re very welcome to do so here in the comments, or do tag me if you share elsewhere, I’d love to see.
If you enjoyed this poem and prompt, please consider sharing or liking it, to help it on it’s way to others who may find a moment of joy here. Thanks so much for reading.