Category Archives: Poems and Rhymes

FEB NAHAWRIMO 2023

Haiku by R. Bronte Brown/ not for reprint

spring buds pop their heads, 
February trickery, 
winter snaps, not yet! Published

Feb 11
winter's shield
hoarfrost, snow blanket
survive or succumb  #HaikuSaturday #haiku 

rewrite for NaHaWriMo
little ones frolic
under silvery moonbeams 
till stillness comes

a sparkled light cast
night recedes behind the stars
tomorrow sleeps

Feb 18
varied highs and lows
February vacillates
spring's on its way



Photos by RL Brown
Nature's mystery sprightly beads nestle betwixt succulent leaves  

Pearly light of glistening eyes echoes a dance of the coming spring.



@NaHaiWriMo

Feb 1 daybreak
morning’s blush
slips through
the mizzling mist  published


Feb 2 dawn/birdsong
Antiphonal tweets
robins, warblers, and blackbirds sing
dayspring's symphony
rewrite:
pastoral harmony
robins, warblers, blackbirds
antiphonal tweets

Feb 3 crowing rooster
A crimson trim comb 
Proud strut, perched high. 
Good morning world

Feb 4 sunrise
morning’s song returns 
chee-pippety-chee
spring arias 

Feb 5 Breakfast
peel double whop, pop
biscuits fried light and golden
sprinkle sugar dust


Feb 6 morning
the morning light hums
dreams dance in dawn's shadow
young hearts sing

Feb 7
Missed breakfast
Can't wait for lunch
time to graze, brunch

Feb 8 ELEVENSES
An elvish break
peanut butter and banana
RIP Elvis.  

Feb 9 Noon
high noon
shadows hide 
under feet

Feb 10 Lunch
teacher on the run, 
recess, copier, meeting
lunch in hand. 

Feb 11 Midday
a contagious yawn
a midday stretch
What comes after ELEVENSES?

Feb 12 nap time
little ones play till 
stillness draws the
sleepy eyes shut 
all rest.

Feb 13 teatime
front porch cool breeze
scones, clotted cream, preserves
Iced cold bourbon tea

Feb 14 afternoon
out-of-town son calls
visit with elderly neighbor
afternoon delight

Feb 15 Happy Hour
family conversations
around the dinner table
happy hours

Feb 16 Dinner
break a few rules
cold pizza for breakfast,
hot pancakes for dinner
Yum!


Photo by R. Bronte Brown/ South Korea
Feb 17 Magic Hour/Golden Hour
silvery moonbeams
night recedes behind the stars
tomorrow sleeps in dreams

Feb 18 Sunset
evening wanes
sunlight etches closer to 
twilight's shade (reference to age -etch-wrinkles)

Feb 19 blue hour
sky colors ripple
a unique aerial view
coming 
    down 
        down
            down


Feb 20 Twilight
cicadas sing
silence merges with darkness 
tree shadows creep


Feb 21 Dusk
fireflies hover low
in eventide
tealights flicker

Feb 22 Evening
evening sounds surround
life nestles, tweets and twitters cease
swissssh goes the porch swing

Feb 23 Vespers
Violet skies of royalty
evensong of repentance, 
Ash Wednesday 

Feb 24 Bedtime
Bedside, on my knees
whispers ascend to heaven
I lay down to sleep

Whispering to heaven before I lay down to sleep. 
My dreams and hopes 

whispers of wishes
ascending to heaven as
I lay down to sleep.

evanescing
pass out of sight, memory, or existence.
"water moves among reeds, evanescence, shines"
To dissipate or disappear like vapor.
Feb 25 the eleventh hour
America's demise
wokeness disinformation
downfall from within

Discernment's gift
facts vs narratives
dividing truth from opinion

Discernment's gift is dividing truth from lies-
fact vs opinions

Feb 26 Midnight Snack
An internal clock
wakes hubby at 12:01
sleep walks to the fridge 

Feb 27 Wee hours
Wee morning hours
Perseid meteor show
July and August

Feb 28 death haiku
1. autumn falls silent under the evening snow
2. Winter winds whistling, Indian summer's last stance, bowing gracefully
Feb 28 Last Hour /death haiku
Thanatos’ grim triumph-  
fallen, betrayed from within 
  The Afghan Thirteen,




Above all by Michael W Smith.
Above all powers above all kings above all nature and all created things. Above all kingdoms above all thrones above all wonders, the world has ever known.

January Poems

Photo by RL Brown, Gulf Port, MS
color of the sky
a change upon the wind
longing to be free
sky colors ripple
a unique aerial view
coming 
    down 
        down
            down

slow, slow, quick-quick, slow
light dances on the water
footprints in the sand
Photo by RL Brown, Gulf Port, MS
WIP
If rain no longer fell, would tears cease to flow?
If blue dropped from the sky, would a smile return?
If darkness engulfs the world, would light find its way?
If longing is understood, would yearning fade?
If sadness disappeared would you be free?


Your faith can be likened to a train with an engine and a caboose. Putting your energy/belief in God and His Word is like putting your energy/ fuel (the coal) into the train engine, and it moves forward. If you place your energy (the coal) into the caboose, your feelings, the train doesn't move. Feelings wobble, constantly change, hurl you forward or hold you back. Emotions should not take the lead; they can spiral you out of control if you weigh yourself with them. We have free will by which we balance head and heart and live. by RLBrown

shadows hide, lurking beneath (the fog)
Light invades, droplets dissipate, shadows revealed. 
living life in a fog, drifting desparately

a seasonal leaf
grounding roots
friends are the rings inside

January submission The Monthy Kakai-(Gratitude) by RL Brown
A  clarion call on gradient winds, eagles hitch a ride. (January sky) #poetry, #haiku, 
snow falling lightly
moonbeams prance  (glisten)
nestled deep, all sleep
Like a river, creativity flows, bends, hits a dam, spills over, finds another way, is a mist, and gets lost in a fog but is ever moving forward to new horizons. 
autumn falls silent under the evening snow
Photo by RL Brown
Jungle Gym on steroids
Welcome, all humanoids
Imagination
Play Station
Parallel universe- TRAPezoids. #LimerickSunday #LimerickRhyme 
Outside play station in Korea

December Poems / Troubadour/Solstice

WIP 

The night star shines
through the night
illumatinating the way


a single voice announces,
the king's arrival,
to live among us.

Christmas morning rings
as the morning light hums,
as a new song begins.

The Troubadour sings 
illuminating darkness,
dispelling fear.





Echoes of joy ring
The songless world yearns to hear.
The troubadour’s song.

Morning's light hums
through hate and despair as hope
sings a new redemptive song.

Nature’s beauty shines
from the eyes of the beholder
beware of black bears
Solstice 
scintillating rays
stretch summer's boundaries
nightide catenates

summer solstice June 21, 2022

on a morrowless day
nighttide meets at winter's gate
light concatenates

#haiku #HaikuSaturday #haikuseed 

winter solstice
Dec 21, 2022

6 facts about the winter solstice

The magic moment. While many focus on the winter solstice as a day in the calendar, what we are actually talking about is a very specific moment which is over almost as soon as it has begun. ...

The Sun stands still. ...
Winter begins. ...
Nine hours darker. ...
The earliest sunset. ...

8 fascinating facts about the summer solstice

It arrives like clockwork. ...
Time stands still. ...
It's not the earliest sunrise of the year. ...
It's been observed throughout human history. ...
Flooding the Nile. ...
Greek feasts. ...
Ancient Roman celebration of home and hearth. ...
It's still celebrated around the world today.
March/ September Spring Equinox 
March Equinox 

Terrestrial tides collide 
rising high, but twice a year.
sun and moon poised.

A morrowless day
arriving on the equinox
perfectly balanced.

January sky
Its sheer so clear, so blue. 
Nothing leaves a mark.
 
Wintry sky
shear blue bright and clear
cirrus trails
Shear Cirrus trails in the clear, wintry blue sky. 
Emotional world
Spinning round the sun leaving
Unanswered questions.
#HaikuSaturday by martha vandivier
@Vandiviergrade3
My Reply:

In between twilight
answers lie within us
for finding the Truth.
#HaikuSaturday by RL Brown

November 2022 Haikus and more

Snow in Arkansas
Ump, get real, it's Arkansas
Snowing in Arkansas
 #HaikuSaturday 
We have a saying in AR, if you don't like the weather, wait a day!
5:59 PM · Nov 12, 2022
·Twitter Web App
wispy sheers, whispering change, forth-telling

whiptail: journal of the single-line poem
@whiptailjournal

Cirrus clouds are thin, feathery, and wispy. They often portend rain in the coming days. Write a monoku using cirrus clouds.
#haiku #monoku #whiptailjournal https://pic.twitter.com/3SXZEo5mMA

Replying to @whiptailjournal
whiptail: journal of the single-line poem
@whiptailjournal

speckled sunlight of pattern pathways 

Share a monoku you wrote and the story behind it.
The story behind this: I was reading Richard Peck this summer, inspired by his writing.
for whiptail journal
Monday is about: Magic of Invisible friends

Nov 21
Replying to 
@jerroldconnors
I never had an invisible childhood friend, but that would be my favorite.
I wouldn't care for gremlins since they work for Murphy's Law.

Nov 22 Friendship 
Replying to 
@JThomasABC
Like a leaf that is brief-lasting a season,
branches that hang around for a while,
or the roots that keep you grounded, 
friends are the rings inside you. #InvisibleThings

Nov 23 Creativity
Like a river, creativity flows, bends, hits a dam, spills over, finds another way, is a mist, and gets lost in a fog but is ever moving forward to new horizons. 
@lozzawriting
 
Invisible Things/Creativity 


Nov 24: Joy
Grandbabies create
a rite of passage for
parents to become 
Grand! 
@AndrewsSusanM

Passing the responsibility of raising a child to your child and watching them guide, struggle, seek your help and advice, and getting to love and trust them to do their best is pure joy.


Nove 25
Hope hurts! 
Hurtful words dash across the heart. Dreams unrealized lie in waste. Lost in the darkness, we cry.
Hope lies beyond our regrets and missed opportunities. Hope restores the heart and clears the way for renewed dreams. 
Hope heals!
#InvisibleThings  
@jerroldconnors
5:30 PM · Nov 25, 2022




Trouvaille Review, February 15, 2022 Publication
excerpt: 
Winter winds whistling
Indian Summer's last stance
Bowing gracefully
 
Winter’s dignity
Lifeless trees' quiet strength
Autumn seeds nestled deep-

Sheltered.  #haikusaturday 

Originally written separately, then one poem.

October Rhymes, Poems, and more/Hallo’s Eve

Hallo's Eve comes once a year
certain creatures reappear.

Pumpkin faces scare the dead,
filling ghouls full of dread.

Jack-o-Lantern fools the gnome,
we're disguised and free to roam. 

House to house we seek sweet treats
pumpkin lights line the street.

Fading fast and hard to see
spirits hiding in the tree.

one, two, three, four
"EEK," and away they soar.

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin face
side by side we'll win this race.

Round the corner, house insight,
dare we run with all our might.

Safe inside we dance with glee
Jack-o-Lantern smiles at me. 


Hallo's Eve comes once a year
certain creatures reappear.

Pumpkin faces scare the dead,
filling ghouls full of dread.

Jack-o-Lantern fools the gnome,
we're disguised and free to roam. 

House to house we seek sweet treats,
pumpkin lights line the street.

Fading fast and hard to see
spirits hiding in the tree.

one, two, three, four
"EEK," and away they soar.

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin face
side by side we'll win this race.

Round the corner, house insight,
dare we run with all our might.

Safe inside we dance with glee.
Jack-o-Lantern smiles at me.
Commercial free image

A HALLOWEEN LIMERICK 

A HALLOWEEN LIMERICK 

Jasper, the ghost, refuses to float. 
Over water, his stomach would bloat. 
Nightshades took pity- 
Takes him to the city. 
Cruising across the moat by boat. 

Vincent roams the skies by night, 
foraging for flower nectar to bite. 
The flowers all hid, 
afraid of this kid. 
Vanishing by morning’s light.. 

Nettie, the spider, tosses silk threads. 
The wind carries her over the farmstead. 
Free to roam, 
for a new home. 
Spinning her web by the woodshed. 

Pumpkin Pete sits in a patch, grim. 	
He wishes for a face that would grin. 
Along came a farmer, 
who's a great carver! 
Beaming at guests entering the inn.

Shelton Bones travels by scooter
never honking the horn tooter
Ghosts cry yoohoo,
bats screech boohoo.
Skidding downhill, he runs over Rooster.

Luna wishes to fly by moonlight 
seeks a moonbeam to steady her flight. 
sleight hullabaloo 
incoming cockatoo
Tail-spinning, Luna flies till midnight. 

WIP      

Fading fast and hard to see
spirits hiding in the tree.
one to four
watch them soar  
Oh no! It's time to flee. 


The old scarecrow frightens Jeanie 
because she is such teeny weenie.
tiny in size,
hides from prying eyes,
and eats her fill of zucchini. 


 oh me oh my, crazy cross eye witch. 
Shimmering rays steady her flight,
Winnie yearns to fly by moonlight. 
Moonbeams are ready. One cross eye, she's willing to try
She carries her teddy.
Together, they frolic and play till midnight. she frolics and plays past midnight


The great horn owl 

a dinner of mice
is a quite nice
hootie hoot hoot,
what a coot
scarecrow hoover dam clipart/free
https://www.freepik.com/vectors/skeleton-riding-motorcycle
https://www.freepik.com/vectors/skeleton-riding-motorcycle free clipart
The Last Harvest
By RL Brown

Wind rustles the leaves 
Trees shimmer yawning deeply 
Anticipation

Autumn equinox,
the balance of light and dark,
time juncture converts. 

Turn your face eastward.
Fall moon on the horizon
blazing golden hues.

Extravagant colors!
The migratory birds last song.
Light wanes for evening.

Nature's splendor yields 
a harvest of abundance, 
Thankfulness expressed. 

Inner autumn calls,
time to embrace season’s change.
The wind howls for rest.

Light narrows yet shines.
Truth displayed for all to see, 
God’s bountiful grace. 

Counterfeit death nears. 
The last harvest, winter comes.
Weary souls find rest. 
October Haiku
little ones frolic
under silvery moonbeams 
till stillness comes

a sparkled light cast
night recedes behind the stars
tomorrow sleeps
---
a shimmering dance
a seasonal rain
blurred lines of change

Kathy Halsey
@infowoman1
·
Oct 9
Replying to 
@RhondaLBrown2
"Blurred lines of change", the consonance, the rhyme, make this divine.
a single-cosmos
harmonious symmetry
its own star system
#haiku
#HaikuSaturday
Photo by RL Brown, a single flower from a field of cosmos in South Korea
The Korean Folk Village

weeping willows
water lanterns 
twilight shift

August Haikus

Morning's blush
slips through the
mizzling mist. 
Haiku Pond/Water Published @Haiku Pond 
morning visitor,
elegant, sleek, dressed in black
but you can't come in
#HaikuSaturday 
I walked in and out several times before I noticed.

Wintry winds
whistling ceaseless
threnodies
(Theme: wind) Haiku Pond submission, Aug 18, 2022

Morning's blush
slips through the
mizzling mist. 
Haiku Pond/Water Published @Haiku Pond 

other ideas for water


tiny rainbows shimmer in the sunlight through the mizzling mist

frosty white
glistening icicles
drip
Haiku Pond/Water

troubled matrix,
stain dewdrops of torment 
or dewdrops of troubled matrix

Sinkholes, shifting sand, 
watchful eyes staring
at a changing basin.

Shrouded storms, titans clash. 

long summer evenings
where forest and child
refuse to sleep
brontebrown2
@RhondaLBrown2
·
Jul 30
thunderous speech showers from the sky
pattering the earth's surface
liquid sunshine seeps into the crusty dirt, 
nourishing deep roots. 
a realized dream
worked for
contains real magic
 #HaikuSaturday
the essence of magic
a realized dream
worked for
free clipart/internet

September Haikus and more

The first Nissan
hopes for peace lie within
the crescent moon
On moonbeams, life frolics till night's hush moves stillness in and draws the sleepy eyes shut, all rest. 

Life frolics on the moonbeam
and plays till night's hush
moves stillness in -
drawing the sleepy eyes shut, 
all rest. RL Brown

jet lag, sleep comes when-
western time, eastern time
neither, baby time 
memories lay curled 
tumbled, dark rumble 
inner balance skewed   
truth is a plumbline 
that does not vary 
or shapeshift.
God's Word does not compromise Truth. It is our plumbline, our standard, our foundation to live by. God cannot lie. Therefore, our foundation is solid as a rock. (Amos and Hebrews)
Bright sherbet colors
familiar and strange
in a foreign land. #HaikuSaturday
annyeonghaseyo from South Korea

Yard mowed, edges trimmed-ha
It's raining, it's pouring-

The grass will grow back 
by morning-

The Atchafalaya Basin by RL Brown

“This was written as a haiku, but I trashed it and started over. The haiku may have captured the essence of Louisiana’s swampland but missed its vibrancy.”

https://www.trashtotreasurelit.com/publishedpieces on April 2, 2023

The Atchafalaya Basin by RL Brown

Across the boot parishes, a vast swampland exists where the Cypress reign as keepers of the river forest. 

Underneath a feathery dome, robed in reddish-bark with shields of twisted branches, resides the age-old kings. 

Gators serve as sentries guarding the murky waters below, instilling respect for life and doom for the ignorant.

Sinkholes, shifting sand, watchful eyes always stare, ever mindful of a changing landscape.

A river basin teams with bass, crappie, and crawfish, full of beauty and wonder. Its esse seeps into a Cajun's soul. 

Stagnant water breeds relentless mosquitoes. Yet, the yellow warbles and purple martins feast. 

Host to mink, otters, muskrats, bears, deer, and bobcats, this bayou exists for life and shares in its hardships.  

Standing between worlds is a glimpse of immortality, a time passage that remains under the Cypress' rule. 

es·se

essential nature or essence.
"two traditions, each of whose esse is opposition to the central tenets of the other"

Across fourteen parishes, the longest swamp river flows, the Atchafalaya River. The Cypress tree reigns as king in the sleepy waters of the Atchafalaya and Chitimacha rivers. They stand tall and proud, robed in a reddish-bark, untouched by time. Adorn with delicate leaves that sparkle in the sunlight, branches stretch to cover their domain.

If the Cypress is king, gators stand guard in murky waters beneath, keeping unwanted or unaware at bay.

This ecologically rich heritage is as diverse as the cultural peoples who have come to make it their home. European, African, Caribbean, and Native American descendants dug their roots deep into the bayou. The bayou blends them all into a cajun or creole cultural mix. 

Resources:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/louisiana/stories-in-louisiana/the-atchafalaya-river-basin/ 
https://www.basinkeeper.org/theatchafalayabasin#:~:text=Other%20animals%20that%20call%20the,%2C%20armadillo%2C%20fox%20and%20opossum.
https://www.bsaswampbase.org/atchafalaya-swamp
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

July Haikus and Poems

Real magic is the time 
and effort you put into 
something.

The difference between a fable and a fairy tale is that in a fable you succeed by your own efforts. That is the essence of real magic. 
Solstice's rays stretch to reach 
Night-tide's inner boundaries
Summer bows
Night-tide catenates
thunderous speech showers from the sky
pattering the earth's surface
liquid sunshine seeps into the crusty dirt, 
nourishing deep roots. 

Showers of thunderous speech
oozing liquid sunshine
splattering the dirt
Sun captures glistening vapors
snapdragons retreat
pods of rebirth
Seeds are coming early this year.
Hidden in Nature Pic by RLBrown
(WIP)
Hidden in Nature

Dangling treasure
for avid adventurers,
hidden in nature. 
Dangling treasures
hidden in nature
for seekers to find......sought by

Tenacious trekkers
journey through a rarely seen
ribbon of time. 

Wanderers capture
moments of discoveries
and lasting memories.

Capturing moments
of discoveries
and lasting memories.

The patterned pathways of
speckled sunlight guiding
avid adventurers.

As evening wanes
sunlight etches closer to 
twilight's shade

Speckles of sunlight 
Sunlight etches closer to twilight's shade
as the evening wanes. 
emits pastel hue (cool Hue) Pastel hues color the evening sky.

long summer evenings
forest and child
refuse to sleep.

Fireflies hover
tealights glow
keeping darkness at bay

Cicadas sing
tree shadows creep. 
Silence and night merge.
Yet little ones play in evening's twilight.

little ones frolic 
on moonbeams silvery stream
 till stillness comes.
 
Moonbeams
little ones frolic
under silvery moonbeams 
till stillness comes

vanishing, tranformed by a moonbean   ---stars shine, night receds behind the stars. 
light infused into the night lighting a new path
till moonbeam 
cast a sprkled light or an infused ligh
shadows and light play againtill the night hush comes
to pour a sleeping draft,
draws the sleepy eyes 
darkness comes with a peacful rest. 



Night's hush pours it sleeping draft

Life frolics on the moonbeam.
It plays till Night's hush
moves stillness in and
draws the sleepy eyes
shut, all rest. 

{Plays till stillness comes.
The hush of night,
draws the sleepy eyes,
rest. 
Yet in the darkness
life does not sleep
It frolic till Night's hush
moves in stillness,
all rest.]

Dayshadows shines Pattern Pathways 
on twisted trails 
of speckled sunlight 

patterned pathways
of speckled sunlight 
on twisted trails
designed for 
rambling rovers,
giddy gadabouts,
avid adventurers, 
dogged drifters, 
and
tenacious trekkers.

fun to play with-
Tenacious trekkers travel twisted trails through time. time turns memories into laughter.
Twisted trails of speckled sunlight and patterned pathways traveled by avid adventurers, dogged drifters and tenacious trekkers. 
Wintry winds
whistling a ceaseless
threnody
Haiku Music Challenge
1. sunlight etches closer 
to twilight's shade, 
evening wanes 

2. long summer evenings 
forest and child 
refuse to sleep

Rhonda L Brown - USA

http://stardusthaiku.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html submission instructions
submission - Stardust - August

May/ Haiku/Free Verse/Rhyme by RL Brown

Purchased clipart by Sakura
life's brief moments
full of beauty and splendor
raining
pink petals
we mourn

In memory of Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas
tears of sadness flow
our hearts hurt 
for the families, friends, and the community.

A Pastoral Cacophony (WIP)

Morning's first blush slips 
through the mizzling mist, 
dawn's chorus begins.

Antiphonal tweets 
robins, warblers, blackbirds sing 
dayspring's symphony. 

The woodland world wakes.    
Senryu is about human nature

Breathe the sunlit air,
uproot weeds watered by tears,
stir the soul, start new.
 
Rewritten as a Tanka- 31 syllables 
Tears flow 
deep within                                                         
watering roots of despair, 
breathe the sunlit air-                                      
uproot weeds 
nurtured by tears,         
stir the soul
to start anew.           
Mountains of precipitous words echo constant reverberation.

Reach into the world of words to find perspicacity. 
cool zephyr breeze
flows over tender grasses 
goose pimples giggle.

hurricane prelude
whirlybirds in the wind
bliss ignorance

https://thehaikufoundation.org/per-diem-haiku-of-the-day-for-may-2022-early-childhood/#comment-141484
Photo by RL Brown, Gulfport, MS
Deep within my roots,
generational stories
intertwine.
Bifurcating branches
twist and wind upward,
etching life's wrinkles.
Her umbrella twirls
spreading crystalized sprinkles
everywhere #haikuseed (salt)
golden nuggets
set in a row,
juicy bites, 
what a delight, 
sweet corn! #haikusaturday 
The further south I traveled, the taller the corn stalks.
hurricane prelude
whirlybirds in the wind
bliss ignorance #HaikuSaturday (childhood memory) May 2022
green linear rows 
of soybeans zip by
destined for tofu,
edamame, soy nuts...
#haikusaturday traveling through the ARLAMISS