It’s Poetry Friday!
Irene Latham is celebrating the launch of her latest picture book
MUSEUM ON THE MOON: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface
(available August 8th)
with a “Moon in June” theme for all of us!
Young Pine in Love
patient pine awaits
whispers of your loveliness
hidden in twilight
original poem and photo
©2023, Patricia J. Franz
I live in the forest. Water is running from the rooftops in the wake of a summer rainstorm. I don’t smell pine, or the thick, damp duff of the forest floor. I smell painted bookshelves, nicked and stuffed with old tomes, and the inside of a dim bookshop with narrow aisles that cause you to turn sideways to let someone pass.
Why this smell? Last week, I spotlighted poetry gifts from Linda Baie. Linda works in a bookshop (I have no idea if it looks or smells like what I imagine) and she chose a couple of slim volumes for me. One of these is a book of Japanese Haiku. It has the aroma of Vintage Book.Â
Look at it! It cost $1.00 in 1957.
The notebook, also a gift from Linda, has a picture captioned: “Follow No One” and “Be As You Are.”
In the spirit of Laura Purdie Salas’ “poetryaction” (a poem written in reaction to a book), I have set out to read a daily haiku from Linda’s gift and write a haiku-action poem. I’m recording the original and my response in the notebook. I’ve included a couple of them below.
And it makes me giggle that I’m writing my response in a notebook that says, “Follow No One.”Â
Thank you, again, Linda, for a gift that keeps on giving.
ORIGINAL HAIKU*
In these dark waters
drawn up fromÂ
my frozen well…
glitterings of spring
Ringai
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standing still at dusk
listen…in far
distances
the song of froglings!
Buson
MY HAIKU-ACTION
sullen spring sky swells
refuses to relinquish
stage; summer simmers
©2023, Patricia J. Franz
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
day exhales – relief!
marathon moments complete
bids pastel adieu
©2023, Patricia J. Franz
And if you’re wondering about the syllable count in the original haiku on the left, this is from the opening note in the book: “It is usually impossible to translate a haiku literally and have it remain a poem, or remain in the proper seventeen-syllable form.”
*JAPANESE HAIKU
1955-1956, The Peter Pauper Press
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
Such a good photo and accompanying poem, Patricia. It makes me wonder about what else gets hidden in the twilight! I enjoyed the other haikus, too. Is your libros photo from Spain by any chance? It has that look of ¡España!
Thank you Susan– and no, or maybe? The photo was a “borrow” from my istock pile
I love these! And I’m happy if my poetryactions helped spur your haiku-actions. I love your second one, especially. That last line makes me picture both the fiery skies of sunset and the velvety deepness of twilight. Not sure which you were picturing, but I loved both images that line sparked for me.
Thank you, Laura…I think of poetryactions alot as I read – well, everything!
I love that you wrote haiku that talk to the haiku from the book. Poetry in conversation across the centuries and continents!
Hmm…had not thought about the conversations in that way, Mary Lee. Thanks!
Patricia, I love listening in on this conversation you’re having with these poems! And that patient pine…love!
Thank you, Irene. I must say – I listen for the heart of the trees alot.
Patricia, your first poem and photo paint a beautiful picture of young love. It is a hidden treasure that reminds me of the stillness of night. Your responses to Linda’s poem swap are so picturesque. Within a few words, appears memorable thoughts like day exhales. Last night when we came home from seeing my little grandgirls, the frogs were have very loud conversations that were lovely goodbyes to the day. May your weekend be filled help you “Be as you are”.
Giggling thinking about talking frogs — am guessing the grandgirls would get a kick out of them!
Your moon photo is gorgeous, Patricia, as is the accompanying haiku. And what a great haiku-action project. I love the line “the song of froglings” and the image of dusk created in the Buson haiku. Your response about day exhaling in relief is perfect.
Thanks, Rose. The photo happened so spontaneously the other night on our deck.
What an amazing group of poems. Froglings! What a great word. I also love your line “summer simmers.” It’s definitely simmering here.
Wish I’d come up with froglings, myself!
Oh, Patricia, I am late catching everyone’s posts because, you know, I’ve been at the bookstore! Yes, some of the books have that smell, of course only the old ones. It is a non-profit run only by volunteers & we rely entirely on community donations. Some are worth the shelves and some, I must add, are simply too smelly to keep. Your writing to haikus from that book seems very special, and I love both, especially “sullen spring sky” from your own experience. Your moon photo is extraordinary so I hope the “sullen sky” doesn’t keep you from the full moon on its way!
We are visiting our grandson in SoCal and I’m looking forward to clear skies tomorrow for the FULL!
“whispers of your loveliness” – swoon worthy. As are these gifts from Linda. I look forward to all that you create – the gift that keeps on giving indeed! 🙂
Thank you, Bridget!
Thank you for sharing! Your post brought back memories. I lurve the smell of books! As a child, I probably spent more time smelling the book Harriet the Spy than reading it.
lol! Tracey, I’m really glad you’re jumping into PF!
Pining for pine scents here! Your photo is beautiful and the 1957 haiku book is a find! What a nice gift. Sullen spring skies finally relenquished here, thankfully. Thank you for sharing your cool mentor text, your selections and and your terrific reponses.
Hi Karen! I hope you’ll jump in and share some of your poetry on the PF posts!
I love the title of your haiku, “Young Pine in Love” beautiful image too—and thanks for sharing your haiku in action too!