Dawn’s Love Song

“The earth has music for those who listen” –George Santayana

Outer Banks, NC 2007

The morning sun begins peeking through the curtains as they blow in from the summer, ocean breeze far too early. Not ready for the long day, we snuggle under the covers listening to the love song the gulls begin to call across the warming white sands of the island. From outside our window we can hear the gentle kiss of the sea-foam on the beach below and we tangle ourselves in the sheets and ’round one another. As the tide comes in, the waves making love to the shore crescendo to match our own.

Dawn sings a love song
listen for her by the sea
a sweet melody

—108 words—

 

Secrets Revealed

Vulcan (Roman counterpart of Hephaestus) by Peter Paul Rubens. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Hot iron striking

Zeus demands more

Thunder and lightning

No time to find her

 

Unfaithful bride

Loves all but he

Nowhere to hide

Ares and Aphrodite

 

Lovers caught in the act

Brought before all

Cooler heads transact

To spare Hephaestus from a brawl

 

A bride returned

To an unhappy husband

His affections spurned

Only fire obeys his command

 

His disgust in hiding

As his bride’s belly rounds

Hot iron striking

Anvil pounds

—

nowhere to hide

from the gods’ watchful eyes

secrets revealed

 

—————————–

The Ligo Haibun Challenge is back.

We have two choices for you this week. You may choose either one of those mentioned below.

Bells

or

Strike while the iron is hot – Chaucer

 

Down At The Crossroads

I sang away my life’s blues on this old guitar from New Orleans to Montreal. When I came to the crossroads, I got down on one knee and praised the Lord for a safe journey. I had retraced, in reverse, the path of my ancestors. Some of the earliest French settlers in New France, fur traders that made their way along the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi from the Big Easy  to  La Métropole, stopping at Memphis, St Louis, and more along the way. What it must have been like, settling a new land, starting a new life. Now I know, know the land they walked, the waters they traversed, as my life nears its end.

Life is a journey
You’re fondest memories made
Down at the crossroads

—————————–

Līgo Haībun Challenge ~ Down At The Crossroads

Sing to Me Sunshine

Tam took over care for her ailing grandmother, Xuan, in the evenings after class at the university when her mother went to work at the hospital’s night shift. After dinner her grandmother often requested she play the harp-like instrument from the old country for her as she drifted off to a medicated sleep. Always demanding Tam sing to her in English, Xuan would start in on a long rant about how much she had sacrificed coming to this country to give them good future if Tam started in their native tongue.

 

Roses love sunshine, violets love dew
Angels in heaven, know I love you
Angels in heaven, know I love you.

 

Xuan never spoke of the old country, only of the opportunities they had before them here in this country. Tam wondered what her grandmother would say if she told her that she would be studying abroad in the old country next semester. Would she be proud?  Or would she be angry? Tam and her mother had agreed it was best for Xuan’s health that she not know, for now, but Tam did not know how her mother could care for her grandmother all by herself and support them at the same time. Maybe she shouldn’t go…

 

dreams held to tightly

a new angel sings sweetly

dawn’s sun shines brightly

—–22o words—-

Līgo Haībun Challenge ~ Picture Prompt

 

 

 

 

Dance, Temptation, Seduction

She flirtingly glanced
Slyly in my direction
I bowed and we danced

 

modest flirtation
an invitation
     we dance
music vibration
body seduction
     a dance
steamy gyration
fiery rotation

inflaming passion
unholy temptation
 we dance
sweet persuasion
lethal negotiation
 a dance
an invitation
modest flirtation

 

temptation
dare we take the chance
seduction

——————————–

And We Danced

 

Oh Fortune!

Oh Fortune send me some good luck
With Cupid’s arrow I’ve been struck
The devilish gods have run amuck
An unwilling bride I’ve been stuck

A runaway bride I’m after
No help from stern looking pastor
Or wedding guests’ haunting laughter
Love is a complete disaster

Fortune,  favor my brave standing
Throughout love’s misunderstanding
Bring me peace and understanding
No more of my heart’s demanding

—
Fortune send me luck
Deny my heart’s desires
Love flows by, one way

___________________

Līgo Haībun Challenge ~ Prompt: Fortune Favours The Brave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The haībun format here for the Līgo Haībun Challenge is as follows ~

A paragraph (more than one paragraph is fine, or just a few sentences) in prose form of either

• a descriptive passage , or excerpt from a story/or previously published post
• an explanation 
• a tale
• a travelogue
• a news item
• a recipe

and

• the haiku/collection of haiku related to the text  to close. The haiku should be as authentic as possible, with therefore no syllable count, no capitals or full stop.

THE LIGO HAIBUN NORMALLY SHOULD BE A TOTAL 220 WORDS **OR LESS** READ ABOUT HAIBUN HERE

__________________

Photo:  Public Domain Anonymous Artist from Holland

Allegory of Fortune.
Date:	circa 1520-1530

Winter’s Foreplay

It had been a long time since a man had entered Eira’s lair. There once was a time when she had her pick of soldiers, hunters, and axe men. Every night a different delicacy to satisfy her appetite, sometimes more than one. She would whisper temptations through the wind, leading them deeper into the forest. Only to realize too late they were trapped like the animals they may have been hunting.She would slate her lust, her prey often a willing participant, for she was a winter beauty. But once her desire was fulfilled, the nymph devoured her mate and set about finding another to satisfy her.

Now all men wanted to do were play with gadgets and gizmos in the civilized cities. Eira had to wait patiently for a man who decided to reconnect with nature. They were never built to her standards — too scrawny, too pale, too whinny — but they would do to sustain her lust. Often carrying packs and wearing ridiculous patches over their ears, she would have to drum up a gust to send their covering flying before she could use her song to lead them deep into her trap. Her minions would take care of the trappings while she attempted to charm these less willing hikers.

—

Chilling winds bite

Into uncovered ears

Winter’s foreplay

Līgo Haībun Challenge ~ Picture Prompt

Nazca Lines

Nazca lines in Peru
Martin St-Amant
Wikipedia – CC-BY-SA-3.0

In the dry lands of south of Lima, hands of the ancients reach out in thirst. The Nazca prayed to their gods. Hearing their pleas, the gods called for the animals of the land to save the native people. The hummingbird sucked the life-giving liquid from deep within the earth. The spider, lizard, dog, and monkey formed an intricate webbing of irrigation to bring water to the villages.

But, the air was stagnate and the water did not flow.

The Nazca prayed again. The gods sent the Heron, Condor, and Pelican to stir the winds.Water began to flow to the villages. The Nazca celebrated in honor of the gods and the animals that help them.

Lines on the hillside

A celebration of life

Forever immortalized

——125 words—–

Līgo Haībun Challenge ~ Prompt **South America**

This week we journey to South America. There are many theories on the Nazca lines as there are on Stone Henge, most of the scientific community believe they played a big part in irrigation. I tried to weave that into a fictional mythological tale of how the line might have come to be. Enjoy.

Flower Gypsies

“Don’t forget to check the mail and water the plants while I’m gone.”

“I won’t. Is there anything else you’d like me to do while you’re gone?”

“Unload and load the dish washer.”

“Got it.”

A week later…

“My flight just landed. I’m on my way home.”

“Okay. What do you want to do for dinner?”

“Just order a pizza or something.”

She rushes to unload and reload the dish washer. While it’s running, she runs to the mailbox and grabs the mail. As she sorting out the junk, she spies the dried up flow pots. No hope for her there, all but three flowers had withered in the week’s smoldering heat. With her lack of a green thumb, the still rising thermometer, and no chance of rain, those three would be lucky to make it through the next week.

—

A garden mirage

Writhing white petaled gypsies

Dancing for water

The Līgo Haībun Challenge ~ Prompt “Bouquet”/”Bouquet of Flowers”/”Flower”

Romance Blaze

“Why don’t you get out the champagne for dessert while I slip into something a little more comfortable,” Melissa suggested with a wink and slipped into the bedroom. She returned a few minutes later in nothing but her soft pink, satin robe and  a sexy black lingerie ensemble.

“I was thinking we could cool things down,” Hank said handing her a glass of iced champagne.

Melissa looking puzzled, wasn’t about to let new lingerie go to waste, “But, I thought we…”

Hank silenced her with his finger to her lips; placed an ice cube from her champagne glass in his mouth and began kissing down her neck.

—

Romance blaze

Trail of hot kisses

Ice cube melts

 

 

The Līgo Haībun Challenge ~
Prompt ”Melt”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—–117 words—–

Photo: By Algon at WikiCommons