Jen gave us a challenge to write a haiku inspired by this poem by Sara Teasdale:
Leaves
ONE by one, like leaves from a tree,
All my faiths have forsaken me;
But the stars above my head
Burn in white and delicate red,
And beneath my feet the earth
Brings the sturdy grass to birth.
I who was content to be
But a silken-singing tree,
But a rustle of delight
In the wistful heart of night,
I have lost the leaves that knew
Touch of rain and weight of dew.
Blinded by a leafy crown
I looked neither up nor down –
But the little leaves that die
Have left me room to see the sky;
Now for the first time I know
Stars above and earth below.
To which I write the following tanka
empty canopies
connecting sky and soil
the milky way
rebuild my faith again
rustling autumn leaves

The starry sky by Konstantin Vasilyev
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Linked to Carpe Diem
September 23, 2014
Oh you did a delightful tanka. YES!
Bjorn, I could see the leaves falling and the starry sky. Well written. 🙂 —Susan
ah yes you link your season change to renewal, well done
much love…
i think your is the antithesis of mine
cheers
JzB
lovely line in tanka …rebuild my faith again ~ and so it goes ~
artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)
There is something quite spiritual about the night sky. I think, it takes us outside of ourselves like nothing else does.
your haiku stands well alone but your last two line offer so much hope…making “rustling leaves” fallen not so bleak
This is wonderful Björn – the recognition of lost faith with a plea to rebuild my faith — and the artwork adds to the meaning beautifully. 🙂
A perfect synthesis of the featured poem. Good to have you back on line.
WOW! … what can I say more …
Two amazing poems – they have made my day!
In my mind, I am making a connection between the leaves and stars—both are fragile in their own way, and both, in their fragility, can transport us to worlds we cannot even imagine.