From Muddy Depths – Tanka- August 4, 2015

Pond

from muddy depths
an inner blossoming
moonlight thoughts
why search for inspiration
from a dragonfly

muddy waters
turtles in the lotus pond
whisper secrets
the here and now
just the here and now

© G.s.k. ‘15

Written for:

Carpe Diem #789 Lotus flowers

Morning Haiku and Waka – February 9, 2015

Lily Pond

Arco, Trentino is an ex-colony of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Archduke’s park called the Arboretum isn’t far from my house. There’s a lovely pond full of water lilies, tiny gold fish, dragon flies, turtles and frogs.

Early in the summer mornings children from nearby summer camps come to visit in droves; laughing, running and yes, chasing frogs and dragon flies.

children’s laughter
frogs play tag with the turtles
in the lily pond

© G.s.k. ‘15

This haibun was written for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai’s Time Glass Challenge where we were to write an “extreme” haibun of 55 words!  And if you’d like to see more of the Archduke’s Arboretum just click HERE it will take you on a “Sunday Walk” I published back in July of 2013!

Impression of Water Lilies

And here are some lovely haiku that our host put up to inspire us!

the old pond
a frog jumps into it
the sound of water

© Basho (tr. Chèvrefeuille)

between dewy leaves
hides a little green frog
for the blue heron

© Chèvrefeuille

against his nature,
a frog in front of the fireplace –
the cry of a stork

© Yozakura

in deep silence
Saburo is walking the path –
a frog jumps away

© Chèvrefeuille

the little child
reaches for the water lilies
without seeing the frog

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Arco – Shadorma (and some history) NapoWriMo 2014

Veranda,
Ladies dressed in crinoline …
Parasols,
Fans waving,
Hoping to see the Archduke.
Until the Habsburg’s fell.

Austria,
Double Monarchy,
South Tyrol,
Trentino.
On the edge of the Empire,
Until the Habsburg’s fell

Tall palm trees
Among pines and spruce …
Gazebos,
Music playing.
In the evenings at the parks,
Until the Habsburg’s fell.

Gleaming,
Wealthy came to rest …
Trentino,
Pellagra.
Arco no place for the poor,
Until the Habsburg’s fell.

Arco in its Austro-Hungarian past was a city famous for its clean air and mild climate.  The Archduke planted an exotic arboretum, a huge casinò was built, where the wealthy played and listened to music.  The parks housed gazebos and outdoor caffès.  There were many nursing homes for Austria’s wealthy sick to recover from lung problems.  For the most part though, Trentino was one of the poorest regions in Austria and future Italy. People ate mostly “polenta” a sort of corn mush and died of pellagra.  Hundreds immigrated from the surrounding valleys going to North or South America to escape poverty.

It was only after the second world war, with the “special statute” which ensured that some of Trentino-AltoAdige’s tax money stayed in the region, that wealth came to the region through public programs that helped the farmers and merchants,  stabilized the rivers  (which regularly destroyed towns and farm lands during spring thaw) and built up the infrastructures of the region and permitted people to buy and in the old towns refurbish their homes.  There are 5 “special statute” regions in Italy…but only Trentino-Alto Adige has used the funds at hand to completely change the fate of the people who live in the territory.

Written for NaPoWriMo – Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie

Sunday Walk: Arco (TN) – The Archduke’s Arboretum (photos and gallery)

It promises to be a hot day…the heat haze is already shimmering at 8:00 am…so let’s take a cool walk in the Archduke’s Arboretum!

Here we are at the entrance gates…

We could walk down to the gazebo, but we won’t…

As we walk we can see Arco through the trees…

We’ll go straight to the turtle pond!

A brief look at some of the plants…

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Leaving the park…

Have a nice Sunday!!!