Laurie Klein, Scribe

immerse in God, emerge refreshed

  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
    • Small Wonders
    • Soul Mimosas
    • Springboards
    • Wellsprings
    • BiblioDiva
  • Reveries
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Press Kit
  • Playlist

Hai*Pho — No, it’s not a new entree . . .

by Laurie Klein 24 Chiming In

What on earth is Hai*pho? A fleeting, luminescent marriage: poem and image. Pho-to + Hai-ku.

star-wise

“So much depends on the light, and the way you squint.” (Margaret Atwood’s astute observation.)

Welcome, friends, to my growing, mid-pandemic gallery. Here’s my first arranged engagement.

MARCH

Snowstorm on the way.
Hope takes a morning ramble
among buttercups.

Matchmaking with lens and keyboard prompts my imagination during our current lockdown. It propels me outside, clad in battery-heated sweatshirt (thank you, Dreamer!) and polka-dot mud boots.

And one blustery day . . . snow boots.

FIRST ROBIN

Cheerio, chirr-up . . .
Icy lacework of twigs and snow—
how the world rallies.

During these surreal times, it’s stimulating to focus on the diminutive Japanese art form. Haiku is nature-based, 3-lines, 17-syllables, arranged thus: 5, then 7, then 5.

It’s terse. Evanescent. Hopefully, memory inducing. And thought provoking.

LIKE US

A pond, locked in ice,
dreams of open water. Oh,
how we need the sun!

Hai*pho aims to grasp the come-hither hem of beauty and truth. Mercurial moods and possible meanings simmer beneath everyday surfaces that surround us.

Break the word down and voila! — a cultural marriage. Hai is Japanese, for “hello” and “yes.” Pho is Vietnamese for “soup.”

Hello . . . soup. O YES!

The pond shot above does have a soupy look. Perhaps hai*pho IS an entree. A little something to nourish hope . . .

EQUINOX

He summons the night
to dance with the dawn: shadows
elbowing sunlight.

How merciful that our hopes and prayers for healing across the wide world coincide with the equinox, emblematic of balance, and Spring, and Lent . . . everything quietly pointing toward Easter.

NEST EGGS

Shells. The fearful crack.
The soft, extended wing. Then . . .
beaks. Songs. All-new songs!

What creative endeavors are keeping you lively during the pandemic? I hope you’ll share in the comments. Who knows what you might spark in the mind and life of another?

“I will show them my wonders.”

—Micah 7:15

lauriekleinscribe logo

You might also like:

Natural . . . infinite . . . yes: photo meditation

Soul Mimosa — Photos, Music

 

Filed Under: Small Wonders Tagged With: Easter, equinox, haiku, hope. creativity, spring March 23, 2020

Please Chime In... Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Please Chime In...

  1. Lynn D. Morrissey says

    April 7, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    Beautiful poetess! I have been sharing the computer w/ my darling daughter who is preparing remote art lessons for her little charges (4 & 5 y/o’s). She needs to get on again, so forgive my brevity. But these leave me speechless anyway–breathless. awash in the beauty from your pen and your lens.
    xo
    Lynn

    Reply
    • Laurie says

      April 7, 2020 at 3:35 pm

      Lynn, my lovely friend, thank you for scrolling through the photos and poems today. What vital, encouraging, creative work your daughter is doing with little ones during these hard-to-explain times. The apple never falls far from the tree . . .

      Reply
      • Lynn D. Morrissey says

        April 13, 2020 at 11:32 am

        You are so generous in your compliment to this apple tree; but honestly, it’s I who learn from Sheridan. I am trained to be a music teacher, but when I discovered I would actually have to teach children, I switched fast in my career! 🙂 How I admire her love and skill. And she is doing phenomenal work, even remotely. They just adore her. You should see their art work too. Stunning. (and hers, of course)!

        Reply
        • Laurie Klein says

          April 14, 2020 at 12:33 pm

          Your pleasure in Sheridan and her work radiates off my screen today, glowing and palpable. Learning from a daughter, oh yes—I feel that way about my girls, too. Consistently blown away. Here’s to the ongoing life of the orchard!

          Reply
  2. Belinda Cron says

    March 24, 2020 at 9:54 pm

    Everything is closed
    I think I’ll go for a walk
    Outside is open

    Yours are better.

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 25, 2020 at 6:48 am

      What a great mercy we can still walk outside. And this morning . . . snow. It’s lovely to think of you walking outdoors. A long-distance companionship. Are you taking pictures?

      Reply
  3. Kel Rohlf says

    March 24, 2020 at 3:06 pm

    Love these meditations in word and image..your sweatshirt sounds lovely…I’ve been playing with art supplies and collage and FB live… thx for sharing this respite here in midst of surreal times

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      Kel, I am absolutely delighted to hear from you today. Thank you for dropping by! The sweatshirt is awesome, a birthday gift from my husband. I have a very sketchy personal thermostat.

      I’m going to try to find your collage group on FB . . .

      Reply
  4. Nancy Ruegg says

    March 24, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Savoring your creativity with each photo, each hai-pho, Laurie. Couldn’t begin to choose a favorite! You’ve inspired me to see what I can find among spring foliage, to inspire 17 soul-stretching syllables. The fun of discovery beckons! P.S. Thank you very much for becoming a follower over at From the Inside Out. I am deeply honored!

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      Nancy, I’ll be watching for your photos . . . on FB, or perhaps on your blog.

      I used to get a link to your posts in my inbox. Then a long silence. Now I realize I somehow dropped off your list. I’m glad to be back and look forward to reading more of your posts.

      Reply
  5. Jenell says

    March 24, 2020 at 1:11 pm

    Oh Laurie, thank you
    Thank You Father God. You knew
    my heart needed this!

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      Dear Jenell, you are so welcome. May your heart and your family and loved ones find new ways to rest as well as thrive every day. Amen

      Reply
  6. Dana Bow says

    March 24, 2020 at 12:51 pm

    Perfect! This is your art form.

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      What an intriguing notion! I better find my camera then. I’ve been taking it on my jogs, but two days ago I misplaced it. And the battery charger. But I know where Dreamer and the dog are.

      Reply
  7. Lou Dunham says

    March 24, 2020 at 11:29 am

    Beautiful poetry. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      Lou, it’s lovely to see your name here. I am imagining your warm smile and voice as I read your words. Blessings on your day!

      Reply
  8. Susan Cowger says

    March 24, 2020 at 10:22 am

    Nothing brings peace to a turbulent world like creation suddenly alive with the breath of beauty. It stops us in our tracks. The juxtaposition of object and infinite worth turns our gaze slightly…and as we tip our heads in wonder there it is–the reflection of our Maker. As do your poems. Thank you.

    I bring things together during this pandemic: sculptures of rock, wood and wire; colors enmesh into a painting; words thread themselves into visions called poems; leftovers in the refrigerator become soup; puzzles, I love puzzles. That is what this pandemic is: A puzzle we are all fitting together.

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 2:14 pm

      O to sustain a life that embraces these subtle tipping points. And then bringing things together. Facilitating conversations between various materials and entities as well as the people and pets in our lives.

      You and your home are humming with creativity. Glorious!

      Reply
  9. Jody Collins says

    March 24, 2020 at 10:08 am

    Well, creatively I have been writing a tad more poetry. But I am so delighted to read yours, Laurie. I think the challenge/beauty of your haiku hai/pho offerings is that the form demands a focus, literally. The confines of the formula demand careful attention to what exactly you can say…. deciding what’s truly important to say and o. I’m sure there’s a metaphor for these corona-v times in there.
    Anyway–you’ve inspired me.
    I should probably give haikus (or hai-pho’s) a go.

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      Jody, yes, haiku is a rigorous form. A miniature puzzle. The search for interlocking words that complement the photo delights (and challenges) me. And passes the time. Hope you jump in!

      Reply
  10. Linda Jo Reed says

    March 24, 2020 at 10:05 am

    Loved this post, Laurie! Exquisite! I’m savoring ….

    I have been getting photos of nature waking up on my walks, too. Simple pleasures, not disturbed, no matter a pandemic.

    Reply
    • Laurie Klein says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:44 pm

      Linda Jo, thank you. It’s sure good to get outside for breathers. I try to walk as well as jog every day. Such a peaceable way to clear the mind and stir the senses.

      The photos in your blog post today further awakened my spirit. So thank YOU.

      Reply
      • Loretta Diane Walker says

        March 27, 2020 at 10:57 am

        Such a beautiful and uplifting union. Laurie you are gift.

        Reply
        • Laurie Klein says

          March 27, 2020 at 11:04 am

          As you are, to me. L’etta, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

          Reply
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe

Please enter your email address below to receive emails from Laurie twice a month.

Your information is safe with me. I will never spam you. Read my privacy policy here.

Hi, I’m Laurie.

  • Scribe for wonder
  • Contemplative author/artist
  • Reader/performer/speaker
  • Imagination maven
  • Biblio*Diva
  • Expert on chocolate raisins
  • Click here to read more.

Where the Sky Opens, a Partial Cosmography

Where the Sky Opens, a Partial Cosmography
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Where the Sky Opens, a Partial Cosmography
Buy now!

Recent Posts

  • A Respect for Emergence
  • Alteration
  • Grit, Stardust, Healing Rigor
  • My Christmas in Asia
  • Sustain

Categories

  • BiblioDiva
  • Immersions
  • Small Wonders
  • Soul Mimosas
  • Springboards
  • Wellsprings

Tags

adoption adventure anger attention Beauty bias change contemplative delight feast focus Gift grace graft gratitude hope joy light litany longing love Magi music mystery nest pain path peace pearls possibility praise prayer Risk shelf life soundings space star stars surrender transformation trust vision waiting wonder yes

Copyright © 2023 Laurie Klein, Scribe Laurie Klein, Scribe All Rights Reserved Laurie Klein, Scribe Privacy Policy