My Ikenobo Ikebana No. 11

My Ikenobo Ikebana No. 11

My Ikenobo Ikebana No. 10 with links to more, back to my very first attempt at No. 1.

I am always struck by how this art form requires you to think about what these flower elements might have looked like as they were growing in nature. As a result, all that you do to the flowers, including breaking the branches, bending the leaves and cutting off some of the flowers, is totally unnatural, which goes to show that is what people do all the time to nature. To make things looks right. Feel right. Be right for human existence. It is a cruel thing to do. But we do it all the time. And the saddest thing of all is that it does look right after you do it all. And it makes you feel better, and at peace.

Haiku For Toru by Yuri Kageyama

Haiku For Toru by Yuri Kageyama

deleting emails

name of dead colleague pops up

i’m thinking of you

^___<

Funny how the most unpoetic of activities can become all of a sudden emotional. That, to me, is a haiku moment. And I tried to capture that, as well as honor and express my gratitude for the long years of working with this colleague. I know I will think about him, now and then, like today. Feb. 9,2023.