April is Global/National Poetry Writing Month. Writing a poem a day.

First 7 days of poems

fir trees stand guard at the head 
           of the trail leading to the peak
greening meadows celebrate
           the return of warmth and sunlight
spring melt runoff jumps from rock 
           to rill to laughing mountain streams

[sijo.] copyright © 2022-04-01, by lizl bennefeld.

again I can hear
robins singing from their trees
springtime's dawn

[haiku.] copyright © 2022-04-02, by lizl bennefeld.

late at night
waiting for morning
mourning

[haiku.] copyright © 2022-04-03, by lizl bennefeld.

frost on last year's grass
sleet and snow promised by noon
going into night
        the March lion has taught
        April lambs how to roar and bite

[tanka.] copyright © 2022-04-03, by lizl bennefeld.
[An old English proverb: "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."]


moonlight on the waves
as far as my eyes can see
pebbles on the shore
        I still hear you whispering
        that you someday will return

[tanka.] copyright © 2022-04-04, by lizl bennefeld.


out in the rainstorm
rooks play "King of the Castle"
laughter and wet wings

[haiku.] copyright © 2022-04-05, by lizl bennefeld.


late at night
thoughts start to wander
down worn paths
     ponder choices...like
     what to think of death

it does not matter
what path thoughts might take
make your choice
     we'll know or we won't...
     trust laughter and love

[micropoetry/tanka pair.] copyright 2022-04-06 by lizl bennefeld.

raindrops on the wind
intermixed with ice and snow
melting as they fall
      wind gusts brush the window panes
      as I fall back into sleep

[tanka.] copyright 2022-04-06 by lizl bennefeld.


passion does not become me, 
       although I stand in stillness
when the mourning doves share their sorrows,
       and my hot tears flow free
I feel the Earth's pulsing heart 
       beat in rhythm with the sea

[sijo.] Copyright © 2022-04-07/08, by Liz Bennefeld.

April is Global/National Poetry Writing Month. Warming up for writing a poem a day.

watching ocean waves
from atop the lighthouse tower—
softly on the rocks

     make the windows watertight
     firm against late autumn storms

[tanka.] copyright © 2022-03-28, by lizl bennefeld

“Lighthouse And Storm (Explored)” by jarr1520 is marked with CC BY-NC 2.0. (Not modified.)

This poem was posted also at QuiltedPoetry (dot) wordpress (dot) com in response to this week’s #RonovanWrites #haiku writing #challenge.

April is Global/National Poetry Writing Month. Warming up for writing a poem a day.

at daybreak the crows
pick out their trees for the day 
they fly back and forth
harrying the leaders and 
scoffing at those who are late

Copyright © 2022-03-27 by Lizl Bennefeld.

April is Global/National Poetry Writing Month. Warming up for writing a poem a day.

“naming the dead”

we number and name our dead
        those we  have known or knew about 
the lists grow longer with each night
        that passes, each lingering breath
the last breaths that we'll count are ours...
       freed from numbers and the names

Copyright © 2022-03-26, by Lizl Bennefeld.

Note: Also posted to Quilted Poetry blog.

April is Global/National Poetry Writing Month. Warming up for writing a poem a day.

bright sunlight
magnified by ice
cold welcome

[haiku.] Copyright © 2022-03-24, by Lizl Bennefeld.


false cobwebs
grey mold on the grass
early spring

[senryu.] Copyright © 2022-03-24, by Lizl Bennefeld.


crisp and clear
not a cloud in sight 
dawn bird song

[haiku.] Copyright © 2022-03-24, by Lizl Bennefeld.