Today's poet

Inky hands working
my imagination runs
when my feet cannot.

There are some brilliant Haiku developing on this thread. I'm going to have to get up to speed (mmm...story of my fell running life that).

In the meantime here's a light-hearted little ditty inspired by last week's recce of the A/Waltz during half-term when I took outrageous advantage of an opportunity to brazenly show off.

Cat Bells, toll a throng
Tourists gawp incredulous
me, geronimooooooooooooooooooo
:rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mossdog

There are some brilliant Haiku developing on this thread. I'm going to have to get up to speed (mmm...story of my fell running life that).

In the meantime here's a light-hearted little ditty inspired by last week's recce of the A/Waltz during half-term when I took outrageous advantage of an opportunity to brazenly show off.

Cat Bells, toll a throng
Tourists gawp incredulous
me, geronimooooooooooooooooooo
:rolleyes:

---

don't know if you realise but you really just cheered me up...what a lovely image! :) :D :)

Today's day:

Morning drive through hills.
Work ethic versus urge to
run. Only just wins.

Business face on in
meeting: Busy brain engaged
on haiku duties.

Paint with little one.
Fifteen minutes fun, thirty
minutes tidying.

Dad finds Night Garden
delightfully relaxing.
Kiddo finds boring.

HHH this is just lovely....particularly liked...

Business face on in meeting:
Busy brain engaged on haiku duties.

and....

Paint with little one.
Fifteen minutes fun,
thirtyminutes tidying.

keep it coming...

I've a feeling some of you might relate to this; and it probably wont be any of us lads. :) Things haven't changed much in the last 100 years have they! ;)

A poem of two halves as they say, or could even be two different poems. But I love how it actually works all together.

I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop.
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got people to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.

Maya Angelou

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Harry H Howgill

I've a feeling some of you might relate to this; and it probably wont be any of us lads. :) Things haven't changed much in the last 100 years have they! ;)

A poem of two halves as they say, or could even be two different poems. But I love how it actually works all together.

I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop.
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got people to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.

Maya Angelou

---

You're right - how bizarre but also interesting. Like it. Also liked:

Business face on in
meeting: Busy brain engaged
on haiku duties.

Boy have I been there. Another great one HHH.

...Pleased it cheered you Freckle.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

November's Guest

My Sorrow, when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She's glad the birds are gone away,
She's glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise

Robert Frost

---

Oh dear. Was this an early case of battling/reframing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

lest we forget....(and see remembrance thread)

Dreamers

Soldiers are citizens of death's gray land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.

Siegfried Sassoon

"The Quitter"

When you're lost on the trail with the speed of a snail
And defeat looks you straight in the eye
And you're needing to sit, your whole being says quit
You're certain it's your time to die.
But the code of the trail is "move forward don't fail"
Though your knees and ego are scarred.
All the swelling and pain is just part of the game
In the long run it's quitting that's hard!

"I'm sick of the pain!" Well, now, that's a shame
But you're strong, you're healthy, and bright.
So you've had a bad stretch and you're ready to retch,
Shoulders back, move forward, and fight.
It's the plugging away that will win you the day,
Now don't be a loser my friend!
So the goal isn't near, why advance to the rear.
All struggles eventually end.

It's simple to cry that your finished; and die.
It's easy to whimper and whine.
Move forward and fight, though there's no help in sight
You'll soon cross the lost finish line.
You'll come out of the black, with the wind at your back,
As the clouds start to part; there's the sun.
Then you'll know in your heart, as you did at the start.
You're not a quitter. You've Won!!

- by Gene Thibeault

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

lest we forget....(and see remembrance thread)

Dreamers

Soldiers are citizens of death's gray land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.

Siegfried Sassoon

---

Evening Freckle,

"Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,"

That's the line that got me.

dearest moss dog....

not sure about SAD, i can be quite dreary all year!!!! but also quite excitable and cheery so don't fret!......anyway i thought you liked a bit of darkness (ie Plath?)......as for "reframing" I prefer the idea of catharsis but we'll not talk shop eh?..........:-) :-) :-)

X Runner your posts are fab and very motivational, this is another one that i will read on saturday night to get me ready for sunday race!!!!! thank you...

and HHH...evening to you too!!! no sign of bairn number 2 yet? :-)

Here's another for tonight's growing list of gooduns.

A friend sent me this one.

Enosis

Thought is deeper than all speech,
Feeling deeper than all thought;
Souls to souls can never teach
What unto themselves was taught.

We are spirits clad in veils;
Man by man was never seen;
All our deep communing fails
To remove this shadowy screen.

Heart to heart was never known;
Mind with mind did never meet;
We are columns, left alone,
Of a temple once complete.

Like the stars that gem the sky,
Far apart, though seeming near,
In our light we scattered lie;
All is thus but starlight here.

What is social company
But a babbling summer stream?
What our wise philosophy
But the glancing of a dream?

Only when the sun of love
Melts the scattered stars of thought;
Only when we live above
What the dim-eyed world hath taught;

Only when our souls are fed
By the Fount which gave them birth,
And by inspiration led
Which they never drew from earth;

We, like parted drops of rain,
Swelling till they melt and run,
Shall be all absorbed again,
Melting, flowing into one.

It seems Enosis is a Greek word meaning "all in one". S'pose you lot knew that already though.:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

and HHH...evening to you too!!! no sign of bairn number 2 yet? :-)

---

Thanks for asking. :)

Happy where he is.
BabyTwo not moving 'til
Rain clouds move away.

Oooooo Mossdog, you excel in this one!!!!....particularly liked this last paragraph!

We, like parted drops of rain,
Swelling till they melt and run,
Shall be all absorbed again,
Melting, flowing into one.

It seems Enosis is a Greek word meaning "all in one". S'pose you lot knew that already though.:D[/QUOTE]....I didn't actually so thank you!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Harry H Howgill

Thanks for asking. :)

Happy where he is.
BabyTwo not moving 'til
Rain clouds move away.

---

Baby two gathers strength
there's a fell
with his name on it

:) hope Mrs HHH is bearing up, i was always sick as a chip by this stage! (think Michael Douglas in Falling Down!!!!!!)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

....i have just very nearly crashed my car whilst thinking of another this afternoon....on an autumnal note

Starling

Crimson berry
ready to pop
reflected in purple feathers

:)

(starlings are known to fly very fast and direct and also walk and run very efficiently on the ground, although they look black their coats have a purple and green sheen)

---

Artistic and informative! I love it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

Baby two gathers strength
there's a fell
with his name on it

:) hope Mrs HHH is bearing up, i was always sick as a chip by this stage! (think Michael Douglas in Falling Down!!!!!!)

---

Very much ready to go but she's holding up well thanks.

She's also getting excited about thenew tumble dryer arriving too! :D:eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Harry H Howgill

Very much ready to go but she's holding up well thanks.

She's also getting excited about thenew tumble dryer arriving too! :D:eek:

---

I can relate to that, with two children and all that washing....v essential! :D

After 438 posts in total we now have 38 fell running related haiku from 11 budding poets. If anyone wants a copy of them all then drop me your email.

Keep them coming and I'll contact Editor Britta to see if she's interested in giving us a page in the next Fellrunner magazine.

Harry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Harry H Howgill

After 438 posts in total we now have 38 fell running related haiku from 11 budding poets. If anyone wants a copy of them all then drop me your email.

Keep them coming and I'll contact Editor Britta to see if she's interested in giving us a page in the next Fellrunner magazine.

Harry

---

Nice one Harry!!!!!!! i will send you my e mail...also just to mention if they are interested in an illustration I think Hes may be able to help....how exciting!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

Nice one Harry!!!!!!! i will send you my e mail...also just to mention if they are interested in an illustration I think Hes may be able to help....how exciting!!!!!

---

Given that us fellrunners aren't normally great with exact race distances run or altitude climbed, (I'm ignoring those smartypants who have GPSs) I've also included those that aren't specifically 5,7,5 which I feel is entirely within the spirit of the forum.

Do people want crediting individually or shall I just give a list of names at the bottom? I'm leaning towardsthe latter, but let meknow what you think.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Harry H Howgill

Given that us fellrunners aren't normally great with exact race distances run or altitude climbed, (I'm ignoring those smartypants who have GPSs) I've also included those that aren't specifically 5,7,5 which I feel is entirely within the spirit of the forum.

Do people want crediting individually or shall I just give a list of names at the bottom? I'm leaning towardsthe latter, but let meknow what you think.

---

i agree about the 5,7,5 but i would say that as mine never seem to fit!....

i am easy about whether or not names should be included might be easier for you if you don't reference each one? dunno? interested readers could always be referred to the thread.....

i am assuming that the editor will only pick a crop of what he/she views are the best anyway....
great stuff!

Hi HHH and Freckle (and anyone else currently on this thread).

Just to give my two penneth. I agree with you both about the 5,7,5. Having once had a partner who wrote haiku and studied the form quite a bit, we would have discussions about it and the general thought was that the Japanese form of 5,7,5 syllables isn't really relevant when you write in English as English syllables convey far more information than Japanese...so basically I think it is the spirit of the verse that is important. Minimal, lyrical and metaphorical seem to be the important characteristics and I think some of the haikus on here are really wonderful. I wish I could write them. I am going to try after Sunday's race at Guisborough (thats if I'm not stuck in a bog somewhere).

Just for laughs:

Running with the pack
the cyclocross lads are back
great to see you both.

(two of our best fell runners and cyclocross competitors turned up at harriers tonight after a long period away, it cheered me up immensely and made me forget all about the idiot who nearly knocked me off my motorbike this evening).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

i agree about the 5,7,5 but i would say that as mine never seem to fit!....

i am easy about whether or not names should be included might be easier for you if you don't reference each one? dunno? interested readers could always be referred to the thread.....

i am assuming that the editor will only pick a crop of what he/she views are the best anyway....
great stuff!

---

The atmosphericals, not the arithmeticals matter most so I'm sure you'll be in. :)

I just thought it might look better on the page without the names after each one, and it does feel like a collaberative effort.

nighty night

x

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

Paint with little one.
Fifteen minutes fun,
thirtyminutes tidying.

---

This is great Freckle...sums up my afterschool printing club I ran at the local primary too. I loved your haiku about the starling and berry too.

[QUOTE=Hes;269131]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

Paint with little one.
Fifteen minutes fun,
thirtyminutes tidying.
QUOTE]

This is great Freckle...sums up my afterschool printing club I ran at the local primary too. I loved your haiku about the starling and berry too.

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hi hes, that first one was harrys!!!!! but the starling mine :D sorry to hear you nearly got knocked over hope you are ok dear :)

There once was a young southern softie
Whose favourite kebab was a kofte
He had dodgy knees
And legs of jelly
So his placings were never that lofty.
:o

Failing that, I know one about an old fella, I think he came from Nantucket...;)

[QUOTE=freckle;269164]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hes

hi hes, that first one was harrys!!!!! but the starling mine :D sorry to hear you nearly got knocked over hope you are ok dear :)

---

Sorry HHH...it was a good one!

Welcome to the thread Southern Softie...

Celia Celia
by Adrian Mitchell

When I am sad and weary,
When I think all hope has gone,
When I walk along High Holborn
I think of you with nothing on

(always makes me laugh!)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

Baby two gathers strength
there's a fell
with his name on it

---

I missed this one last night, top stuff.

Mrs H thinks he's already wearing fell shoes by the feel of it. :eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by southernsoftie

There once was a young southern softie
Whose favourite kebab was a kofte
He had dodgy knees
And legs of jelly
So his placings were never that lofty.
:o

Failing that, I know one about an old fella, I think he came from Nantucket...;)

---

welcome to the thread southern softie loved this haiku...bloody brilliant!....it could have been written for me apart from the kebab bit!!!!...have a nice day :)

good morning one and all......something from tha bard himself to start the day....

A fairy song

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire!
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours;
In those freckles live their savours;
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

William Shakespeare

Wendy Cope's "Fireworks poem II" is a bit right for today:

Write it in fire across the night
some men are more or less all right.

winter nears
apricot and charcoal sky
cormorant overhead

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freckle

good morning one and all......something from tha bard himself to start the day....

A fairy song

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire!
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours;
In those freckles live their savours;
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

William Shakespeare

---

Is this from A Mid Summers Night Dream?

In the words of the Kings of Leon

I want to run baby run
like a stream down a mountainside
with the wind at my back
I won't even bat an eye

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neil wootton

Is this from A Mid Summers Night Dream?

In the words of the Kings of Leon

I want to run baby run
like a stream down a mountainside
with the wind at my back
I won't even bat an eye

---

Like it. Nice one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Derby Tup

winter nears
apricot and charcoal sky
cormorant overhead

---

gorgeous!

Last night I found myself on a Today's Music thread and it made me think how poetic some lyrics are:

Choirs of winter birds are calling to me
and all the leaves I came to love are falling

from Evergreen by Faithless

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hes

gorgeous!

Last night I found myself on a Today's Music thread and it made me think how poetic some lyrics are:

Choirs of winter birds are calling to me
and all the leaves I came to love are falling

from Evergreen by Faithless

---

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xODjbYw8 :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Derby Tup

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xODjbYw8 :)

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Hi DT, I couldn't make this work...was it a video for Evergreen? I'm a bit inept with YouTube but I'd like to see whatever it was.

Cheers, H.