Off The Beaten Path

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Georgia, United States
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.

Sunday, September 23

Haiku Hut

I don't remember just when I became a member of the HaikuHut, but it was many years ago. Although I have not been a very active member in the last couple of years, I have maintained a membership. Today Mike said he will be closing the HaikuHut. As anyone knows who has maintained an online posting site, it takes a lot of time, work, and maintenance to do it up right. So I can certainly understand his need to spend more time with his family and less time working on the web. But I will miss "the Hut".

The following poem was written to explain the feelings I have about belonging to a poetry group. The Hut accepted all forms of poetry.....

The Poet's Harbor

A ship of dreams her sails unfurl
out across dark stormy seas
With a steadfast direction set
words offer promise when they please.

Where waters dark, a glassy calm
offers protection from life's storm
The Poet's Harbor with beacon on
gathering hopeless and forlorn.

Many strangers come to anchor here
take protection from the fear
of wind and rain and blowing things
that might suddenly appear.

It's not a place of wet world woes
nor does fisherman cast line or net
it is the peace within your heart
the Poet's Harbor without regret.

2/22/01

11 comments:

Lo Kelween said...

hi nea!
is this a form of haiku too? i thought the normal haiku is 5-7-5 syllabus form. love the vivid imagery you used. :)

take care!:)

Neoma said...

Hi elween, no this isn't haiku, we did all kinds of poetry at the Hut.

I have to say, although the form is 5-7-5, at the Hut, they very seldom worried about syllable count. Only in the very beginning when we were first learning did they ask for a strict form. Once it was learned, then you were able to branch out. Even the "masters" seldom worried about precises syllable count it seems. I seldom counted syllables, well actually never. haha

Lo Kelween said...

ehm..ic. that's why master never follows rule becoz they have mastered every essence of it. ehm, this "hut" sounds interesting. i think we are online at the same time! :)

Neoma said...

Exactly.....that is what I was told, in the beginning you must follow the rules to prove that you can......after you learn, then you are allowed to not follow them anymore. You are right, I think we are on at the same time. Although it is 3:30 in the am here. and I should go to bed. haha

Neoma said...

I downloaded a new format, and now I have lost my little chat room I will have to go and find it and see if I can get it back....:)

Libby said...

great poem, nea! i like it!!

Akelamalu said...

Your poem is beautiful Nea - you are so talented. x

Neoma said...

Hi Libby....thank you. I enjoyed belonging to the poetry site, it was a small group of people who all enjoyed the same types of poetry. But it lasted for many years, and it must have taken a lot of work for Mike to keep up. He recently decided it was time to allocate his time towards his family. And I can't blame him.

Neoma said...

Hi Akela, thank you, :), I wrote this a few years back as you can see, when I joined the Haiku Hut. I wrote very bad Haiku in the beginning, so I mostly submitted long poems. there was a place for all kinds of poetry. But I eventually learned haiku. It is much harder to write than people think, and do it right. haha

Pete said...

Nea

Your talent with words never fails to impress me and I love your new look, very beautiful

Pete...:-)
XXX

Neoma said...

hello Pete, why thank you......there was a time when words seemed to flow, but for some reason they then dried up. It is strange about poetry, you can't force it......it is either there or it isn't. I was going through a time in my life when I was seeking something new and different, and finding "myself". I guess I got done with that, and then couldn't seem to find any new words.