Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #43 and Carpe Diem Special #142, “taking flight” by Kala Ramesh
The spring garden is full of new joy and fall leaves. I finally clear all the leaves giving anemic plants a taste of sunlight. Overnight the weeds creep in and try to choke the flowers. The weeds quickly ripen and as I reach to pull a handful fresh seed shoot up into the air spreading hope for a new invasion. I brush the seeds from my hair, lay down my gloves and sigh. Tomorrow I will try again.
taking flight –
a butterfly shrugs off
its shadow © Kala Ramesh
taking flight –
as I pull weeds
the ripe seeds
a butterfly shrugs
off the advances
of a bumble bee
its shadow
graces my book’s white page
dragonfly hovers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the swallowtail
lays fresh white eggs
on new fennel leaves
tiny black larva
crawl along the fennel
feasting
nearing change
fat green caterpillars
strip the fennel
small green chrysalis
gently sways in the breeze
from naked stalks
swallowtail takes flight
it’s shadow lighting on me
entering my heart
Adas Poetry Alcove 
April 15, 2015 at 3:10 am
Oh my, your narrative was so real…I was in the garden with you pulling weeds…but your series of haiku are stunning. They breahe hope for a fine summer…spring is here:)
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April 15, 2015 at 12:19 pm
Thank you! I thought it was all just ordinary stuff. So glad you enjoyed.
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April 15, 2015 at 4:25 am
Wow — what a response! How wonderful to see and feel what you experienced — and to be there with the flight of the ripe seeds. (When weeding, that part makes me feel as much a creator as a destroyer!)
Beautifully done 🙂
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April 15, 2015 at 12:23 pm
Thanks Jen, so glad you enjoyed.
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April 15, 2015 at 4:56 am
Very vivid and well written post – I love your haibun and the series of haiku are fantastic … however, I’m afraid I don’t sympathize with the butterflies when I see my poor geraniums sapped and dying due to the South African black butterfly’s babes which are laid in the stalks … they eat the plant from it’s insides … not just the leaves.
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April 16, 2015 at 8:24 pm
We plant fennel just for the black swallowtail. My daughter use to bring so caterpillars in and feed then watch the butterflies hatch from cocoons. I would not like them if they fed on my iris.
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April 17, 2015 at 4:41 am
Ah now I understand … here people plant fennel for themselves 😉 but I can understand … this is a great project for your daughter. And it’s lovely to watch the growing process of the butterflies … when they’re not doing it n one’s flowers 🙂
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April 17, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Yes it’s always fun.
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April 19, 2015 at 5:48 am
🙂
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April 15, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Thank goodness for the tomorrows and the new starts!
To the Butterfly
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April 17, 2015 at 1:06 pm
yes, we should be thankful.
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April 16, 2015 at 2:20 am
I was enthralled by the beauty of your words.
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April 16, 2015 at 8:17 pm
Janice, glad you enjoyed.
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April 16, 2015 at 11:32 pm
Wow Dolores what a wonderful series of haiku … very nice verses and beautiful images … really a joy to read. Thank you for sharing your garden with us through haiku.
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April 20, 2015 at 8:28 pm
Thanks Kristjann glad you enjoyed. I love gardening.
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