Haiku XIX

persuasion

    manipulation;

take your own path

dragon breather 🐉 

    hells fire;

brimstone and ashes

avoidance 

    calmness and kindness; 

key in being present 

remote work 🧑‍💻 

    freedom;

careful with wishes

work and life

    balancing act;

critical to future 

water 💧 

     life 

an absolute necessity 

to prey

    for something unique;

guess what

death approaches 

    just around a post;

evil lurks for right time

magic 🪄 

    impossible things;

if only it were real

it rains 

    it pours;

hear the roar of the snore 💤 

old man 👴 

    turbulent seas;

Breaking waves 🌊 over gunnel 

pissed off

    thunder road;

tickling danger ⛔️ 

beat down

    Good throttling;

balancing harmony

horse hooves clomping 

     carriages a many;

running streets aplenty 

tense music 🎶 

    horse hooves clomping;

swords slashing throats

burgers 🍔 

    late night run;

summer evening warmth

sharp piercing sound

    crack the night;

entering the dojo

influential persuasion 

     insidiously dangerous;

gathering around street hawker

taking actions

    excuses aplenty;

why is it so hard

walking the dog

    great for both;

keeping blood pressure right

serenity deep space

    can’t take the sky;

you’re damaging my calm dude

———————-

The following was inspired and derived from lyrics of “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” by Songwriters: Jim Collins / Marty Dodson (Cleveland WKHR FM 91.5)

heaven is the place

    everyone wants to enter;

don’t want to kick that bucket 🪣 

living right

    don’t call today;

we ain’t ready yet

above the clouds ☁️ 

    one for everything;

get me thru the day

I’m comin 

    ain’t no hurry;

Havin fun down here

heaven inviting us

    everybody goes;

no one wants to go now

ain't no hurry

    having fun down here;

heaven can wait

heaven can wait

    beats the other;

why no wants to go now

—————-

Karate Haiku 🥋 

strong breathe

    sinks deep within;

bring the mind central to the body

always moving

    never long;

staying in one place

being still

    setting a position;

an easy target become you

mokuso in seiza 

    mindfully meditative;

taming the monkey 🐒 

continuous set

     one side alone;

forgets the art of balance

right side

    left side;

change direction then repeat

Okinawan karate 🥋 

    an art form;

fighting for safety in defense

kobudo 

    ancient weaponry;

extending body and hand ✋ 

ancient weaponry

    excellent training tool;

recognize limits in self-defense

misconceived notions

    of ancient karate;

hey it isn’t so ancient no

enter one’s dojo

    take serious tude 🧐;

not for faint of heart ♥️ 

left over right

    wrong way;

attending to death

dragon 🐉 man 🥋 

    Isshinryu wholeheartedly;

instills honor and humility

dojo etiquette 

    teaches of heritage;

must not hinder evolving system

senpai and kohai 

    honored dojo-mates;

teach each other well

focus interruptus 

    utilize presence;

bringing one’s mind to focus 🧘 

times prospectus

    writer for prosperity sake;

just the facts sir

perceptions

    of time assume we;

is not what one thinks 🤔 

ritsu-rei 

    Asian courtesy;

let’s honor and respect one another

be courteous 

    until its time;

to not be courteous 

sweat equity

    uwagi soaked through 🥋;

price paid for dan-sha 

past is important 

    the future;

is absolutely critical

blending

    past and present;

making a future generation 

books and computers 🖥 

    academic sources;

set a solid foundation 

go-rin-no-sho 

    a sword saint;

leaping to shore of small island 🏝