Saturday, April 22, 2023

Special Feature: Haiku and Tanka Selected for Earth Day

My Dear Readers/Friends:

Spring has been with us for a month already, but the weather is becoming more and more uncertain.

spring snowstorm
a black hole
in my universe

Chen-ou Liu

FYI: CBC News, April 19Spring snowstorm — yes, another one — rolls into southern Manitoba


When we celebrate this annual worldwide event, the most important thing that we should keep in mind is:   

The Earth is what we all have in common. -- Wendell Berry

Our planet (the only liveable one; yes, there two other "potentially habitable Earth-size planets" found in the recent past) and our communities (especially the marginalized ones, such as the indigenous peoples) are confronting the impacts of climate change and the connected crisis of species and ecosystem collapse.

stratus clouds grow darker …
loaded with timber, livestock 
and soybeans
truck after truck barrelling 
through the Amazon region

Chen-ou Liu


This Earth Day, we should not only celebrate the environmental diversity of Earth, and also highlight the actions we can take to address environmental problems.

gone from the forest
the flower I knew
only by touch

Padma Rajeswari

Earth Day
the world in a grain
of polymer

LeRoy Gorman

black oil slick
washed up on the beach -- 
looking
in the dead dolphin’s eye
I see a part of myself

Lavana Kray

recycling centre
where to put the dreams
of yesterday

Sebastian Salie 


To conclude today's Special Feature post, I would like to share my tanka with you to lift our spirits:

Earth Day FunPlay ...
a flock of doves bursting
into flight
as a beagle chases my son
rolling on a carpet of green


Happy Earth Day

Chen-ou

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