A Tanka

The morning turns its
Golden face upon us all
The One – human race,
Settled here in warmth and light
Under perpetual care.

Tanka is a fun and simple form, a five-line syllabic with counts: 5 – 7 – 5 – 7 – 7. I enjoy them a great deal and suggest if you have not, that you try your hand at creation, Traditionally, they are about nature, but I am not married to that aspect. I often string them together as stanzas in longer poems.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

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America, oh America

Step lively all you
Support our brave America
Come forward and stand
For love of every people
Let not your heart turn aside.
Trouble is brewing
Strife is almost everywhere
Something we must do
However, you are leaning
To your convictions, be true.
Vote! Let us not fail,
For the love of our country,
Make sure your ballot
Is cast surely as best you
See fit, further freedom’s ring.

Will you, dear reader, do
What you should needfully do?

Reading Update

Do you read a lot? Sometimes it surprises me how and how much I read. I am going to do a little differently than I usually do with this update.

I have been reading almost exclusively on Kindle and devices. I also tend to read several books at the same time. Since April 15th I have completed these:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien 5stars Reread.
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien 5stars Reread.
Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies by Hayley Nolan 4stars Not entirely sure I agree with the summation here.
Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien 5stars Reread.
The Master’s Apprentice by Oliver Potzsch 5 stars, and that does not reflect how very accomplished this novel is.
Grammars of Creation by George Steiner 5stars Deep scholarly text that challenges as it enlightens.
Auxiliary: London 2039 by Jon Richter 5stars a reading request from the author. Excellent story, well presented.
Terra Luna by Vikki & John Woodward, this is a 5star story, but it is marred to an overall 3stars because of a bevy of errors in copy editing. This was an author’s recommendation.
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey 5stars chilling story.
A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O’Nan 5stars, this is a plague novel and was very appropriate for the time.
Life: A User’s Manual by Georges Perec 5stars this is a challenging novel and extremely satisfying, but might not be for every taste. Translation from French.
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs 5stars There are no winners here, but getting there is a great ride.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith 5stars I have a soft spot for books about books, throw in a battle between Heaven and Hell, yeah, I am there with you all along the way.

I also tend to read The New York Times, AJC, Science, Granta, and others a bit along the way. My major disappointment in life is the is too much material to read and a paucity of time in which to do it.

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Remember, Do You?

Do you recall the first time
You realized all the world
Depended on no single thing,
But other hearts needed you
Enough to boost hope and reason
For continuing beyond those
Times love given seemed less
Than what might be wanted?
Remember pulling a smile
From the aether and laughing
Because crying was much too cruel?
When you won your big thing,
Do you remember thinking
Of all the small stuff sacrificed,
And wishing with a lurch,
You had those along with the glory?
Remember the kiss you thought
Meant the world and forever
And somehow all your dreams
Faded like the rosy pink in
A Summer’s sky at the end
Of an utterly magical day?
Do you recall how everything
Seemed so hard and you thought
Of giving up, but someone had
Faith to tell you how you could do
More than you thought possible,
That you were capable beyond
Your belief and you pulled yourself
Up together and conquered defeat
Sallying on to succeed tremendously?
Remember the darkness cannot
Overcome the vision of light
Captured in a moment
Needed to set the flame in
Motion to take back now
And claim the past and forever.
Remember, remember, do YOU?
Do you recall that no matter,
This is your life, and you are able,
Able to survive because you are
Here now and have come so far,
In the present, you can go further,
You can take possession of success.
Despite negatives facing you
Your life is precious and may thrive?

Memory is a poignant tool at times. If you need inspiration, drop a line in your past and see what you pull up. Maybe you could use the above questions and statements to set you on your way. Life is abundant beyond our cognizance, and there are so many dreams we have accomplished.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. If you wish, follow the site or come back as you will. Many blessings upon you and yours now and always.

Covid-19, I Have Questions

Ladies, Gentlemen, Others,

I am curious about your experiences during this world-wide pandemic. Have any of you tested positive or recovered from the virus?

If that is not your experience, are you in isolation most of the time?

When you go into the public, do you mask and observe social distancing or no?

Have your daily routines significantly changed, as in working from home versus in an office? If this is your present, do you intend to continue after the crisis is past?

Have you suffered significant financial impairment due to the situation? Is that situation rectifying itself with time, or is this becoming a morass?

My experience is I have not been tested nor recovered from the virus. There is no reason to believe I have had it. I have been in isolation for the majority of the time. When I do go out, I wear a mask, and I avoid going out without my mentor as much as possible. Most of my routines have continued as usual. I did lose a month of copy editing, and though the publications have resumed, they are less robust to some degree, which affects my editing hours.

I should like for things to become more comfortably routine, and I hope your times are pleasant going forward.