Theme
The theme for this episode is Beginnings.
If you liked what you heard, share it with a friend. Thanks for listening. See you on your next visit to the pond.
My Haiku & Reflections
Screams and cries echo
Baby wrapped in a bundle
A small start of life
We humans all start our life the same: small. Yet, we have the ability to grow into so many different individuals. Granted, some outcomes are dependent on where you are born and what gender you are assigned at birth.
Regardless, there are those who transcend these outcomes and expectations. As the world continues to grow, develop, and progress toward a better state of being we are seeing countless examples of how all humans are the same and capable of amazing things; particularly overcoming great adversity.
The past two years of dealing with a global pandemic have been a once in a lifetime experience for all of us. It’s one of the few events — in the history of humanity — that we humans have felt collectively. It’s something we shared with each other across screens, tweets, and podcasts.
We all had our pandemic project. This one was mine. I started it as an experiment to try out a podcast, share haiku with others, and promote my haiku collection. I tried my best not to have any expectations for what would come out of it. Thankfully, I was both humbled and surprised by what came out of it.
I wasn’t expecting so many people to listen to the podcast. As of this recording (Dec 10, 2021), there have been 724 total listens or downloads with each episode getting an average of 30 listens or downloads in over 17 different countries around the globe.
I am eternally humbled and gratified by this. I can tell you I had plenty of self-defeating thoughts during the making of both seasons of this podcast. I kept thinking, “No one wants to hear about haiku or hear me dither about my random philosophies on life.” But apparently you do and I’m grateful that you came to the Pond to listen.
That was how this “small bundle” of a podcast started and like so many things in life, I’m not sure where it’s going in the future. Personally, I’m about to make some big life changes — moving back to the States and starting a new career. I’m not sure how or when I’ll be able to make more episodes.
For now, I will leave it as it is and take a break. All of the episodes will continue to be available wherever you’ve listened to them. I’ve also created a playlist of them on my YouTube channel. Visit thehaikupond.com to learn where to listen.
This isn’t so much an ending as it is a beginning. With each door that closes, a new one opens. With each new birth, a new life begins with endless possibilities. That is the lesson I take from this haiku.
I’ll be setting this project aside to work on a new beginning for myself, but when I revive it at a later date I’d love to have you along for the next journey. I encourage you to sign up for the mailing list at haikupond.ck.page or follow podcast on Twitter @TheHaikuPond. Those places, along with my website, will be where future updates can be found.
Thank you so much for listening. And a very special thank you to all of the poets who contributed to this project — both in Season 1 and Season 2. It’s been a humbling journey filled with gratitude and I hope the same for you.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From Melody Wang on TW & IG as MelodyOfMusings:
to nurture dim light
to comfort fragile seedlings,
what thing(s) must you drown?
From Foal Poetry on IG as foalpoetry:
Life enters the world
In the same building it leaves
Always occurring
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & on IG as the_cellopoet:
it takes tragedy
for us to begin to see
the error of our ways
From Michele Wong on TW as meaning_filled:
songbirds in her mouth
feed piquant plums to my heart
sweet autumn love notes
From Christina Chin at haikuzyg.blogspot.com:
cry of a fawn
strayed from the doe
summer mountain
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman:
Life is a journey
Today is your wedding day
Your new life begins
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal:
Dawn cracks violet,
Darkness shrinks back to shadows;
Mist starts to dissolve
From huwanahoy on IG & TW as huwanahoy:
There is no more spark
Must be the end for that match
Go light another
From Mona Bedi:
bus ride
the way my eyes lock
with a stranger’s
From Zahra Mughis on TW as ZahraScribbles & IG as instalogbyzahra:
the reds
of grating carrots
first snow
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Anthony Nanfito 