We are fast approaching Read an Ebook Week, a week that encourages readers to pick up the digital device of their choice and download a new book to read.
I’m excited to announce that my books, 2149: Emergence and Haiku Ponderings, will be available as part of a promotion on Smashwords to celebrate Read an Ebook Week 2023! This is a chance to get my book, along with books from many other great authors, at a discount so you can get right to reading.
You will find the promo here starting on March 5, so save the link:
If you wouldn’t mind taking part in promoting this celebration of Ebooks and reading, please feel free to share this promo with your friends and family. Just share the link to this post to anyone who would love a chance to find their next favorite book and, as the name suggests, read an ebook!
Thank you for your help and support! Happy reading!
Laura Maverik is an orphaned programmer who lives in a virtual reality completely cutoff from the suffering that plagues the world. But how will she cope when a glitch takes her out of her virtual sanctuary and into the real world?
By 2149 the ubiquitous use of virtual reality creates a failed utopia, a system of indentured servitude, and the virtual division of society. In theory, the VR Initiative of 2051 intended to save the planet from overpopulation, promote equality, and help the Earth heal from human-caused environmental destruction. In practice, it allowed The VR Corporation to silently create a planet-wide totalitarian regime and enslave a global workforce all for the sake of keeping humanity “safe” inside a virtual reality.
After spending eighteen years in the VR, Laura finds herself back in this damaged and unforgiving world she tried to escape. She’s anxious to return to her life in the VR, but forces reveal a different world than the one she remembers. She learns of a resistance movement fighting to free humanity from enslavement and discovers the true legacy of her deceased parents.
Can Laura help free humanity from a corrupt corporation and restore her parents’ legacy before it’s too late?
If you liked the dystopian worlds of Brave New World, 1984, or Ready Player One, then you’ll want to read about the dystopia created by the VR Corporation in 2149.
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive, BorrowBox, and Bibliotheca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Haiku Ponderings
A Haiku Collection for Pondering Life
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at anthonynanfito.com/haiku.
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
A Haiku & Reflection from Me
Hello folks, Anthony here wishing you a happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful time welcoming 2023. I know I had a blast celebrating with friends and family I had not seen in three years.
As you can probably tell from the title of this episode I am back from my break, but I’ve got some news to share. I’ve decided to extend my hiatus indefinitely. My priorities and energies are currently directed in other directions and I can’t dedicate the necessary time to creating, producing, and promoting episodes. Over my break I did some reflecting and I believe this is the best decision for myself and the podcast. I would hate to carry on and produce episodes of subpar quality.
It’s with a heavy heart that I have decided to set aside this project. I can’t say for certain if I’ll ever come back to it because the future is inherently unpredictable. And I certainly don’t want to make a promise that I cannot guarantee. The only thing that’s truly guaranteed to any of us is the moment that’s here in front of us. The here and now. Hence, why they call it the present because it truly is a gift. I hope wherever your journey takes you next that you take time to be present, mindful, and soak it all in.
All of the previous episodes of The Haiku Pond will remain up on the various platforms so you can listen to them at your leisure. If you’re interested in keeping in touch, you can always find the most up-to-date information on my personal website at anthonynanfito.com.
Before I go, I have one more haiku to share with you:
life of finitude lengthens to infinity by expressing gratitude
So with that in mind, I will leave you with these parting words:
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Thank you for sharing your words with me and letting me share them on a public platform. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time at the pond—I know I have—and I hope you remember the lessons learned from your visits. This podcast grew into something that I never expected and it has brought me a lot of joy to help create it. Thank you so much for your contributions and for listening. Wherever you are in the world take care of yourself and, if you can, someone else.
Haiku Ponderings
A Haiku Collection for Pondering Life
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at http://thehaikupond.com.
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Theme
The theme for this visit is earth and will feature haiku written by myself and others.
A Haiku & Reflection from Me
tiny speck of dust
adrift on a vast cosmic stage
pale blue dot called home
This past month I’ve been thinking about Earth’s place in the cosmos. At the beginning of the month I watched the Netflix documentary ‘a trip to infinity’ which explores the concept of infinity mathematically, but also in a physical and real sense when we look out into the cosmos and observe the universe. Later in the month, I happened to re-read an excerpt from Carl Sagan’s ‘Pale Blue Dot’.
Among the profound ideas expressed both in the film and by Carl Sagan, one has stuck with me over the course of the month: humans are just tiny specks of dust living on a bigger-than-us but also a very small speck of dust in a seemingly infinite universe. A universe so vast and large that there are more stars and planets in the night sky than there are grains of sand on a single beach. This nearly uncountable amount of objects would imply that we are insignificant. We’re not special. And indeed this is true. But strangely, on the flipside, we are.
We earthlings (of all species and varieties) are unique in that — as far as we know — we are the only ones in the universe with the gift of consciousness. We humans are unique in that we have a higher level of consciousness which allows for us to make the audacious attempt to understand this strange, vast universe, and our existence within it.
We get the gift of being alive. Being alive to explore the world and the cosmos. To observe it. To test hypotheses about it. To confirm or discredit ideas within it. Which ultimately leads us to making wild discoveries that not only help improve our lives, but also help us to live better, more meaningful lives.
As we look up toward the night sky, gazing deeply into the vast cosmos we begin to see the true nature of life on this speck of dust. We see how insignificant we are compared to the innumerable worlds out there. At the same time this brings meaning to our lives. We can begin to recognize that the petty differences between us are not worth fighting over by waging wars.
In fact, it is those differences that are worth celebrating and embracing because of their uniqueness. More importantly, in the end all of us — no matter where or when we’re born or how much wealth we have or do not have — we all have a finite amount of time on this speck of dust. A finite amount of time to make the most of this existence.
We may look around at the night sky and see those amazing, fascinating worlds. Worlds that we long to visit, worlds that we dream about in our sleep, in our books, in our movies. But these worlds are both inhospitable to the lifeforms of Earth and so far away they are out of our reach within that finite amount of time we all have to exist on this planet. It is in this gazing at these distant, inhospitable worlds that makes us look around at our own world and realize just how precious it is. This may be a small speck of dust drifting through the cosmos but it’s our home and it’s the only one we’ve got.
It is on this speck that we must make our stand. We must take care of this precious speck of dust where it is the only place in this vast universe of uncountable worlds that we can exist. It is this speck of dust where everyone you have ever known, and ever will know, has lived, loved, and died. And to ensure that future generations have the ability and the right to live, love, and die just as we do, we must take responsibility to care for our planet, to care for our tiny speck of dust that is our home.
This is the lesson I learned from ‘a trip to infinity’. This is the lesson I learned from re-reading Carl Sagan’s ‘Pale Blue Dot’. This is the lesson I learned from this haiku.
What lessons have you learned from this cosmic existence? How have you found meaning as a tiny speck of dust in a vast cosmos with uncountable worlds? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on the blog or YouTube channel, or send an email to thehaikupond [at] gmail [dot] com. Hearing your thoughts makes this more of a conversation and I can’t wait to hear what lessons you’ve learned.
Listener Submitted Haiku
Now, let’s hear from our listeners. Each haiku will be repeated twice so you can fully immerse yourself within it. If you’d like to submit a haiku for a future episode, please visit thehaikupond.com for details. Alright, let’s begin.
Special thanks to all the poets who submitted their haiku for this episode. It’s an honor and a pleasure to read them. If you’re listening and you’d like to connect with these poets, visit the show notes linked in the description of this episode for links to their websites or social accounts.
On Hiatus until 2023
Normally, this is the part of the episode where I announced the next theme, but I’ll be taking a hiatus from producing podcast episodes over the next few months and return after the new year in 2023. When I return I’ll announce the next theme in a promo episode, via the mailing list, and Twitter.
However, with the future of Twitter in question, I’d like to encourage you all to sign-up for the podcast mailing list to be notified when the podcast returns. It’s sent directly to your inbox and I promise never to spam you, notify you with news about the podcast such as new themes and episodes. You can sign-up at https://haikupond.ck.page/subscribe. You can also find the sign-up link in the description of this episode and on the podcast website.
Before I go on hiatus, I want to say a huge thank you to Kimberly Kuchar for your financial contributions on my Buy Me a Coffee page. I’m humbled and honored. Your support helps keep the lights on and the mic recording. Thank you so much for your support, Kimberly. And for your lovely haiku submissions.
As always, thanks for visiting the pond. I hope you continue to write haiku while I’m on break, but also take time to rest and reflect as this year comes to a close. Wherever you are in the world take care of yourself and, if you can, someone else.
Thanks for listening. See ya next time!
Thanks for visiting The Haiku Pond. If you’ve been inspired by what you’ve heard, please share the show with a friend.
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at http://thehaikupond.com.
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Theme
The theme for this visit is fire and will feature haiku written by myself and others.
A Haiku & Reflection from Me
chorus of crickets
fireflies and stars
a cool summer night
I wrote this haiku a few years ago while camping near Chiang Dao, Thailand. This particular occasion marked the first time I witnessed fireflies in person. To say they’re magical doesn’t quite do them justice. But indeed they are quite magical in appearance and presence. They float through the darkness of the night, flashing their neon green light at random intervals — creating a dazzling spectacle.
As I watched them I succumbed to the irresistible trance of these drifting fireflies and everything seemed to slow down. I got lost in the hundreds of bobbing neon green flashes that were set against the backdrop of a silhouetted mountain and the starry night sky.
As I watched this scene play out in front of me, I realized the importance of letting go and letting the whims of the universe take me where they may. We can direct ourselves where we want to go but more often it’s better, and easier, to go with the flow. Living in each moment, taking it in as it is, and doing our best to flash our colors in a sea of darkness.
This is the lesson I learned from fireflies. This is the lesson I learned from this haiku. What light do you use to guide yourself through the darkness?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on the blog or YouTube video, or send an email to thehaikupond at gmail dot com. Hearing your thoughts makes this more of a conversation and I look forward to hearing what lessons you’ve learned.
Listener Submitted Haiku
Now, let’s hear from our listeners. Each haiku will be repeated twice so you can fully immerse yourself within it. If you’d like to submit a haiku for a future episode, please visit thehaikupond.com for details. Alright, let’s begin.
Special thanks to all the poets who submitted their haiku for this episode. It’s an honor and a pleasure to read them. If you’re listening and you’d like to connect with these poets, visit the show notes linked in the description of this episode for links to their websites or social accounts.
Switching to a Monthly Format & The Theme for the Next Visit
Before I get to the next them a quick announcement.
The impromptu break I took these past few weeks not only gave me time to rest and recover, but it also gave me time to reflect. I really would love to produce episodes every two weeks, but the reality is I just don’t have the time right now. So I’ll be switching to a monthly format.
Looking ahead, I’ve decided to skip the month of December since I’ll be doing some traveling for the holidays so we’ll have one more episode in November before the end of 2022 and then return in January of 2023 with an episode each month.
The theme for our next visit, in November, will be ‘earth’ and your haiku needs to be submitted by 11:59pm Bangkok Time (GMT +7) on Friday November 18, 2022.
Thanks so much for your support, patience, understanding, and kind messages over the past few weeks. I hope you too take some time at the end of the year to reflect and rejuvenate before we ring the new year.
Speaking of gratitude, I want to say a HUGE thank you to Kimberly Kuchar, C.X. Turner, and Susan Andrews for your financial contributions on my Buy Me a Coffee page. I’m humbled and honored. Your contributions help keep the lights on and the mic recording.
If you’d like to make a contribution to help support the podcast and receive a special shout out in a future episode, visit buymeacoffee.com/wordsbyfifi.
That’s all for this episode. See you next month. Wherever you are in the world, take care of yourself and, if you can, someone else.
Thanks for listening. See ya next time!
Thanks for visiting The Haiku Pond. If you’ve been inspired by what you’ve heard, please share the show with a friend.
For inquiries send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
Haiku Ponderings
A Haiku Collection for Pondering Life
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at http://thehaikupond.com.
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Theme
The theme for this visit is ‘wind’ and will feature haiku written by myself and others.
A Haiku & Reflection from Me
field of flowers bloom
dancing with the wind and sun
lessons from nature
Plants are truly fascinating organisms. Some might say they’re not very exciting since they don’t ever move or leave the location from where they grow. They never see new sights or experience new things, but perhaps there’s a deeper wisdom in remaining in one location or remembering where you’re rooted.
It’s true they remain in one location for their entire existence, but they have learned to dance with the wind and sun—a dance that enriches their existence and ensures their future. In this dance they have found ways to produce food from sunlight. They have learned to use the wind to spread their seed to new places so that the next generation may do the same.
Learning to dance with the wind and sun has allowed whole fields of flowers to come into existence, such as the one that inspired this haiku. And all of this was accomplished without having to leave the location where they grow. They stayed where they were and made the best of their situation.
Many of us think that if we were over there, we would blossom and thrive. Even though the sun blankets the entire earth, we still believe the grass is definitely greener over there. And surely if we were to move to a new place for new experiences, we would be better off than where we are right now.
Sometimes this is indeed true, but what is also true is that no matter where you go, there you are. Just like the flowers rooted in the field, you are always rooted with you. To thrive, you just have to remember to dance with the wind and sun.
This is the lesson I learned from the wind. This is the lesson I learned from this haiku. What lessons have you learned from the wind? Have you learned to dance with the wind and sun? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on the blog or YouTube video, or send an email to thehaikupond at gmail dot com. Hearing your thoughts makes this more of a conversation and I look forward to hearing what lessons you’ve learned.
Listener Submitted Haiku
Now, let’s hear from our listeners. Each haiku will be repeated twice so you can fully immerse yourself within it. If you’d like to submit a haiku for a future episode, please visit thehaikupond.com for details. With that out of the way, let’s begin.
Special thanks to all the poets who submitted their haiku for this episode—both to those poets who were featured and those who were not. I was overwhelmed and honored by the amount of haiku submitted for this episode. If time were an unlimited resource, I would love to have read them all. However, since it’s not, I had to make some tough calls and limit the number of haiku featured in this episode.
Regardless if you were featured or not, it was an honor and a pleasure to read the submissions. And of course, I encourage everyone to submit again in the future.
If you’re listening and you’d like to connect with the featured poets in this episode, visit the show notes linked in the description for links to connect with them online.
Theme for Next Time
The theme for our next visit will be ‘fire’ and your haiku need to be submitted by 11:59pm Bangkok Time (GMT +7) on Friday September 9, 2022. You may submit one haiku for this theme. It can be published or unpublished — as long as you retain the rights to share it.
To submit your haiku, follow the link in the description or visit thehaikupond.com and click the red ‘Submit’ button at the top of the page. If you have any trouble, please send an email to thehaikupond [at] gmail (dot) com.
Special thanks to all of those who communicated to me that I made a typo and forgot to change the theme name on the form for this episode. This time, I’ve made sure that the theme is listed as ‘fire’ throughout the form. In case it’s not, feel free to let me know. I greatly appreciate it.
Lastly, I want to say a huge thank you to Steena Hernandez for your financial contribution on my Buy Me a Coffee page. I’m humbled and honored. Your support helps keep the lights on and the mic recording. Thank you Steena!
If you’d like to make a contribution to help support the podcast and receive a special shout out in a future episode, visit buymeacoffee.com/wordsbyfifi.
Thanks for listening. See ya next time!
Thanks for visiting The Haiku Pond. If you’ve been inspired by what you’ve heard, please share the show with a friend.
For inquiries send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
Haiku Ponderings
A Haiku Collection for Pondering Life
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at http://thehaikupond.com.
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Theme
The theme for this visit is water and will feature haiku written by myself and others.
A Haiku & Reflection from Me
jungle waterfall
roaring, rushing with purpose
simply as it is
I wrote this haiku earlier this year while sitting next to a creek in the jungle up in the mountains near Chiang Mai. I sat on a large rock with my feet in the creek as the water rushed past me towards a ledge several meters away where it dropped to a lower part of the mountain.
At the time of writing I was experiencing those pesky (but perfectly normal) emotions unique to human existence. I can’t recall specifically what I was feeling, but I know it was a mixture of inadequacy and purposelessness. Oh the woes of humanness, right?
As I sat there watching the water flow by me and empty over the edge of the rocks, falling to the lower part of the mountain, it occurred to me that the water simply flows and exists as it is. It doesn’t try to seek some purpose, nor does it stop when it’s obstructed by an obstacle, such as a rock. It finds a path to go around the obstacle. It keeps moving. That’s its nature. That’s its purpose.
In the end, I realized that as a human being, experiencing this existence, my nature — my purpose — is to simply be and welcome the strange oddities of this existence. To let those pesky human emotions (including the ones related to inadequacy and purposelessness) flow over, around, and through me.
The nature of this human existence is to not stop them or persuade them to be something they’re not. Instead, we have to just let them be. Because at some point, just like the water moving around the rocks and over the edge, those emotions will also flow by and fall over an edge. Only to be replaced with something else.
Thus, there’s no need to worry about purposelessness or inadequacy. These will flow by just as the water in the creek flows by and over the edge to a lower part of the mountain. In other words, when we live in the present our problems drift away and we get to exist, simply as we are.
This is the lesson I learned from the water. This is the lesson I learned from this haiku. What lessons have you learned from water? Leave a comment on the blog post, the YouTube video, or send an email to thehaikupond [at] gmail (dot) com. Hearing your thoughts makes this more of a conversation and I’d love to hear what lessons you’ve learned from water.
Listener Submitted Haiku
Now, let’s hear from our listeners. Each haiku will be repeated twice so you can fully immerse yourself within it. If you’d like to submit a haiku for a future episode, please visit thehaikupond.com for details. With that out of the way, let’s begin.
Special thanks to all the poets who submitted their haiku for this episode. It’s an honor and a pleasure to read them. Apologies if I mispronounced any names. I try my best and I gratefully appreciate those of you who gave me a pronunciation guide with your submission.
I’m also excited to see our list of submissions growing. This is due in large part to listeners out there like you. Thank you for sharing and retweeting to spread the word about The Haiku Pond.
If you’re listening and you’d like to connect with these wonderful poets and read their poems, visit the show notes linked in the description of this episode or visit thehaikupond.com. There you can find links to connect with them online and read the haiku they submitted for this episode.
Theme for Next Time
The theme for our next visit will be ‘wind’ and your haiku need to be submitted by 11:59pm Bangkok Time (GMT +7) on Friday August 26, 2022. You may submit one haiku for this theme. It can be published or unpublished — as long as you retain the rights to share it.
To submit your haiku, follow the link in the description, or visit thehaikupond.com and click the red ‘Submit’ button at the top of the page. If you have any trouble, please send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail [dot] com.
Lastly, I want to say a huge thank you to Nitu Yumnam for your financial contribution on my Buy Me a Coffee page. I’m humbled and honored. Your support helps keep the lights on and the mic recording. Thank you, Nitu!
If you’d like to make a contribution to help support the podcast and receive a special shout out in a future episode, visit buymeacoffee.com/wordsbyfifi.
Thanks for listening. See ya next time!
Thanks for visiting The Haiku Pond. If you’ve been inspired by what you’ve heard, please share the show with a friend.
For inquiries send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
Haiku Ponderings
A Haiku Collection for Pondering Life
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
I started the #100DaysOfCode challenge today. Currently working on the ‘Basic JavaScript’ course by freeCodeCamp. You can read my log for Day 0 here: https://github.com/ananfito/100-days-of-code.
Hoping to learn some new skills & connect with others interested in programming/coding. To connect and keep up-to-date with my daily progress, follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/wordsbyfifi/ OR visit my programming/coding blog on Medium at https://anthonynanfito.medium.com/.
If you’re interested in learning more and joining the challenge check it out here: https://100daysofcode.com.
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at http://thehaikupond.com.
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Theme
The theme for this visit is spirits and will feature haiku written by myself and others.
A Haiku & Reflection from Me
echoes of the past
coursing through our hearts and veins
ancestral spirits
Everything you see around you is made of stardust. All of the elements that make up both the living and nonliving things of the world, indeed the universe, were forged long ago at the center of stars around 13.8 billions years ago. Upon the completion of their life cycle these first stars went supernova and spread their forged elements across space and the cycle began anew — forming new stars and strange worlds with this stardust.
In a particular region of the Milky Way Galaxy, about 4.5 billions years ago, this dust was reconstituted into a new star with some rocky worlds and some giant gas worlds orbiting around it.
And upon the third rock orbiting this particular star it just happened that the structure of the molecules and the interplay of chemistry was such that life (as we know and understand it) formed from this ancient stardust.
After countless iterations and cataclysms, life morphed into its current form — the form of us humans and all other living things we see in this world of wonder. I, like you, am the descendant of countless generations of previous humans and lifeforms that fought against threats large and small. Survived famine, disease, and war. Constructed large cities and invented new technological gadgets and machines.
All of this from ancient stardust that exploded from stars billions of years ago.
Ancient stardust that courses through my heart and veins as I type and read this.
Ancient stardust that courses through your heart and veins as you listen to this.
Ancient stardust that is contained in everything you see and touch.
In this sense, you and I, and everything, are very ancient and contained within us are the spirits of all that came before us.
echoes of the past
coursing through our hearts and veins
ancestral spirits
Listener Submitted Haiku
Now, let’s hear from our listeners. Each haiku will be repeated twice so you can fully immerse yourself within it. If you’d like to submit a haiku for a future episode, please visit thehaikupond.com for details. Alright, let’s begin.
Special thanks to all the poets who submitted their haiku for this episode. It’s an honor and a pleasure to read them. If you’re listening and you’d like to connect with these poets, visit the show notes linked in the description of this episode for links to their websites or social accounts.
Theme for Next Time
The theme for our next visit will be ‘water’ and your haiku need to be submitted by 11:59pm Bangkok Time (GMT +7) on Friday August 12, 2022. You may submit one haiku for this theme. It can be published or unpublished — as long as you retain the rights to share it.
To submit your haiku, follow the link in the description or visit thehaikupond.com and click the red ‘Submit’ button at the top of the page. If you have any trouble, please send an email to thehaikupond [at] gmail (dot) com.
Lastly, I want to say a huge thank you to Ryan and Melissa for your financial contributions on my Buy Me a Coffee page. I’m humbled and honored. Your support helps keep the lights on and the mic recording.
If you’d like to make a contribution to help support the podcast and receive a special shout out in a future episode, visit buymeacoffee.com/wordsbyfifi.
Thanks for listening. See ya next time!
Thanks for visiting The Haiku Pond. If you’ve been inspired by what you’ve heard, please share the show with a friend.
For inquiries send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
Haiku Ponderings
A Haiku Collection for Pondering Life
My haiku poetry collection is available as an ebook on 10+ retailers worldwide!
This collection contains over 100 haiku and 5 mini essays focused on Mindfulness, Gratitude, Compassion, Love & Loss, and Give & Forgive. If you listened to the first season to The Haiku Pond podcast, then some of these haiku will sound familiar. I used the same themes for both the ebook and the podcast. More details here.
Currently available on the following retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and more!
NOTE: This ebook is also available for check out in U.S. libraries using apps such as OverDrive and Biblioteca. Ask your local librarian how to sign-up.
Follow the link below to download your copy today!
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
This is an image of the river from the park, though it was not taken today but on a previous visit.
This morning, my partner and I decided to go to the river park and just chill (since it’s been a while since we’ve been out of the house together). While we were sitting in the shade of the tree near the pop-up cafe, I noticed something crawling (really jumping) across the table and on my bag.
Looking closer I recognized that it was a small, brown jumping spider. And judging by the size of the abdomen I believe it was female (since females have ovaries their abdomens are usually slightly larger than males, it’s a subtle difference but it gets easier to spot the more you observe). She started crawling along the edge of the table, very slowly and precisely.
I, unfortunately, did not take a picture of these spiders, but this is the closes image I can find that matches what the female jumping spider looked like. The one pictured here is the eris militaris or Bronze Jumper. (Image Source: Wallpaperflare.com)
Following the edge of the table I looked to where she might be going and up ahead I saw another jumping spider! This one was gray with white and black stripes. I have seen this type before and I affectionately call it the “zebra” spider, though I’m quite certain that’s not its official name by any means. In fact, after doing some preliminary research for this post I believe it is the Pantropical Jumper (see image below).
In addition to noticing its wonderful coloration, I also noticed that this one’s abdomen was relatively small and it had the special pair of appendages on its front which are used to for delivering sperm packets during mating. In the image below, you can see these bulbous appendages between its front pairs of legs. So this second jumping spider was male.
While I am uncertain about the species identification for the female, I’m fairly certain the male specimen I witnessed belonged to plexippus paykulli or Pantropical Jumper. (Image Source: Wanderingthroughwadis.com).
Looking back toward the female I noticed she had slowed down her pace and was moving ever so slightly forward. She was stalking her prey! The male jumping spider! I was stunned! It really was like being in a nature documentary.
I continued to observe the two spiders; the female making her slow and careful approach toward the male while the male continued to stroll along, with his rear facing the female, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. I was careful not to move. I was within two feet of this scene and I have no doubt with their excellent vision my movement could have triggered either of them.
At last, she was about 2 inches from the male and paused her approach. I thought, “This is it. She’s going to pounce on her prey.” Then, to my surprise, in the blink of an eye the male jumping spider did a 180 degree turn and faced the female before suddenly dropping from the edge of the table to crawl underneath the table’s surface. He wasn’t going to be eaten today.
If you want to learn more about this small, agile predators, check out this clip from the BBC Earth series: https://youtu.be/UDtlvZGmHYk.
The female stood at the spot where she had (presumably) planned her jump. I could see her head move around a bit as she surveyed the scene. I assume she was wondering where the male jumping spider had gone (he really did disappear in a flash) but didn’t have the higher perspective I had to know he had crawled under the table. After a few moments of pandering his whereabouts, she seemed to lose interest and went about her day (presumably to find another source of prey).
I felt exhilarated while watching this play out. Constantly thinking “Will she make it? Will he get eaten? Will he survive?” This must be similar to what nature documentary filmmakers feel as they film these kinds of things. Though I imagine it could be amplified with the added pressure to produce content for a feature piece. Thankfully that pressure was absent in my experience and I merely enjoyed a pleasant moment of being mindful of my surroundings, soaking in the delights nature has to offer.
Blog Post Updates
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Pond. A place to ponder life through haiku. My name is Anthony Nanfito and I’m the caretaker of the Pond.
Each season I share haiku written by myself and others. Each episode features haiku centered around a pre-chosen theme. You can learn more at http://thehaikupond.com .
If you’re ready, let’s prepare for our visit. Take a deep breath and dive in.
Season 3 Premiers July 16, 2022
Hello Listener,
Thanks so much for listening and supporting this podcast. I am excited to announce that we’ll be returning with a third season of the podcast on July 16, 2022. And this season there will be a few changes.
Changes for Season 3
Instead of weekly episodes, episodes will be released every two weeks on Saturday Bangkok time (that’s GMT +7).
Also, themes will NOT be announced in advance. Instead, the theme for the next episode will be announced at the end of the current episode.
For example, I’ll share the theme for Episode 1 at the end of this episode. When Episode 1 is released, at the end of it, I’ll share the theme for Episode 2 and so on.
This means you’ll have two weeks to select or craft a haiku as inspired by the theme. Your haiku does not need to make use of the theme word (unless you want to) and the format should follow the typical 5-7-5 syllable count—though I myself have broken from this format on occasion so don’t feel 100% committed to it.
How to Submit Your Haiku
You’ll be able to submit your haiku via a Google Form found on the podcast website at http://thehaikupond.com or in the description of each episode, including this one! On the website, you’ll find a big red ‘Submit’ button with the link to the form. If you have any trouble with the form, please email me at thehaikupond (at) gmail [dot] com.
If you want to make the submission process easier for yourself, consider subscribing to the podcast’s free newsletter at http://haikupond.ck.page/. Every time a new episode is released, I’ll send out a link to the episode as well as link to the submission form. All you’ll need to do is open your inbox and follow the links to listen and submit.
Alternatively, you can also follow the podcast on twitter @TheHaikuPond. For best results, turn notifications on.
Theme for Episode 1
Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for! The theme for Episode 1 is Spirits. You may submit one haiku for this theme. It can be published or unpublished — as long as you retain the rights to share it.
Submissions are due by 11:59pm Bangkok time (GMT +7) on Friday July 8, 2022 (so I have the weekend to produce the episode) and the first episode of Season 3 will be released the following week on Saturday July 16, 2022.
So I say again: submissions are due by Friday July 8 and Episode 1 will be released on Saturday July 16.
For inquiries send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
Blog Post Updates
Never miss a blog post! Sign-up for email updates below and you’ll get an immediate email when I post new stuff. Unsubscribe at anytime.
Note: This is different from my free Nanfito Space Newsletter, sent out monthly, which features updates about my current writing projects, books releases, podcasts, and more.
Creators like me work hard to create content you love, but in order to continue creating content we need support from followers like you! Buy Me a Coffee to show your support.
By making a contribution, you can support me to make stories that matter and you enjoy and worry less about how I’m going to keep the power on. Contributions can be one-time, monthly, or yearly.
You can support me on my Buy Me a Coffee page, send money directly to me via PayPal, or purchasing me a book from my Amazon Wishlist. I do what I do because I love it, but it’s gratifying beyond measure to receive support from fans. Thanks for your support.
Anthony Nanfito 