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
A mark placed upon thee So all may know your blemish Visible justice
In ancient Greece, a stigma was a literal mark — either burned or tattooed — on the skin to mark those who were slaves, criminals, or traitors.
Today, few may practice this physical marking of a stigma, but a non-physical, metaphorical practice still happens.
Both are the act of something being placed upon you from an external source with the intention of carrying out justice. The goal is to right a wrong, but the opposite is true: a wrong is created.
It’s not the visible justice we think it is. Quite the opposite. It’s an invisible injustice that only leaves our fellow humans in vulnerable positions. And when one of us is vulnerable, all of us are vulnerable.
Stigmatizing others is a form of human tribalism. In our modern world where we know and understand the human psyche better than our ancestors, this tactic does not serve the interests of the victim nor that of the perpetrator.
We are communal creatures that rely on each other to survive. We have to remember it is our compassion and cooperation that will help build a stable society, not stigmatization. This seems more crucial now more than ever because of the global reach of our society; we’re not only affecting our own stability but that of the entire planet’s ecosystem. We must — and we can — do better.
That’s the lesson I take from this haiku. What lessons have you learned from stigma? As always, you can send your thoughts to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From Melody Wang on TW & IG as MelodyOfMusings: discharged from the ward, I view the world with new eyes seeking what I’ve lost
From Linda M. Crate on Twitter as thysilverdoe & on IG as authorlindamcrate: when shamed for something you cannot control or stop becomes exhausting.
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & on IG as the_cellopoet: one day I will break but before that day arrives I will get stronger
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: Hate causes some lies Wanting to destroy others Characters ruined
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal: Prohibited love; How can people be against Two happy people?
From Mona Bedi: gerascophobia the facial fillers fail to help
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
I want to be me You tell me that I cannot I hide in darkness
To feel shame is to feel guilt or impropriety about something we said or did. We learn this from signals sent to us by others, either through their own actions or words.
In some instances, this can be a good thing. For example, if you say something hurtful to someone else and then you’re admonished, or made to feel shame about it, the hope is that you’ll not repeat the same error.
However, like so many things we humans do, this can act like a double-edged sword and can act against our best interests. We can be shamed for things we have no control over, like the family or place we were born into, or for simply choosing to be our true, authentic self.
And when this happens we often choose to hide in darkness, first as a means of protection, but it eventually evolves into a prison — a prison of our own making, the worst kind. Breaking out of this prison is hard, but not impossible. And it starts in the very darkness where we’re trapped.
In that dark place, like in any place, we have to be mindful. Mindful of what we’re feeling and how we’re thinking. When we’re mindful we can then adjust the course of our well-being, particularly that of our inner world.
Shame can be useful just as it can be harmful. Only when we’re mindful can we discern the difference. In that mindful state, we can ask ourselves how this is serving us? Or what it is telling us?
All emotions — regardless of how you categorize them, positive or negative — are information. It is the information our brain is providing to us and we have to use it accordingly.
More precisely, our emotions, thoughts, and feelings are signals to us. They tell us something about our state of being, or even the environment we’re in. By being mindful can we tune in to what they’re telling us.
Shame is no different from any other emotion we might feel. It is a signal to us about our inner or outer world. And when we’re mindful of its presence and the signal it sends to us, we can act accordingly to ensure the stability of our inner well-being and the safety of our outer well-being.
This is the lesson I take from this haiku. As always, you can share your thoughts by sending an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From Mona Bedi: first day of school the boy brings home an extra pencil
From Melody Wang on TW & IG as MelodyOfMusings: those attempts to wound the fabric of my soul gave me more room to breathe
From Linda M. Crate on Twitter as thysilverdoe & on IG as authorlindamcrate: someone is angry another won’t admit fault neither will know peace.
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & on IG as the_cellopoet: when others do wrong it’s because I have failed them though I knew better
From Charlotte Reynolds on twitter as violetvicinity: dawn chorus the milkman cries over spilled milk
From Christina Chin at haikuzyg.blogspot.com: panic at the car park fumbling to unlock a mistaken car
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: You are different Don’t let people cause you shame Embrace uniqueness
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal: Your mouth full of ash, Achievements crumbled to dust; Then I’ll be avenged
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
Swirling coffee and The leftover dream fragments A morning routine
Humans are not the only animals that dream during the REM – Rapid Eye Movement — cycle of sleep. Scientists and researchers have evidence documenting that other animals — such as dogs, cats, rats, even some reptiles — also engage in some form of dreaming during this REM cycle of sleep.
This common practice connects us to our animal friends, but it’s still uncertain how complex dreams are for them. For humans, given our ability to produce complex language, we can express the complex ideas in our dreams which lets us share them with others.
Further, we not only have this ability to dream during sleep, but also during our waking hours. We can plan for a future outcome that does not exist yet and, with a little luck, we can make it reality. This is the power of dreams — whether they exist in our sleep or over our morning coffee. They’re our super power. They propel us forward to make a better future or remind us that some paths are best not taken.
This is the lesson I take from this haiku. If you have a dream you want to share with me, feel free to send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From Mona Bedi: dark night the morning glory and I dreaming
From Lisbeth Ho on Facebook as Elisabeth Holidaya: a boy is dreaming dragon swallowing the sun pizza’s aroma
From Staci b on IG as staciinyourpocket: Desire. Imagine. Believe your own fairytale. Dreams turn into life.
From huwanahoy on IG & TW as huwanahoy: Loved ones we have lost Visit in dreams, leaving us With sweet memories.
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal: Haunting music box, Melodies of memory Play throughout my dreams
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: Look to horizon To far and away places Adventures await
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
A tiny virus Follows human connections Global pandemic
If the covid-19 pandemic is to teach us anything it shows us just how interconnected we all are and how seemingly small things can have a very big impact.
In fact, this idea of small things having a big impact is not limited to viruses. I’ve seen this idea expressed in books such as Atomic Habits and Nudge. If a tiny virus like covid-19 can have such an impact on humanity, think of what you or I could do with small changes to our own life? How would these tiny changes affect our lives and those around us?
In Ancient Greece it was Aristotle who said, “You are what you habitually do.” Speaking for myself, over the years I have put in a tremendous effort to focus on daily habits. This was only reinforced after I read Atomic Habits by James Clear.
As an example, over the past few months I’ve been taking daily walks and I’ve been practicing a short 10-minute yoga stretch routine first thing in the morning.
Both of these practices have helped increase my core strength. The side effect of this is that I can now sit straighter both when I meditate and when I sit at my desk and work on the computer — like I’m doing now.
The main benefit I’ve experienced is that my back and neck no longer get sore, stiff, or strained as much. This was a chronic issue I dealt with as an online teacher for the past three years. Yet, after adopting those two — seemingly small — practices it has had a big impact on my overall health, mood, and stamina when it comes to work and life.
That’s just one example and — of course — it’s specific to my life circumstances. I recognize that I’m in a privileged position where I can take a daily walk and I’m physically well enough that I can practice yoga — or as I like to think of it, moving planks.
However, I do truly believe that anyone — regardless of circumstances — can improve not only their outlook on life, but also their outcome when facing adversity.
If you don’t believe me, then I suggest you read one (or both) of the following books: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl or If This is a Man and The Truce by Primo Levi.
Both of these books are written by survivors of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany during World War II. I’m sure there are other accounts from that event, as well as subsequent events like them, but those are the two that pop into my mind. Regardless, I think there’s value in learning from and honoring experiences that are different from our own.
So this is the lesson I take from this haiku: small things can have a big impact. As we move further away from the beginning of this covid-19 pandemic, I carry it with me and think about what are the small things I can do every day in my life to make a big impact on the life of Future-Anthony and those that surround him.
As you move forward, what’s something small you can do everyday that will have a big impact on your future self and those around you? Feel free to share your ideas by sending an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From David Thorndale on IG as davidthorndale: forgotten iPod — the rest of my afternoon listening to waves
From Mona Bedi: maternal instinct the surrogate refuses to give up the baby
From Lisbeth Ho on Facebook as Elisabeth Holidaya: the scent of perfume in my pashmina shawl mom’s last smile
From huwanahoy on IG & TW as huwanahoy: Sometimes we find friends In unexpected moments Take chance in friendship.
From Kati Mohr on IG as pi.and.anne: summer’s end the elderly couple hand in hand the look in their eyes
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal: Collage of loved ones; Each of their small influence Makes me who I am
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: Morning to evening Shadows can be long or short Providing coolness
From Ryan Gibbs on Twitter as RyanGibbsWriter (with 2 B’s): soft tentacles leave eerie prints on my window an alien kiss
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & on IG as the_cellopoet: we seek connection yet everything divides us time to make new bonds
From Linda M. Crate on Twitter as thysilverdoe & on IG as authorlindamcrate: distance cannot part friendships so long and lasting time admits defeat.
From Foal Poetry on IG as foalpoetry: The entirety of history has led up to you meeting me
From Melody Wang on TW & IG as MelodyOfMusings: Vast unknown above, hidden roots below — you are perfectly in flux
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
Breath in and breath out Oxygen and CO2 Currency of life
In each breath I take, I pull in the air from around me. In it, among other things, my body consumes the much needed element oxygen. This vital compound keeps my body functioning from the moment of first breath at birth to the last breath at death.
As I exhale my body secretes waste in the form of carbon dioxide. This becomes diffused in my local environment where carbon dioxide consuming organisms consume it and then produce a waste of their own: oxygen.
This exchange has been going on for billions of years on Earth. And most living life forms today participate in this exchange of currency. We trade oxygen for carbon dioxide and vice versa. On a mass scale every human, every minute, is participating in this grand stock exchange with plant life and other oxygen producing organisms.
It is this exchange that illustrates our fundamental connection to nature and all life on Earth. Without it, we and our entire civilization would not be here. All of this in a simple breath in and breath out.
This is the lesson I take from this haiku. As always, you can share your thoughts or haiku inspired by this episode, by sending an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From David Thorndale on IG as davidthorndale: quiet temple rain — contemplating a haiku along side a snail
From Mona Bedi: summer sun a puppy shrinks into the shade of a leaf
From Lisbeth Ho on Facebook as Elisabeth Holidaya: yellow lantanas veiled in golden dawn white butterfly
From huwanahoy on IG & TW as huwanahoy: What is life on earth When there’s nothing to live for Give love and keep joy
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal: Croaking frogs sing loud, Nature’s symphonic party Starts every evening
From Linda Hawkins on TW as lindamayhawkins: Dew glistens on grass Sun whispers through the tall trees Never ending hope
From Tristan Woodington aquaholic_anon on Twitter: Glasses in the rain Tears running down window pain The blink of an eye
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: People down below Views across the land and sea Seen from mountain tops
From Christina Chin at haikuzyg.blogspot.com: last leaf spins off the silver poplar winter chill
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & on IG as the_cellopoet: our grand delusion is having more than enough but not thinking so
From Linda M. Crate on Twitter as thysilverdoe & on IG as authorlindamcrate: in life and rebirth in chaos and destruction dreams and flowers grow
From Foal Poetry on IG as foalpoetry: Big blue ball spinning ’round Floating in the depths of space Holding everything
From Melody Wang on TW & IG as MelodyOfMusings: A lone rapeseed blooms in a place fire once coursed though— I, in turn, transcend
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
Drifting butterfly Visit to the river’s side Moving at life’s pace
I once heard joy described as something akin to farming. It’s something you have to cultivate and work at on a regular basis for it to bloom and bare fruit. In other words, joy can happen spontaneously, but it can also be created.
I’ve found that cultivating joy is a mindfulness practice. It’s being present, noticing big and small things with curiosity and without judgment.
Lately, I’ve been finding joy in taking mindful walks where I observe nature. To my fortune, most of these walks have taken place in Chiang Mai, Thailand where there is an abundance of nature, even within the city. There are plenty of butterflies, geckos, frogs, snakes, lizards, trees, bushes, and flowers.
As I walk I observe these creatures going about their day. Butterflies flutter about. Geckos perch on walls, hunting for their next snack. And plants reach for the sunshine.
It’s a pleasant reminder of how life is everywhere. And that joy can be found everywhere. These moments are free for the taking, no bank account or credit card required, we just have to remember to slow down and take note of them.
This seems especially true when you consider our own short-lived lives. We see the butterfly as having a short existence, but so too does Earth see us as having a short existence. Aiming to cultivate joy as often as possible will make this short existence feel like an eternity.
That’s the lesson I take from this haiku. I’d love to hear how you cultivate joy in your daily life. Send your thoughts to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From David Thorndale on IG as davidthorndale: yellow umbrella discovering so many wonderful puddle
From Zahra Mughis on TW as ZahraScribbles & IG as instalogbyzahra: retro beats remembering how we laughed
From Mona Bedi: reunion the way you touch my scars
From Lisbeth Ho on Facebook as Elisabeth Holidaya: sit at mom’s lap gazing at the full moon a heart warmth
From Staci b on IG as staciinyourpocket: Give way to chaos. Find the magic in the mess. Lean forward in joy.
From Kati Mohr on IG as pi.and.anne: the little bare-bum scoops water with its shoes spills water with its shoes
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter as HaikuNocturnal: Your beautiful curse, Only you can’t see your smile; But I can share mine
From Linda Hawkins on TW as lindamayhawkins: Everyone is fed Supply is manifested Grateful hearts applaud
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: A tiny body Born of sweetness and beauty Innocence and love
From Christina Chin at haikuzyg.blogspot.com: so much laughter old schoolmates gather in zoom.
From Michele Wong on TW as meaning_filled: children are good fruit with glassy eyes & rhyming songs skies of laughing kites
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & on IG as the_cellopoet: it is a true joy to plant a tree in who’s shade you will never sit
From Linda M. Crate on Twitter as thysilverdoe & on IG as authorlindamcrate: as the chaos dies the warmth of love circles close friendship saves her.
From Foal Poetry on IG as foalpoetry: You will never know No words could ever express what you mean to me
From Melody Wang on TW & IG as MelodyOfMusings: alluring soundbath accompanies me on this meditative path
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
A massage brings news The news changes everything Uncertain future
I started the first season of The Haiku Pond to share the lessons I had learned from the pandemic. Well, I’m still learning lessons as the world transitions into a post-pandemic state of being.
The one thing I’ve struggled with the most lately over the last several months is uncertainty. I suppose uncertainty has always been around, but the pandemic put it in the spotlight. It highlighted just how uncertain and random things in life can be.
I type these thoughts on a technological device my paleolithic ancestors probably could only dream of (if at all), but the emotions of those ancestors still swirl around in my mind as I attempt to process the uncertainty of a 21st Century pandemic and the uncertainty that’s been highlighted because of it.
Some days, I’m not sure how to step forward. I try to remind myself to be mindful and grateful. Especially, when I think about the uncertainty our ancestors must have faced. They had to deal with diseases, famine, weather, and many more dangers all without the modern technological knowledge and power we have today.
To them, I must live the life of a deity — perched up high in my climate controlled apartment — able to fend off diseases with an injection of a vaccine, able to order meals with the tap of a screen (no hunting required).
And yet, there are days where those paleolithic, primal emotions bubble up inside of me. Adrenaline and cortisol pump through my veins. Fear puts me on defense. What was that rumbling noise? A saber-tooth tiger on the balcony or a motorcycle on the street? What about that loud banging noise? Thunder of an approaching storm or the slamming of an apartment door?
Some of these questions have obvious answers, but others do not. Will I still have my job in six months? Will my partner still be around in a year? Will my parents make it past their next birthday? Will a covid variant cause another global shutdown?
The uncertainty of life is ever present, but we must find a way to cope with it. For if we don’t, we live in an unhealthy state of primal fear that puts us in a paleolithic place unable to deal with the problems right in front of us.
For me, I’ve been approaching my emotions by remembering the acronym RAIN. It stands for Recognize the emotion, Allow them to come to fruition (don’t fight, block, or ignore them), Investigate where you feel them in the body, and Nurture yourself when it’s over. I first heard this from Dr. Maya Shankar on an episode of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans. If you’re looking to learn from an insightful behavioral scientist to explain how to cope with change, her podcast is a great place to start.
I’ve only been practicing this RAIN style of mindfulness for a short time so it’s still new to me, but I can see the effect of it. Before when I would bottle emotions up or ignore them all together, they found a way to come out — either through poor eating choices or a snarky remark to a loved one.
You see, we can’t change everything in the external world, but we can change our inner world. It starts with accepting the uncertainty that’s ever-present, and practicing mindfulness when it comes to our emotions, thoughts, and feelings.
That’s the lesson I’m still learning from this haiku and the world we live in. If you have a strategy for dealing with uncertainty, send an email to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com. I’d love to hear what’s working for you.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From David Thorndale on IG as davidthorndale: in Yamagata which is farther — my lover or the Milky Way
From Zahra Mughis on on TW as ZahraScribbles & IG as instalogbyzahra: ticking clock crowd’s eyes on last year’s hero
From Mona Bedi: lightning now I see you now I don’t
From Lisbeth Ho on FB as Elisabeth Holidaya: teardrops fall onto the seashore autumn blues
From huwanahoy on TW & IG as huwanahoy: Misread all the signs Now wand’ring this path in blur The end uncertain
From Haiku Nocturnal on TW as haikunocturnal: Time to leave the nest, Fledgling doesn’t get to choose When they are ready
From Linda Sacco on TW as LindaSacco1: My dystopia Mirrored lips and faint smiles Lies beneath the mask
From aquaholic_anon on Twitter: A deft touch of grass Lamenting in the pasture I hope this will pass
From Charissa Hooyman on TW as CharissaHooyman: An approaching storm The captain’s tension rises For the correct course
From Christina Chin at haikuzyg.blogspot.com: online classes … adjusting to the new norm
From Charlotte Reynolds on TW as violetvicinity: daily chores my thoughts hang on the washing line
From Mark Hitri on TW as HitriMark & IG as the_cellopoet: we seek mystery when we embrace the unknown all will be revealed
From Linda M. Crate on Twitter as thysilverdoe & on IG as authorlindamcrate: arriving at sea diving into the water sharks or mermaids sing.
From Foal Poetry on IG as foalpoetry: Lack of direction Unsure about moving on Lost intimacy
From Melody Wang on Twitter & Instagram as MelodyofMusings: the sea motivates with salt-purged waves: gentle lulls and agitation
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
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
Some of us shine bright Some of us burnout too soon Make your flame worth it
Life is precious. With the roll of a die, it can change dramatically. Be grateful for every moment.
The following three lines are from a journal entry dated October 31, 2019
In October of 2019, I was performing in an Improv-style comedy show called Quest Quest. It’s the brilliant combination of Improv comedy with Dungeons & Dragons themes, storylines, and rules. The performance even includes character sheets posted so the audience can see the stats and we used a large twenty-sided die for rolls.
The rules in Quest Quest are a simplified version of those used in actual D&D since it’s being performed on a stage performance for a live audience, but it’s just as fun.
I was greatly honored to be able to participate alongside some other very talented actors for this performance. I played the role of Jerkses, a demigod who must fight evil with the help of his mortal compatriots—a leprechaun and a pirate.
Prior to October 31, we had run another show that ended on a cliffhanger where Jerkses finds himself turned into a hot dog after battling zombie-like creatures deep in the sewers of a small town.
For anyone who’s played D&D or any other role playing game, you know that the dice place a critical role in the gameplay. These rolls determine whether you make your mark when you fire your weapon, whether you successfully open a trap door and find a chest of treasure, or whether you live or die.
In Quest Quest, the same applies. In fact, the tagline of the show is “where the deaths are real.” Of course, no one actually dies, but with each iteration of the show a new set of characters and actors are brought to life for a new adventure. In this sense the deaths are quite real from an audience perspective.
Well, we had just begun the second part of the show on Halloween of 2019. There I stood in costume. I had been wearing a robe similar to that of what Hercules wore in the Disney animated film and over the top of that a giant hot dog costume to fit over my 6’2” frame — brilliantly constructed by a friend of mine.
The Dungeon Master prepped the audience with a recap and the characters were brought on stage and activated. In this storyline we were exploring a creepy cemetery (because what else would you explore on Halloween). And here’s where it gets interesting.
Not five minutes into gameplay did the queue for me to roll the die occur. It escapes my memory what triggered the die roll, but I–or rather my character–wanted to explore something. Well, sadly for Jerkses the roll of the die—which is the giant twenty-sided die rolled by the audience—triggered a death roll. And that was that.
Yup, within five minutes of gameplay my character died. I wriggled out of my hot dog costume and left it onstage for dramatic effect. Off stage, I wandered into the audience—a bit dazed and confused—in my normal Jerkses herculean apparel and sat down. There from the audience I watched my comrades, the leprechaun and the pirate, grieve over the deflated hot dog carcass.
It was a surreal moment for me. My character had died at the beginning of what was going to be at least an hour long show. I wasn’t quite sure if I should turn in early — since I had an early morning the next day — or stay and watch the show. I decided to stay. As much as I love being in Quest Quest it’s also great fun watching!
But the surrealism of the moment did not dissipate and I realized that with the roll of a die your life can change in a moment.
I can’t remember if it was at this specific event or one prior to it, but I remember a friend of mine told me his partner had been diagnosed with cancer.
When that die rolled below the threshold of life for Jerkses and I sat in the audience watching the show go on, thinking about the die roll, and the sudden diagnosis of cancer for a friend’s partner, it all hit me in that moment.
Quest Quest is more than a show or a game for joy, but it’s also an apt metaphor for life. Life is filled with randomness and unexpected events, often beyond our control. As I learned on the Quest Quest stage and from my friend’s partner’s diagnosis, life can change rather quickly. What matters most is what happens in the present moment.
As I sat there watching the show go on, that’s what I did. I soaked in the present moment. I watched my friends on stage continue their performance. I watched the audience roar with laughter as strange and bizarre things happened in the haunted cemetery of the Quest Quest world.
Since October 2019, I have often come back to that moment. To that die roll. I know I didn’t not actually die, but it did put things in perspective for me. I have done my best to enjoy being in the present since then.
Admittedly, as a human being I am fallible and I have forgotten this from time to time, but thankfully I continue to remind myself of that moment. Because, in the end, I never know what the next die roll will bring.
And that’s the lesson I take from this haiku and I hope you’re able to take a similar lesson. Wherever you are, take a moment to be present. Name a few things you see, hear, or smell. Maybe write a haiku about it. If you do, I’d love to hear it. You can email it to thehaikupond (at) gmail (dot) com.
Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to David Thorndale for commenting and reminding me about this haiku. I had an idea for this essay, but I couldn’t quite find the right haiku to match. It seems David pointed me in the right direction. Thank you.
Featured Haiku & Poets
From David Thorndale on Instagram at davidthorndale:
a perfect birthday — the flavor of autumn wind in a slice of cake
From Zahra Mughis on Twitter at ZahraScribbles & Instagram at instalogbyzahra:
waning moon a lone kitten counts the dead oak’s rings
From Mona Bedi:
autumn the way the leaves hide our footprints
From Lisbeth Ho on Facebook at Elisabeth Holidaya:
one lonely night a fisherman in his journey lost in the deep blue
From huwanahoy on Twitter & Instagram at huwanahoy:
No longer hearing A single breath or heartbeat Most hurting silence
From Haiku Nocturnal on Twitter at HaikuNocturnal:
I won’t scatter your Sorrow to the heartless sea. Plant your roots in me
From Robert Fael on Twitter at robertfael:
I sat and waited until a quiet doctor told me you were gone.
From Charissa Hooyman on Twitter at CharissaHooyman:
Time with grandchildren Seeing their happy faces Tears shed as they leave
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
I am very excited to announce the return of The Haiku Pond. The second season will include 10 episodes released weekly on Monday starting December 6, 2021. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at thehaikupond.com.
Featured Poets & Themes
This season we’ll be exploring the following themes: Endings, Uncertainty, Joy, Life on Earth, Connections, Dreams, Shame, Stigma, Seasons, and Beginnings.
Our featured poets include: Melody Wang, FoaL Poetry, Linda M. Crate, Mark Hitri, Michele Wong, Charlotte Reynolds, Christina Chin, Ryan Gibbs, Charissa Hooyman, Tristan Woodington, Linda Hawkins, Robert Fael, Linda Sacco, Haiku Nocturnal, Mallory Rowe, Kati Mohr, huwanahoy, Staci b, Lisbeth Ho, Mona Bedi, Zahra Mughis, David Thorndale, and myself.
If you’re one of the featured poets, I just want to say thank you for trusting me with you haiku and for your patience in waiting for this season to be produced. It’s been a long road to get here, but I’m grateful for you company along the journey.
I hope you’ll join me for these visits to the pond. Until we meet again, take care of yourself and, if you can, someone else.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to the pond’s newsletter for updates about upcoming episodes, themes, and more. Join today at http://haikupond.ck.page.
If you’d like to listen episodes from Season 1, check out the episode archive or on your favorite podcast app.
Support My Work
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.
Nanfito Space is a VIP monthly newsletter sent to my readers and fans. As a subscriber of the Nanfito Space newsletter, you’ll get:
Updates on my current works-in-progress
Previews of stories and bonus short-stories
Links to my latest podcast episodes
News about my upcoming book releases
All of this conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.When you join, I’ll send you a FREE gift: the prequel short story2051: Initiative. Learn about how the virtual reality in my debut novel,2149 Emergence, began.
How to be a better researcher when it comes to writing. As a writer, I consume a lot of media in the form of books, podcasts, and videos. Alongside traveling to new places, this information helps fill my creative ‘well’ and provides inspiration for the stories I create.
However, it can be tricky keeping track of all that information. Particularly, when it comes time to write (fiction or nonfiction) and it’s necessary to give credit where credit is due.
In Episode #579 of The Creative Penn, Joanna Penn interviews Vikki Carter, The Author’s Librarian, about how we as authors can strengthen our voices and avoid accidental plagiarism by putting on our ‘Librarian’ hat and getting down to business when it comes to research.
Research doesn’t have to be painful and like anything you do as a writer it should benefit your writing, not detract from it. Research can take a variety of different forms. You could literally be sitting in a library looking through pages of books, newspapers, and other archives. But it could also be any source of information, such as the ones I listed in the first paragraph. Or even going on a trip somewhere and journaling about your experience.
Personally, I love learning and I journal a lot to keep track of what I learn. Lately, I’ve switched from traditional pen and paper to using Google Forms to collect summaries and key takeaways of what I’m learning. In fact, that’s been the basis behind my TWIL posts.
I have a Google Form I fill out when I learn something interesting and I want to remember it (or in this case share it). I’ve set up my form so that I have the ability to write a 280-character summary (i.e. Tweet-sized), three takeaways (also tweet-sized), as well as places to note the source, categorize it, and any additional notes I might need to make.
For example, some sources I’ll use directly in pieces such as blog posts like these or when I’m writing the nonfiction episodes of Blinded by Science. But other sources I’ll use as the inspiration for fictional pieces I intend to write.
Regardless of how I end up using the source I do want to make note of how I intend to use it so that I give the appropriate attribution. In the case of nonfiction, that’s clearly an appropriate citation to the original author. In the case of fiction, it could be mentioning the source in the Author’s Note or in an Appendix.
Here are my tweet-sized summaries and takeaways for how to be a better researcher as a writer:
Researching your written work does not have to be arduous, painful, or stressful. Authors who embrace a research based approach, regardless of genre, only enhance their voice and word as writers. The more you know, the better you write.
Takeaways:
Use the following criteria to evaluate sources: accuracy, authority, aim. Is the source accurate? If unsure, how can you corroborate it with primary sources? Is the source a voice of authority within their realm? What is the aim of the source? Are they trying to educate/sell?
Goal of note-taking: keep it short & be deliberate. For ideas you want to remember: paraphrase them in your own words. If you are using a direct quote, get permission & give an attribution. Don’t forget the title, author, publisher, & how you accessed the source.
Avoid (accidental) plagiarism by paraphrasing & using signal words (e.g. According to …). Give credit where credit is due; acknowledge others’ work in an ‘Author’s Note’ or ‘Acknowledgements’ — even if you only used it for inspiration. Always link back to the original author.
Thanks for reading!
If you liked this post, share it with a friend or on social media. You can tag me on Twitter @wordsbyfifi.
Don’t forget to leave a comment: if you’re an author who also loves to research, what method do you use for organizing your notes?
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.
Anthony Nanfito 