high in the air/a butterfly crosses/ the depth of the valley//: Sekitei
I happened upon this haiku in a book from the library and found enlightenment
with the interpretation of the simple poem.
high in the air
a butterfly crosses
the depth of the valley
copyright © Sekitei
Interpretation:
A single butterfly is flitting from this mountain to that one. In between, there
is a deep valley. The deepness of the valley is making the altitude of the
butterfly’s flight seem more remarkable. The valley, moreover, is felt to be
even deeper owing to the altitude of the butterfly.
Haiku can also be seen as the poetry of correlation.
To me, this is yet another reason to enjoy being into poetry like we are here, and
I hope this was somehow helpful to you.
THE SEA BY MARY OLIVER
The poem in my book, pages 172-173
Mary Oliver: New And Selected Poems Volume One
Winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize
Beacon Press, Boston www.beaconpress.org
Stroke by
stroke my
body remembers that life and cries for
the lost parts of itself—-
fins, gills
opening like flowers into
the flesh—-my legs
want to lock and become
one muscle, I swear I know
just what the blue-gray scales
shingling
the rest of me would
feel like!
paradise! Sprawled
in that motherlap,
in that dreamhouse
of salt and exercise,
what a spillage
of nostalgia pleads
from the very bones! how
they long to give up the long trek
inland, the brittle
beauty of understanding,
and dive,
and simply
become again a flaming body
of blind feeling
sleeking along
in the luminous roughage of the sea’s body,
vanished
like victory inside that
insucking genesis, that
roaring flamboyance, that
perfect
beginning and
conclusion of our own.
COPYRIGHT © MARY OLIVER
This poem originally appeared in American Primitive by Mary Oliver
(published by Little, Brown and Company).
Poem from Mary Oliver: New And Selected Poems Volume One
Winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize
Beacon Press, Boston www.beaconpress.org
Thanks for reading.
(Is anyone else excited about April right around the corner?
Well, NaPoWriMo and all that JAZZ!? Me, too!)
I hope to join it here: https://www.napowrimo.net/
You? Let me know.
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A lovely share.
Bless you
💞
Love it.❤️
Thanks.
A beautiful sharing and picture to heighten the meaning even more. Love both poems, Selma❣️
Thanks dearly, Cindy. Happy weekend.
Absolutely loved the poems. I’m excited for April too but because it’s my birthday month haha. I’ve heard a lot about NaPoWriMo but I’ve never participated.
A birthday on Poetry month. How cool is that. Happy Early Birthday greeting to you, Pooja 🤗
Participation is easy. I added the link. Get a peek into everything you need to know there. (No pressure whatsoever) thanks for reading this post today. XoXo
Thank you and I’ll definitely check it out 🤗💕
Nice you sharing pics & poem.
Happy you read Raj 💕
Thanks,Selma
Thank you for sharing this, Selma. That haiku is just so beautiful. And of course, Mary Oliver 😍
Happy this share helped you see beauty. Bless you. Xo
I love the photo and haiku, and I’ve also been enlightened, Selma, by your example of ‘being into poetry.’ Mary Oliver is also one of my favorite poets. Lovely post, my friend. xo
Yay. Happy to know you’re enlightened too my friend. Stay sweet.
I’m suffering with sinusitis. But on the mend now.
Blessings.
Glad you’re on the mend too, Selma. Wishing you a happy week ahead. xoxo
Beautiful poems!
🤗 🤗
Thank you for sharing!