The exercise:
Write two haiku about: the Olympics.
Pretty mellow day (as Tuesdays tend to be now that our Mondays are so busy). Finally got around to seeding our second planting of buckwheat, which we're using as a summer cover crop for a field and a half that we're not using this season. The plan is to build up the soil so that the crops we plant there next year are extra healthy.
And now for a moment of honesty: I'm really only mentioning this because I neglected to mention when I seeded the first planting and then when we were trying to figure out when I did that we weren't able to, since we didn't write it down anywhere else.
Mine:
Train for a lifetime,
ten seconds in the spotlight;
ends in seventh place.
* * *
Gold, silver, or bronze,
any old medal will do...
Well, preferably gold.
Hah, I love that this blog is also your planting diary! You could always use a google calendar though, they can be quite good for things like that.
ReplyDeleteCrop rotation is always a good idea (well, so long as you rotate the right crops I suppose); I believe the next improvement is cows, pigs and chickens... how busy did you say you were? :-P
I like your first haiku better this week I think, it kind of captures the fact that not everyone can come first, second or third.
(Quick aside: In the Olympic sailing the results have been announced. Britain took Gold, the USA took Silver, and Somalia have taken a middle aged couple from Weymouth....)
The Olympics
Do you want fries, Sir?
Well tough! We can't sell you them.
Thank-you, LOCOG. Thanks.
[Is it cheating to pronounce the acronym Lo-cog?]
--------
That flag's really wrong –
You mean there's two Koreas??
Say sorry later.
Wish I had a farm. Well, really I wish I had the health to farm. Peanuts put nitrogen into the soil. Then I guess you can plow them under and get back the rest of their value. Does seem late for a second planting -- the drought's not bothering you? We have leafy plants here, but not much crop. Sweet corn in tiny size selling for $5 a dozen at the roadside stands.
ReplyDeleteHype the athletes' lives
Gee, they once had trouble, too
But now they have won
Why pros in the games?
So they're another venue
See that any day
My mother has fun with her vegetable gardens, but she misses her chickens. They are great at keeping the bugs at bay and turning over the soil. Just so long as you pick all the ripe tomatoes before you let them out (for Banty Hens at least). Also if one is killed by a hawk and the hawk doesn’t take it, let the meat cook slowly all day because it’s going to be tough. *grins*
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of the Olympics, the Curves (a woman’s gym) I used to go to was run by a former Olympian. She was one of those who never won a metal, and you’d never guess to look at her that she was once a professional athlete. But last Winter Games she had her old ski suit hanging up and pictures of the current Olympians that she knew, including one of the better known USA Skier’s that she texted to wish good luck the morning of the girl’s event.
And so I give you my Haiku inspired by her. :}
The Olympics
Once in Olympics
Running a woman’s gym now
She is retired
****
Sports training only good
When you are playing for gold
Then you turn to mush
Thanks for the explanation of the previous prompt widget, Marc. Where is the search function? I have been using Google search to search the site for old prompts, but it's really not effective.
ReplyDeleteFirst haiku inspired by the news stories I keep seeing about the athletes' appearances
--------------
Beautiful bodies
Let's stop agonizing atd
Watch the show, alright?
Gracefully flying
Through the air, twisting, tumbling,
Marvelous display!
Running in circles.
ReplyDeleteThe one you never heard of
edges you for gold.
Greco-Roman wrestling.
Civilized method of
primative combat.
Greg - well, we do want chickens eventually. Just a matter of finding the time and energy :P
ReplyDeleteHah, love that second haiku. The crap that manages to slip through at these events...
Brendacious - yeah, the first planting of buckwheat needed to be plowed under before it went to seed. We're hoping that this planting will finish just in time for us to plant fall rye (our winter cover crop).
We actually had a record rainfall in June, but things have calmed down a bit now. The lake level is still plenty high, so irrigation isn't a problem.
Fully agree with your second one. Seems a bit silly having professionals competing at an event designed for amateurs.
Cathryn - heh, I can imagine how things might fall off once your competing days are over. At least she's in an environment where she could start training again at any time!
Morganna - I just use the search in the top left corner when I'm double checking that I haven't used a prompt before.
It's pretty silly, all this obsessive talk about how they look. When, exactly, did that start mattering?
Lynn - two great haiku, I particularly like the second one :)