triveni spotlight : 07 august
- Kala Ramesh
- Aug 7, 2022
- 1 min read
triveni spotlight
A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY!
hosts: Teji Sethi and Kala Ramesh
guest editor: Billie Dee
Theme: Close Observation
my white lie— long grass longer by a damselfly-length
Carolyn Hall
San Francisco, California, USA
Hall, Carolyn. Water Lines. United Kingdom: Snapshot Press, 2006.
I am pleased to submit the following selected poems from my personal "favorite haiku" list, one I've developed over the last 30 years or so. All have been approved by the authors; all include publication credits (except one from Patricia Machmiller which is unpublished); all are from the U.S. Pacific coastal rim (my region). I have chosen "close observation" as my theme, a guiding principle in my own writing, and a core element IMO for developing a Haiku Mind.
Peace,
Billie Dee
p.s. Under-lined book titles have embedded links where a reader can go to purchase the book.
Thank you, Billie, for selecting my poem to feature in this column. And thank you all for your insightful comments. Much appreciated!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this masterpiece! I am extremely conscious of sharing my interpretation. Kindly excuse me for meddling with it.
Going purely by symbolism- Long grass implies delaying something because we want people to forget about it. And among the many things damselfly, hope I have got this right, is known for being exceptionally agile and fast. Which means it cannot be caught easily.
Putting these together I can see a hope progressing in the haiku of remaining uncaught with regard to the white lie.
Many thanks Billie Dee _()_
Billie,
Thank you for Carolyn's ku and for your analysis. I value both. I had seen and photographed a damsel fly just before reading your selection and I pay closer attention to these synchronicities. I struggle with some kigo I have not experienced but this one allowed me to sink deeper into understanding. The damselfly has a long and thin straight body, lace wings that come together in rest and a brightly colored body although easily overlooked like a small jewel. Once it catches your eye, it dazzles! Perhaps this is how a white lie operates on an emotional level. Telling one can be easily overlooked, at least in the beginning. Yet it registers straight to the heart, an…
This poem gnaws into you. The music, beat, and inherent meaning of the words.
White lie .. covered .. by long grass .. even longer grass ..
Damselflies reminded me of dragonflies. i googled them and learned they’re equal winged (dragonfly is unequal-winged) rather beautiful creatures, beneficial predators. Their symbolism is positive, one of purity and protection.
The juxtaposition of the white lie .. with damselfly is magnificent.
Thank you, Billie Dee, for posting this.
Thank you for sharing this, Bille. It is a wonderful work indeed. Gentle, delicate, brimming with "close observation" as you mention and so full of atmosphere. A moment in time capturing the eternal truth of a lie!