This weeks Haiku Prompt challenge from Ronovan Writes really appeals to me as I have a bit of a fascination with time. Time always seems a thoughtful, contemplative topic to me so both of my haikus are more serious in nature. The first haiku ends on an a more positive yet sad note with – new life replaces old, as opposed to new life surrenders. It’s amazing where a few lines of haiku can make your mind drift off to! Quite unintentional, but interesting how both of my haikus end.
Below is my photo of the Corpus Christi Clock in Cambridge, a popular tourist attraction. My first haiku is inspired by this weird and wonderful timepiece.
A yellow leaf sitting on a bed of sparkling snow. Sometimes the most beautiful images are just so simple. It’s the Fifth of December who could possibly believe it, where does time go? I’m sure Father Christmas leaps into the year earlier every winter and steals a bit of time so that he can get on with his job. Cheeky fellow!
I decided that on this first Friday in December that I would post some lovely images of winter for you and myself to enjoy. Thought it would be therapeutic! I’m not a winter person, as soon as the clock goes back a tiny switch inside me goes click, and I become lethargic and grumpy, Seasonal Affective Disorder, no doubt. I love warm weather, blue skies, and the seaside. I live in Cambridge, a beautiful University city but the sea is a bit of a car drive away, and it isn’t warm enough, not for me. Maybe one day I’ll live abroad again, somewhere sunny who knows?
With the change in the clocks I turn into a miserable so and so, with each tick of the clock I become more Scrooge-like. This winter I am battling against the hands of time to boot out the Scrooge in me and launch myself into the spirit of Christmas. Christmas is a double celebration in our house as it is also my eldest daughter’s birthday, so I have to be extra enthusiastic! She was born two weeks early nineteen years ago on the 25th of December. An unexpected but very welcome Xmas present. I ended up eating my Christmas dinner in the delivery ward! My youngest was born exactly on her due date. Two sisters with very different personalities, what can I say? Anyway, I’m digressing a bit, so without further ado here are some wonderful winter images to enjoy.
Let’s start off in a playful mode with this fellow who looks just like Kermit and see where he takes us! He suggested reading a book to escape, what a wonderful idea, always one of my favourite things to do. At the moment I’m reading David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks, so I’m leaping in and out of a multitude of bodies, travelling through centuries of time. Kermit decided to follow suite and leapt out of the confines of his stone body to go out and play in the snow!
Kermit, I heart you.
Kermit on his bum in the snow
After playing in the snow Kermit began to get restless and he remembered some of the wonderful adventures he had experienced while reading. Books take you to incredible places so Kermit wanted to make this journey a really memorable one. An adventure…..
Reading adventures
Kermit reckoned that you might like to see an Ice Sculpture? So off we go to…………………….
Ice sculpture Lake Louise Alberta
Just one of many amazing ice sculptures in Lake Louise. Great suggestion Kermit.
We’ve all heard of Cinderella but what about an ice slipper anyone?
A trip to Bryce Canyon?
Bryce Canyon, Utah
How about some winter shadows now?
Wonderful winter shadowsHay Tedders, Hoar Frost
Or spectacular blue skies?
Colle-di-fuori France
Twinkling lights in a winter cabin?
Winter cabin
Amazing Artic skies…………..
Artic ocean
A sleigh ride anyone?
Sleigh ride
Or a trip to Canim falls?
Canim Falls, British Columbia, Canada
A touch of frost, and a glimpse of the moon?
Frost and the moon
Some falling snow?
More falling snow!
What about some winter berries?
Don’t forget the snowman, otherwise his nose might get out of joint.
Snowmen
And our chirpy little friend the robin:
A sleepy doggie too:
Rudolph he’s invited.
And of course Father Christmas too:
Whatever you do this Winter holiday, have fun, and don’t be a grumpy Scrooge!
Waiting in queues. Waiting in supermarkets. Waiting in garages. Waiting at the doctors. The list could just go on and on, so I won’t bore you with any more detail. Let’s get to the point – How much of our life do we waste waiting? We spend an amazing amount of time sleeping, a third of our lives, but has anyone documented how much time we spend waiting? It’s not so much the waiting that gets to me, it’s the attitude of certain people who behave as if they own the right to make me wait longer. I’m a patient kind of girl but sometimes it gets to you. You’re waiting in line and the person in front of you decides to empty out their handbag spilling a year’s worth of money off coupons at the checkout. They haven’t bothered to see if they’re valid or not, so the checkout girl has to check each and every coupon. By the time they’ve left, the check out girl and I are in cahoots, talking about their inconsiderate behaviour. Wouldn’t you?
We spend five and a half years doing the housework. (This one really upsets me! I take advice from the fellow below on that one!
Three years doing our washing. Eleven years in front of the tv. Five years on the Net. Seven years suffering from insomnia. 20 weeks on hold. 38,003hrs eating. Six months of our life queuing. Eleven and a half years at work. A year off sick (no wonder!) 160 days on fag breaks. Five months complaining! It’s amazing we have any time left over to relax or enjoy ourselves.
That leads me to the next statistics, which are a bit risqué, so forgive me, here goes, women spend 1 hour and 24 minutes having orgasms (the female orgasm lasts 1.7 seconds) and men a whopping 9 hours 18 secs. (the male orgasm lasts 12.4 seconds.) Sounds like a bit of a disparity there! Let’s hope some of these ladies weren’t faking it! Women take 136 days getting ready for a night out whereas men only devote 46 days to this. Oh and we spend 115 days laughing too!
The statistics are courtesy of the Daily Mirror so if they’re wrong don’t blame me!
Anyway, getting back to me and waiting. It doesn’t just happen to me at the checkout, no it happens in the garage too!
The other day I was waiting in line to check my tyre pressures, I was in a bit of a hurry, and I could see the guy in front was in go slow mode. He just kept staring at his tyres as if he expected the pump to work without any input on his behalf. Then he walked around his car inspecting it. He then took off every dust cap, and walked leisurely over to the machine.
By this time I was beginning to think a child could have done a quicker job.
He popped in his money and … he walked so slowly I was sure that he would never get all the tyres done in the time allotted, miraculously he just managed it and no more. I figured he’d cast a spell on the machine. He finished. I sighed. Great, at long last it was my turn now. No way. He opened his bonnet and started to fiddle with his engine. I knew then it was hopeless, so I turned on my engine, and pulled out. He gave me a look as I left, a sort of aren’t you in a hurry kind of look, or aren’t you impatient, or was it a look of triumph? Either way I left, I gave in. Why am I such a softie? No wonder my tyres need inflating!
When I pump up my tyres I always try to be quick if I happen to see someone waiting. What about you? Do you rush or do you stall? If you take your time, why’s that? Are there other more unusual places you’ve been kept waiting? Tell me all about it in the comment box below.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 