This Blog Is Moving!

My blog has migrated from Blogger to my website, here. (http://www.kristenlindquist.com/blog/)

There will be a few days' hiatus while I smooth over the transition, figure out how to post to the new site, migrate the new blog site to my posting app, etc. I hope you'll stick with me!

Kristen

June 28: Cherries

alone in the kitchen

reading haiku

over a bowl of cherries

June 27: Strawberry Moon

Strawberry Moon

cutting the peonies

before a rainstorm

June 26: Cathedral Woods

Cathedral Woods
a conclave of doves
rises from the trail

June 25: Trail

after the rain
clouds of tiny moths
rise from the trail

June 24: Cathedral Woods

Cathedral Woods

nothing in my head

but the names of birds

June 23: Cathedral Woods

the wren’s song 

unfurled above twinflowers

fairy houses

June 22: Sunset

summer solstice

silhouettes of gulls 

fly into the sunset

June 21: Solstice

summer solstice

sharing my strawberries

with a catbird

June 20: Owl

summer solstice
the long silence
after the owl calls

June 19: Up

finally looking up 

waxing half moon

soaring hawk

June 18: Back porch

rotting porch rail

again the rhododendron 

in full bloom

June 17: Nesting

nesting season

both catbirds

scolding the cat

June 16: Farmer’s Market

farmer’s market

she praises

last night’s crescent moon

June 15: June roses

almost Midsummer

mooning over roses

at the plant nursery

June 14: Candlelight

candlelit dinner

the doe’s eyes shining

in the headlights

June 13: Something in the air

chorus of wind chimes

weight of the rain 

that will fall tonight

June 12: Gift

morning coffee

the wind has strewn 

heart-shaped petals

June 11: Nesting

catbirds nest-making

in the sunny old garden

everything’s ok

June 10: House Finch

what am I

compared to this finch

her perfect grey bill

June 9: Saturday night

Saturday night 

watching together 

the slow fade to dark

June 8: Clematis

purple clematis

finally tall enough

to train the vines

June 7: Chill

climate change

unseasonably cold night

in an empty bed

June 6: Poppies

overcast afternoon

the urge to pick

my neighbor’s orange poppies

June 5: Phoebe

neighborhood

phoebe’s regular perch

on our lawn chair

June 4: Farmstand

farmstand sign:

fiddleheads, tick repellent

early strawberries

June 3: Weeding

weeding the garden

which flowers live

and which die

June 2: Catbird seat

freedom of choice

sitting on the porch

to listen to the catbird

June 1: Double feature

1

that time again

purple irises

along the old white shed

2

that time again

I’d forgotten 

there were all these flowers

May 31: Happy hour

happy hour
ecstasy of swifts
in perfect blue sky

May 30: Cat

house without its cat

a pine forest

on a windless day

May 29: Quince

amazed again each spring

by the color

of the quince blossoms

May 28: Apple tree

as if the hot pink blossoms
weren't enough
grosbeak's song


Listen to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak's melodious song here.

May 27: Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach tableau:

stone, lichen, shell, seaweed

where do the seals fit in?

May 26: Island hike-u

island trail

at one end: rooster’s crow

the other: roaring surf

March 25: Mystery

early moonrise

some kind of bird

wailing in the meadow

May 24: Flowering plum

spring thunderstorm 

how I covet

my neighbor’s plum tree

May 23: "New for Spring!"

vireo singing
or the green leaves that hide him
new spring menu

May 22: Warblers

hearing their songs
over the adding machine
spring warblers

May 21: Return from the island

smooth crossing
a white butterfly
four miles out to sea

May 20: Woodcocks

alone at twilight

with setting Venus

and displaying woodcocks

Version 2:

middle age

alone at twilight

with setting Venus

May 19: Grackle

morning sunlight

the iridescent grackle

illuminated

May 18: Black flies

black fly season

forced to write haiku

indoors

May 17: Millville

derelict house

graced by a flowering tree

what a waste

May 16: Safety first

wild geese nesting
next to a guard dog
lawn ornament

May 15: Birdsong

yellow warbler
is that the real bird singing
or my ringtone?

May 14: Fish Ladder

masses of alewives
the childless woman
doesn’t get it

May 13: Sleep issues

trying to fall asleep

with a weight on my chest

one small cat

May 12: World Migratory Bird Day

spring bird walk

remembering the many 

shades of leaf green 

May 11: Song Sparrow

realizing I’m within

his territory

sparrow’s song

May 10: Nap

falling asleep 

to the lawnmower’s hum

al fresco

May 9: Racing the vulture

trying to drive faster

than the vulture overhead

homeward

May 8: Cookie

night class
thinking about the cookie
left in my bag

May 7: Remembrance

prayer to her memory

kneeling down

to sniff the mayflowers

May 6: Farmstand

spring green

first batch of fiddleheads

sold out

May 5: Photos

freeing up memory

twenty views

of that one butterfly

May 4: River

stocked rainbows

leaving the window open

to hear the river

May 3: Fog bank

night classes

above the fog bank

starless sky

May 2: Magnolia

the right words

glimpse of a back yard

magnolia in bloom

May 1: Beltane

Venus shining

for a few more hours

spring peeper chorus

April 30: Drive-by

swirl of vultures and crows
in the field below
something we can't see

April 29: Meta

what you’re really saying

hidden among hashtags 

#modernromance

April 28: Date night

behind the movie theatre

calls of woodcocks

Venus growing brighter

April 27: Found Haiku

Overhead on the airport PA while I was traveling home from DC:

If you lost a key

at the Chick-Fil-A

please visit info desk C

April 24 - 26: Washington, D.C.

I’m in Washington D.C. for several days to lobby for support of the Endangered Species Act, among other things, on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife. 

Department of State

old white sycamore

leaning into traffic

our nation’s capitol

cherry blossoms

heaped on the sidewalks

learning how to lobby

against extinction

church clock’s chime

April 23: Flying

so small from the air

the island 

where my heart is

April 22: Earth Day

telling me not to

she would pick mayflowers

earth day

April 21: A day

going on like that
some days even the cardinal
is too much to take

April 20: Ospreys

how high the river 

pair of ospreys circling

the old mill’s smokestack

April 19: Color

bowl of clementines

forced forsythia flowers—

longing for spring

April 18: Cat time

morning sun 

cat hairs drifting 

in my coffee

April 17: Birthday

the fallen tree

shifted by flood waters

another birthday

April 16: Chicken

neighbor’s black chicken

strutting on the snow

spring pastoral

April 15: Bowerbird

Today at the Northeast Natural History Conference, ornithologist Richard Prum spoke in support of  Darwin’s idea that beauty in nature has evolved for its own sake, resulting from conscious choice, rather than the prevailing theory that ornamention must also offer some greater benefit resulting from natural selection. I’m not expressing it well, so I recommend his book THE EVOLUTION OF BEAUTY. 

mysteries of desire—

bright blue objects 

in the bowerbird’s bower

April 14: Sleet

Slow drive in sleet.

If birds, he’d be a swift,

I’d be a waxwing.

April 13: Driving stories

roadside memorials

counting crows

all the way to Vermont

April 12: Bear Pond

private beach—

the pond still locked in

by ice

April 11: Frost

over the mountain 

in time to melt the frost

rising sun

April 10: Gallery

art gallery window

framing a flock of pigeons

across blue sky

April 9: First flowers

that point in early spring

even skunk cabbage

is a welcome flower

April 8: FOY

for a few minutes

it feels like spring

first phoebe calling

FOY=birder’s shorthand for “first of year,” first bird noted of a migrant species

April 7: Sparrow

even as snow falls

song sparrows singing

those emotions

April 6: Spring snow

April snowfall

we’d have thought it beautiful

three months ago

April 5: Chipmunk

the short life

of a chipmunk

this floating world

April 4: White

white crocus

looks too much like snow

April showers

April 3: Brook trout

fishing hole

before the osprey returns

casting for trout

April 2: Green Moon

stained glass window

rising moon

green then blue

April 1: Easter morning

resurrection

crow eats the dead mouse

then flies away

March 31: Pink Moon

spring’s first full moon

a big gold egg

rising over the harbor

March 30: Mist

spring shower

ducks already pairing up

on the misty river

March 29: Loon

almost ice-out

calls overhead of a loon

flying inland

March 28: Feather

careful not to step on it 

perfect pigeon feather

revealed by snowmelt 

March 27: Eagle

arms full of groceries

looked up just in time 

to see an eagle soar past

March 26: Finally, flowers

southern exposure

where the snow has melted

crocus are blooming

March 25: Distraction

distracted at my desk

squirrel acrobatics

among bare branches

March 24: Melting

startled after dark

by the soft sounds of snow

sliding off the roof

March 23: Mob

the crows are yelling

to come see an owl

but I’m late for work

March 22: Crocus

little girl in boots

crushing crocus flowers

under a crust of snow

March 21: Vernal Equinox

first day of spring

nothing leaves a mark
on the packed snow

March 20: Raven

far from the desert

is the same raven soaring 

over these snowy fields

March 19: Departure

sense of loss

driving to the airport

roadside memorials

March 18: Ocotillo

desert morning

raising arms to the rising sun

ocotillo

March 17: Madera Canyon

canyon meditation

following morning sunlight

down the slopes

March 16: Box Canyon

winding canyon road

we pull over

to let three cows pass

March 15: Cottonwoods

wisdom from old cottonwoods:

send roots deep in dry times,

practice self-pruning

March 14: Grasslands sunrise

greeting the sunrise

with a much louder welcome

soaring raven

March 13: Saguaro NP

cactus forest

following songs of sparrows

losing myself

March 12: Sabino Canyon

in the canyon

listening for owls

after dinner

March 11: Vermillion

walk with a friend

vermillion flycatcher

flashing in the mesquite 

March 10: Lunch in Tucson

tacos al fresco

in bloom over our table

big fat red rose

March 9: Travel

air  time  travel

regaining two hours of my life

when I step off the plane

March 8: Snowdrop

under all that fresh snow

first tendrils of snowdrops

that had just appeared

March 7: Winter travel

change of plans
single crow on a bare branch
under falling snow

March 6: Weather

change of weather

the look on his face

when I get home

March 5: March is the cruelest month

not really spring

binge-eating Girl Scout cookies

with low-fat milk

March 4: Classics

who are our gods now

cold night alone

re-reading the Odyssey

March 3: Storm surge

storm surge

everyone posting photos

of things underwater

March 2: Worm Moon

happy hour

watching from the bar

as the full moon rises

March 1: At the gym

post-surgery

he counts the laps 

til he’s walked a mile

February 28: Windfall

fallen branch

from my neighbor’s willow

hung up on our fence 

February 27: Moon again

waxing moon rising
right where you'd expect it
home town

February 26: Quick thaw

sublimation

leave the doors open

to let February go

February 25: Weather

sun then snow then rain
the weather too
can't make up its mind

February 24: Birthday party

Sirius rising

a single candle

in my birthday dessert

February 23: Cold rain

freezing rain

even the cat mistakes it

for the scurry of mice

February 22: Sleep chant

reciting until dawn
the threefold refuge
insomnia

February 21: Thaw

overnight thaw

we follow the flight 

of the one white pigeon

February 20: Birthday

my mother singing

on my answering machine
another year



*Thank you, Peter Newton, for your edits that made this haiku so much stronger!

February 19: Tracking

life lessons

frozen hieroglyphics

of a crow’s tracks

February 18: Starry night

Certain revelations—

old moon in the new moon’s arms

and all those stars

February 17: Winter sun

Head cold finally licked.

Courtship songs of chickadees

all along the path. 

February 16: Overheard

After the meeting
someone telling how a bobcat
ran through his yard.

February 15: Allegiance

Reciting the Pledge.
Chickadees gleaning insects
along the eaves.

February 14: Forced beauty

Forced into it—

forsythia twigs

finally starting to bloom. 

February 13: Winter Olympics, cont.

Winter Olympics—

eating heart-shaped cookies

Is this for a medal?

February 12: Amaryllis

Cabin fever.

Fading amaryllis

leans on the lamp for strength.

February 11: Sunday morning

Snow melted by rain.

Cat and I on the back porch

sniffing the air.

February 10: Winter Olympics

Winter Olympics—

stuck inside with a cold

watching skiing and luge.

February 9: Winter Olympics

Winter Olympics—

amaryllis glows

in the light of the t.v.

February 8: Rubies

Sunlit sumac berries—

precious as rubies

to winter robins.

February 7: Symphony No. 25

First flakes start to fall.

Mozart symphony playing

while the cat sleeps on.

February 6: Deer

In the woods nearby

a doe often reclines

in the same patch of sun.

February 5: Cardinal pair

Holding very still

so I don’t scare the cardinal pair

from the feeder.

February 4: Mid-winter

It’s come down to this:

staring at a vase of twigs,

some sort of prayer. 

February 3: Moonrise

Inspired reflection:

watching the moon rise

at the poetry reading.

February 2: Trompe l’œil

Small hole in a tree—

looks like an owl’s perched in there

but it’s a knot. 

February 1: Reading poetry on a winter's night

Last night in my Maine Poetry class, we read aloud Longfellow's "Wreck of the Hesperus," each of us in turn reading a stanza—an under-appreciated, long-lost form of entertainment.

Full moon on snow.
Reading Longfellow aloud
like they used to.

January 31: Blue Moon

I confess I slept through this morning's partial lunar eclipse. But I did admire the moon in the middle of the night as it was lighting up the post-snowstorm sky. This full moon is a blue moon, being the second full moon of the month. It was also, technically, a super moon, meaning it was at a closer point to Earth in its orbit (perigee). A lot going on in the sky as the moon was setting and the sun was rising.

Blue moon setting.
Constellation of oak leaves
scattered on fresh snow.

January 30: Snowing

Swirling snow—

only the undaunted crows

remain visible.

January 29: Pregnant moon

Gestating moon,

what will you give birth to

two cold days from now?

January 28: Hawks

To keep myself amused on long drives, I sometimes keep a tally of all the Red-tailed Hawks I see perched along the roadside, watching for prey. 

Measuring the miles—

from Kittery to Camden

a seven-hawk drive. 

January 27: Fox sunrise

Fox barking at dawn

leaves another line of tracks

across the snowy lawn. 

January 26: To roost

Above the library—

learning how to read

the vast flock of crows. 

January 25: Sunrise

Breath-taking sunrise—

if I have to be awake,

at least there’s that.

January 24: Downtown

Sidewalk conversation.

Pigeons flying from one roof

to another. 

January 23: Bulbs

Frost on the window.

Undeniably phallic

amaryllis bud.

January 22: Spying

Black pieces on a white board—
what are the crows up to
across the river?

January 21: Wildlife

Dead of winter.

In my morning coffee

a drowning fruit fly.

January 20: Winter Zen

Buddha of the porch

remains serene

with a lap full of snow.

January 19: Out

Sun on fresh snow.

Titmouse’s dog-whistle

calling me outside.

January 18: New Moon

Slender new moon.

Deer stretching their necks to feed

on cedar boughs. 

January 17: Red on white

Cardinal in a snowstorm.

Finding hope 

in the smallest things.

January 16: Crows

It’s not by accident

that three crows gather

in a tree over my head. 

January 15: Evergreen

Rhododendron leaves

tight green fists clenched

against the cold

January 14: Ebb

Late afternoon, ebb tide.

Silhouettes of feeding ducks

drift out of sight.

January 13: MLK, Jr. Weekend

Holiday weekend.

Voices of river and rain

blending in the dark.

January 12: Meltwater

January thaw—

sounds of running water

even our thoughts fluid

January 11: January thaw

January thaw

snow dripping off the eaves

something loosed in my heart

January 10: Here

out of the car

confronted with Orion

where I’m supposed to be

January 9: Outside

After days of single digit and subzero temperatures, it rose into the 30s today. I actually paused to appreciate being outside. 

Shoveling gritty snow

rush of traffic

goldfinches singing

January 8: Perched seal

Waiting for the moment

when the rising tide 

floats the seal off its rock.

January 7: What lies beneath

Transfer station.

Could be anything

under those piles of snow.

January 6: We ponder the meaning of cold

Zero degrees all day.

Chimney smoke a flat pennant

pointing south.

January 5: Finches at the feeder

Eleventh day of Christmas—

snowstorm gave to me

two finches feeding.

January 4: Tracking

Across the harbor ice

tracks of a squirrel

visit a lobster boat. 

January 3: Moonset

Sky flushed with sunrise.

Behind the retirement home

setting moon still bright. 

January 2: Awake

After midnight

long shadows of trees

lying across moonlit snow

January 1: Wolf Moon

After midnight

fat old moon slips easily

into the new year.