Daphne Ashling Purpus

A Year of Haiku Daphne Ashling Purpus

"Forever--is composed of Nows" Emily Dickinson Writing haiku is one way to stay present, in the now. This collection contains one "now," one haiku moment for each day in 2012, along with a zendoodle for each month of the year. The seasons change and personal, local, even worldwide events may be found in these haiku. Even more than that, these haiku focus on the poet's home and the beauty found there amid diversity and color. Life in a purple house with a blue metal roof, an outdoor shower and a hot tub in a yard surrounded by conifers of all kinds on a rural island comes alive as the haiku explore a world of dogs, cats, birds, snails, slugs, frogs, hummingbirds, spiders, squirrels, occasional deer, and myriad other inhabitants. All life is celebrated, and there is rarely any need to leave home to find wonder and beauty. Wherever we are, we are surrounded by miracles, whether it is the dew on a spider's web or a slug making its way along a purple walkway. Meditating on these moments, using them to craft haiku, presents a powerful way to stay in the present, the only place where life is really lived. If we take time for now rather than worrying about the future or fretting over the past, our forever will take care of itself. I hope you enjoy sharing my year with me.