Haiku and tanka for the day

The last six weeks I have participated in Mother Henna's Grief: Finding our Way small group session. Mama Henna, aka, Kara, is a force and a wonder, and I feel honored to have worked with her, even if it was briefly. We explored our grief through creativity, and participated in a forum style discussion. By we, I mean, me and other mamas who have experienced losses, mostly losses like my own, I believe.

It was really incredible. It made me think of my grief three dimensionally, which was enlightening. Creativity begets creativity, and participating in a workshop where creative, non-linear thinking is encouraged is liberating. I wanted to share a haiku and tanka written for our last session. I have been working on a poem, and this tanka is a part of that larger work. I heart poetry.

haiku
Moss-covered morning
Dew settles on my warm breath
A deep sigh escapes

tanka
Wearing somber, black,
itchy clothes and intricate
necklaces of hair,
She placed a sign on her heart
That read “Protect from idle talk.”