Sunday, June 12, 2011

Haibun




 CONNEMARA,
County Galway, Ireland
by Adelaide B. Shaw 

Scarcely populated, an area of lakes and rivers, of melancholy and wonder.  A place of mist and fog with rain nearly every day.  Lushly green with wet, hummocky ground that never dries up. 

peat bogs–
meeting in a pool
runnels of rain

Black-faced sheep with curved horns, the “killer sheep” of Connemara, their rumps and sides splashed with red or blue paint, or both, to identify ownership. 

                                                            craggy hills
                                                    my slow mincing steps
                                                          behind the flock

 No trees, but an abundance of plants and shrubs which grow to amazing heights:  fuchsia, woodbine, hawthorn, rhododendron, ferns and several varieties of thorny plants.

                                                              floating fog
                                                       the narrow road edged
                                                          with clipped shrubs

Short and sturdy Connemara ponies, donkeys and burros work the fields and pull the wagons.

                                                              carrots ready
                                                   the gray mare and black colt
                                                              cease nuzzling

Rising above Lough Pollacappul in the heart of Connemara is Kylemore Abbey, an 1867 castle, now home to the Benedictine order of nuns.  Extensive gardens cover six acres, in marked contrast to the wild landscape surrounding them. 

                                                                flower beds
                                                             along a brick path
                                                               the rolling mist

                                                                  peat smoke
                                                        from the gardener’s cottage–
                                                                   turning back
LYNX, June 2011

5 comments:

Warren said...

Absolutely gorgeous throughout - not a misstep in the entire haibun. Wish I had your talent!

Warren

Gillena Cox said...

enjoyable scenes; my first encounter with the word runnels, had to look that one up, like also the alliteration in that particular haiku "runnels of rain"


much love...

Adelaide said...

Thank you both. I was inspired by the beauty of Ireland. It makes it easy to be a poet.

Warren...you have a great talent. Be sure of that.

Adelaide

Bill said...

Takes me back. I'm sure there is no more beautiful spot in the world, and you've caught it beautifully.

Adelaide said...

Thanks, Bill. Not being Irish and born with the gift for words, I did my best to write what I saw.
Tis a grand place, for sure.

Adelaide