London Garden Haikus

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I returned home from London more than six months ago, but my muse still sings with the beauty that surrounded me during my stay.  Between historical architecture and green gardens, there was always something to admire.  As I comb through the scribbles in my journal and wander through hundreds of photographs, various pieces of inspiration are starting to fall together.  The full significance of my experiences has yet to be discovered, but I know one thing for certain: I am full of wonder.

– – –

Bright red, pale purple
Roses bloom beneath gray skies
Vivid color reigns

Regent's Park, c.b.w. 2011

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The morning chill fades
Sunbeams set roses aglow
Birds sing summer’s near

Alexandra Park, c.b.w. 2011

– – –

Exhausted leaves fall
Dragonfly wings catch the sun
Lillies drift away

Hyde Park, c.b.w. 2011

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c.b. 2012

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24 thoughts on “London Garden Haikus”

  1. Interesting that you wonder what the full affect of your trip will have on you, even though you’ve been back for 6 months. Perhaps being there for those 3 weeks is what you needed, on so many levels. And maybe you’re right. Your time there will continue to influence your writing and the way you see things in your current environment. I like the pictures and the poems. Thanks for sharing.

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    • My experiences in London were life altering in ways I haven’t been able to comprehend just yet. Little by little, the pieces are coming together, but I know it will be a long while before I know the true extent of how much I have changed and what it all means. Perhaps I’m over thinking things a bit, but I can’t deny that I’ve felt a dramatic shift in all that I am.

      Just this week, a scribble in my journal turned out to be the one line I needed to bridge two parts of my second novel together. I had no idea what it was when I wrote it down, but I found that line in London. It makes me wonder what else I found! 🙂

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  2. These haikus are bursting with beauty. I’ve always had great respect for haikus – it’s so concentrated, every syllable has to chime in and resonate together. I’ve never created a successful haiku – kudos to you! They’re magnificent 🙂

    I also love that reflection on how your time there continues to influence you, or that at least you’re still discovering how it influenced you. I recently read a quote from Schopenhauer that rang true with me and fits right in with this post:

    ‘When you look back on your life, it looks as though it were a plot, but when you are in it, it’s a mess: just one surprise after another. Then, later, you see it was perfect’.

    I’m so busy making new experiences for myself and trying to construct something to look back on later – that’s my favourite part of life. The part where you look back and try and figure out how it all changed you. A lovely article, lovely pictures and lovely haikus. Jolly good show, C.B. Wentworth!

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    • I’ve always had so much trouble writing haikus, but for some reason I couldn’t stop writing them while in London. I have several more and I may have to share them somewhere down the line. 🙂

      Thank you for sharing Schopenhauer’s quote. It really rings true for me, as I continue to reflect on a trip that changed my life. Those three weeks were crazy, emotional, beautiful, sometimes terrifying (being alone in a big city like that is scary at first!), and inspirational all at the same time. It took months to recover! 😉 However, I believe it was perfect and now I get to figure out the true significance of what it means to me.

      I love following your adventures! You are someone who breathes in her surroundings and I love how you let the world become part of you. Enjoy France and Germany! 🙂

      Thanks so much for reading! 🙂

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    • There are roses everywhere in London and I can honestly they are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. 🙂

      I spent three weeks in London last summer on what I called an “inspiration mission.” I stayed in the suburbs and rented a room in a local home so I could escape the tourist vibe. The whole experience was remarkable and like I said, I’m still figuring out the full extent of the impact it had on me.

      I documented the whole trip in a series of posts . . . if you search for “Wandering in London” or click on “London” in my tag cloud, they will all show up. 🙂

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  12. Haiku Heaven. Good for you for recognizing that the journeys we make physically seep into our inner workings and continue to influence us far into the future. Glad to see you treasure each moment.

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    • Thanks . . . My journey to London was definitely a spiritual one and it continues work wonders in my soul. 🙂

      (Thanks for stopping by and making me feel like less of a loser today! 😉 This day is getting better, thanks in large part to you. Thank you.)

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