Tanka: Gulls and Geese

a smiling brindle whippet in a red jacket walking across tidal sands

gulls chatter
on the other side of the rocks
looking round
the sky suddenly fills
with a thousand voices

© Xenia Tran

tidal pools, rock pools, rocks and the sea under a blue sky

In other news, we are delighted that my poems First LightEarthlightAccepting the Sun and Shenandoah have been included in The Haiku Way to Healing Anthology edited by Robert Epstein (2022) …

Robert Epstein The Haik Way to Healing Anthology

… and for our Dutch readers:

OchtendschemerRozen Snoeien and Nachtvissen have been included in Aan Het Woord 2022 – Lange Verhalen, edited by Riet de Bakker, Jan Guichelaar, Henk van der Werff and Jean-Marie Werrebrouck, published by Haiku Kring Nederland and Haiku-centrum Vlaanderen (2022).

Lange Verhalen, Aan het Woord 2022 Anthology

Dorpswinkel appears in the Haiku-kantelkalender 2023. The calendar features fifty-two haiku by poets from Belgium and The Netherlands and is available from Haiku-centrum Vlaanderen. A very big thank you to Régine Dendooven and the team for including my poem and putting this beautiful calendar together.

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Round

CMMC: November Pick a Topic from my Photo (Water, Reflections)

Tanka: Where we Belong

close up of a smiling brindle whippet in a red jacket

waiting for the sun
to shine her radiant light
where we belong
hope breathes and warms
the autumn wind

© Xenia Tran

a smiling brindle whippet in a red jacket on a forest trail

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Wait

Word of the Day Challenge: Hope

Tanka: Catching the Light

a brindle whippet on a forest trail before it reaches a clearing

pebbles and cones
a brindle dog catches
the light
we marvel how one seed
can grow a whole new forest

© Xenia Tran

view from a forest trail across the hills and woods beyond

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Pebble

CMMC: October Pick a Topic from my Photo (dog, trail, grass, trees)

Tanka: Smiles in the Grass

a smiling brindle whippet running through the dunes

oh may the fog lift
high enough so we can see
how you fly briefly
one smile after another
through the marram grass

© Xenia Tran

a smiling brindle whippet running through the dunes

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Lift

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #220: One Subject Three Ways

Tanka: The Same Light

a brindle whippet walking on the sandy banks of a river

autumn colours
the same light mapping
our moment
on the banks of a river
where others walked before

© Xenia Tran

the river Tay in early autumn with ducks bathing in the foreground

Wishing you all a happy Thursday,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Moment

Jez Braithwaite’s Water Water Everywhere #145

Tanka: Douglas Fir and Larch

close up of a smiling brindle whippet running through the grass in the forest

ah the bliss
when we come to this place
late summer
the chiming of cones falling
stays with us every year

© Xenia Tran

close up of leaves, needles and cones on birch and douglas fir

We are taking a short blogging break to enjoy the fine weather and will be back on Thursday 22 September 2022.

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful weekend ahead,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: When

CFFC: Nature

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge: Trees

Tanka: All as One

Loch an Eilein Castle

a brindle whippet in a black rain jacket on a forest trail

light rain
on the crumbling ruins
grass and moss grow
in the shade of willows
all as one with nature

© Xenia Tran

castle ruins surrounded by trees and covered in moss and grass

Wishing you all a blessed Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Ruins

CFFC: Man-made Items

Tanka: One Step Ahead

Cairngorms National Park

a smiling brindle whippet in a black jacket running towards the camera

your smile
always one step ahead
of the weather
where love winds its own trail
in unexpected ways

© Xenia Tran

mountains with heather in bloom under a cloudy sky

With warm thanks to Steph, a dedicated volunteer for Give a Greyhound a Home, who sent Misty this lovely rain-proof jacket from her Canine Lane store.

Wishing you all a happy Monday and a peaceful week ahead,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Trail

Jez Braithwaithe’s Water Water Everywhere #140

Tanka: Grandmother Tree

a smiling brindle whippet running up a hill in the forest

loch shore –
lights glitter on the water
while we listen
to the grandmother tree
sharing glimpses of the past

© Xenia Tran

exposed roots of an ancient pine by the loch shore

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Glimpse

CFFC: Connects You to the Present Moment

Tanka: Easy to Remember

Cairngorms National Park

a smiling whippet running along the sandy shores of a loch

so easy
to remember why we came
before we return
to the loch and forest
where nature’s beauty rises

© Xenia Tran

a smiling whippet looking back across the forest trail

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Tanka Thursday: Easy

CFFC: Reminds You of Nature’s Beauty