just 3 lines: February 2021

139. was it something i said?

go back to your cats!

he yells at me....and

hangs up the phone

—My cats rule. I’ve always lived with cats. Cats are purrfectly liberated: playful, curious, clever, sometimes tough and sometimes tender, quiet and peaceful. They simply are who they are, helping me to be me.

—Humanity needs the animals, wild ones and domesticated ones, to soften our hard edges and to remind us to walk softly on this Earth.

138. satisfied

under the trees

at the edge of the green

what more could I want?

137. thinking of Bill the ox....

somewhere

between the rooster and the tiger

comes the ox

—This is the Chinese Year of the Ox. In Chinese mythology, the ox is valued for its earnest, hardworking nature. Ox people are deeply determined, which can come across as being ‘stubborn.’ They make great leaders due to their drive and sense of duty. They possess strong confidence though, preferring to be more low-key, they often do not show it. They feel great responsibility to family and as long as they remain true to their overall nature, they have no financial worries. Ox people were born in: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985

Please note that if you were born in these years, this 2021 Year of the Ox may at times intensify one or more of these inherent characteristics, either for the better or worse. This may last for the year or only for a short time. Best thing to do is simply pay attention.

136. an old true story

at a party

where nobody knew

our names

we walk

in the front door and go right

out the back door!

—This door in the woods captured my attention, so I snapped it. Later in reflecting on the image, it brought to mind a scenario of a party with my then boyfriend. We really didn’t want to go but felt obligated. All dressed up and feeling a little weird, we stepped into the party, looked at each other and without skipping a beat, kept on walking right through and out the back door. Outside we looked at each other again, taking off high heels and tie....we climbed into his red roadster and sped off giggling.

135. company

lonely for company

she opens the front door

and the leaves pile in

134. can you wait?

sometimes

the best action is nonaction—

waiting things out

—“Do you have the patience to wait til your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving til the right action arises by itself?”—

from the Tao Te Ching

133. willey’s outlook

it’s okay

to do nothing

now and then

just

keep an eye on things

....that’s all

132. looking back

three steps ahead

one step back or to the side

....so goes the journey

—to know who you are, you must know where you came from— Chinese proverb

131. tears & laughter

life is laughter

sandwiched between tears—

like oreo cookies

—affectionately called Belties or Oreo Cookie Cows, these black and White-belted cows are a traditional Scottish breed known for their friendly manner, their mothering instincts, and their adaptability to harsh conditions. This family of Belties includes two babies; they live on a nearby farm I often pass by just to see them. As I approached for this picture, they all turned in my direction and just looked at me, while blocking off view of the babies.

130. the guardhouse

standing guard—

three house cats watching over

one birdhouse

—Hey, everybody, this is a legitimate photo; I don’t know how to photoshop. What you see is what I saw, just like this!

129. itching

belly itches

scratching only makes it worse—

i look out at the snow

—for me, itching is the worst kind of pain. Winter’s cold air and indoor heating dry out my skin and can drive me crazy with itching. A simple thing like shifting my awareness keeps me from going nuts! LOL!

128. grace

i have no

record of my first haiku

....will this be my last?

—Yesterday brought word of life’s uncertainty, an unexpected turnaround in someone’s life. This gave me pause to reflect on life, and on what matters. This morning this haiku came to me along with these words from many years ago: Everyday matters whether you participate or not and if you are not careful, at the end of your life you will have only regrets....pay attention, take care of yourself, and do your best—Deng Ming-Dao

127. asleep

in the chair:

one cat, one leg

asleep

126. patience....

waiting

for

spring

125. love is love

two hearts

are better than

just one

124. Chinese New Year

lighting incense

honoring ancestors, i bow

head to the ground

—On Chinese New Year my father would always cook a large feast to honor ancestors. He would carefully set the table, a place for everyone, pour schnapps for elders, juice for the children, and lay out the food. They would all eat as we stood by waiting. Afterward it would be our turn to feast!

—My father left China as a young man in the prime of his life; his dream of returning home to study medicine never materialized. He brought our family to America, where I have had so many opportunities to follow my heart and realize my dreams. I am forever grateful.

123. wise old woman

fly

on the wall—

“hey, it’s me!”

—“after i’m gone, i’ll be a fly on the wall watching over you.” my mother brought out the best and the worst in me; she was my best friend. Happy to say, mom shows up now and then, sometimes just when I need her!

122. roots

after all these years

writing haiku again

counting fingers again

—keeping things simple

— the low is the foundation for the high, from the Tao te Ching

121. polarities

blue and red

red and blue

seeing / not seeing

the other side

120. the story

the long walk

home

does the story ever end?

119. crossing guard

HALT!

DO YOU HAVE

A MASK?

118. playing the game

he says a thought

and she says a thought—

he says....she says....

the game of life is

the game of the mind—

“thoughts are things”

—“thoughts are things”—Napoleon Hill, best-selling author of: You Can Work Your Own Miracles, Success through a Positive Mental Attitude, and Think and Grow Rich