Home Makar, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to the micro season of ‘The Sparrow Builds Her Nest’. You can find more information and plenty of haiku inspiration on Naturalist Weekly (https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/03/24/micro-season-the-sparrow-builds-her-nest-2023/). I chose to respond in the form of a haibun and to give it a little Scottish twist. I hope old and new world sparrows will find it

Pupa, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to the micro season of ‘Leaf insects turn into butterflies’. You can find the full prompt and explanations over at Naturalist Weekly: https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/03/17/micro-season-leaf-insects-turn-into-butterflies-2023/ I have always been fascinated by the process of caterpillars turning into butterflies. It seems such a totally impossible endeavour and still, we observe it again and again. Is

Spring Pulse, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to Mark’s prompt, the micro-season of the first peach blossoms, on Naturalist Weekly. You can find the full prompt and a selection of haiku by clicking on this link: https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/03/10/micro-season-the-first-peach-blossoms-2023/ This moment of bud becoming blossom seems magical year upon year. I have seen many springs and it still surprises me how

Nine Mile Falls, by Britta Benson

Just a wee haiku – of sorts – in response to Tanka Tuesday’s photo prompt, a picture of Nine Mile Falls and the mist. You can find the image and all relevant information here: https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2023/03/07/tankatuesday-weekly-photoprompt-poetry-challenge-no-310-3-7-23/ I like mist. A lot. Nine Mile Falls Mist makes all self known. Clarity through obstruction. Fresh perspective falls.

Budwatch, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to this week’s micro season of ‘Plants show their first buds’ on Naturalist Weekly. You can find out more about the micro seasons as well as this prompt here: https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/03/03/micro-season-plants-show-their-first-buds-2023/. Budwatch I’ve been on spring budwatch ever since the last leaf fell. The signs, clear, as of yet, elusive. Hope, always stronger

Looking out the window on the early morning bus to Dundee

Here’s my response to the micro season of ‘Haze first covers the sky’ on Naturalist Weekly. You can find information about the micro season and haiku here: https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/02/24/micro-season-haze-first-covers-the-sky-2023/ A few days ago, I sat on the early bus to Dundee, looking out of the window, watching the sun rise in the morning haze. A beautiful

Spring fever, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to this week’s Tanka Tuesday synonym challenge. You can find the full prompt guidelines here: https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2023/02/14/tankatuesday-weekly-poetry-challenge-no-307-2-14-2023/ I really liked the idea of using synonyms for ‘grow’ and ‘change’. Perhaps rather unsurprisingly, this led me to a poem about spring. Spring fever Time to shift rest, swap set darkness for becoming lighter and

Ode to Joy, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to the Micro Season of ‘The Nightingale Sings’ on ‘Naturalist Weekly’. You can find out more about the micro and mini seasons as well as lots of inspirational haiku here: https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/02/10/micro-season-the-nightingale-sings/ Short and sweet. Here goes: Ode to Joy Not just a warble. Thousand most intimate sounds for spring readiness.

soul, by Britta Benson

In this week’s W3 poetry challenge, Poet of the Week Angela Wilson, asks us to use a haiku (written by somebody other than ourselves) as basis for a golden shovel poem. I came up with an idea. Currently, I’m using Virginia Woolf’s ‘Orlando’ as source for blackout poems. So, today, I’ve produced a haiku –

For now, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to the micro season of ‘The chicken lays her first eggs’ on Mark’s blog ‘Naturalist Weekly’. Ya, I know, I didn’t really expect a post about chicken today, but hey ho! I guess, it’s more about the first signs of transition from winter to spring. I’m not ready yet. I think I