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

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

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.

Water, held hostage by frost

Here’s my response to the micro season of ‘The Mountain Stream Freezes’ on Mark S’s blog ‘Naturalist Weekly’ (https://naturalistweekly.com/2023/01/27/micro-season-the-mountain-stream-freezes-over-2/). How does water feel, when forced into a sudden rigid stare? Surely, this is an element that likes its freedom to roam? Water, held hostage by frost Chrystal sharp embrace. Cold interrupts free hearts’ flow. Icicles

The common self-heal sprouts, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to the micro-season of ‘The common self-heal sprouts’ on Mark S’s Naturalist Weekly Blog. You can find out more by clicking on this link: https://naturalistweekly.com/2022/12/23/micro-season-the-common-self-heal-sprouts/ I couldn’t help going AWOL… It’s Christmas. And the mention of sprouts… well, every family has a story… The common self-heal sprouts To sprout or not? Farts!

The southernmost tip of my soul

Here’s my response to this week’s micro-season ‘The bear retreats to its den’. Looking outside my window at a frozen world I relate to this micro-season very much. You can find Mark’s full prompt post by clicking on this link: https://naturalistweekly.com/2022/12/16/micro-season-the-bear-retreats-to-its-den/ Hibernation, always a tempting thought mid December. Where would I go hide for a

Indigo, by Britta Benson

I follow Mark S’s blog ‘Naturalist Weekly’ and enjoy his posts about the micro seasons. They are always accompanied by a thoughtfully curated selection of haiku. It’s the micro season of ‘The rainbow hides unseen’, the time of year when rainbows are less likely to be seen. You can read Mark’s full blog post here:

Preparation, by Britta Benson

I follow the Naturalist Weekly and love learning about the micro seasons (https://naturalistweekly.com/2022/11/18/micro-season-the-daffodil-flowers-2022/) We are currently in the micro season of daffodil flowers. At first, that sounded quite bizarre to me. It’s past mid November. Certainly no daffodils here in Scotland. Then, of course, I realized, that that wasn’t strictly true. Here’s my haibun about

Camellia Sasanqua, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to the micro-season of the first camellia blossoms on ‘Naturalist Weekly’. I love the idea of weekly micro-seasons. You can read Mark’s full blog post by clicking on this link: https://naturalistweekly.com/2022/11/11/micro-season-the-first-camellia-blossoms-2022/ I struggled with this particular micro season. I see camellias as early bloomers. Turns out, though, that there is one variety,