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Photo: Nicolas Gent via Flickr. Labeled for non-commercial reuse.

Fukuroo—Who? Who? Who? dVerse Haibun Monday

The mystique of owls came home to me when writing friend gave me my first book of poetry by Mary Oliver: Owls and Other Fantasies, a collection of 26 poems about owls and other birds. She highlights a number of associations between owls that underlie a sense of mystery, darkness, night, wisdom and clarity.

Winter is sneaking in on us here in the Northern Hemisphere, and owls seem to be a bird of winter because they are more often visible among the trees’ bare branches. As predators, the whiteness of snow reveals the tiny critters that scamper through the fields. Owls attacks at night, in silence, swiftly. Owls can see what is invisible to others and in that is their claim to wisdom.

The Japanese associate the Kigo, FUKUROO, Owl, with the season of winter. One of my dreams is to see a shirofukuroo—a snowy white owl, more common in the Northeast of this country and in Canada. Oftentimes, the calls of owls are the only thing that speak to us of their presence. The feathers of their wings are noiseless.

For today’s Haibun, I ask you to write a short (less than 200 words) paragraph or two of non-fiction, considering the Fukuroo/owl. Follow that by a traditional haiku that includes a seasonal reference, not necessarily to winter. For more information on the Kigo, Fukuroo, you may find some help HERE.

If you are new to dVerse, here is how to join in:
• Write your poem and post it on you website or blog;
• Add a link to dVerse to your post and social media sites;
• Access Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post and add your name and the direct URL to your poem;
• Visit other poets who have participated and comment on their work…especially those who have cared enough to read and comment on yours;
• Have fun…and think about extending a personal invitation to another poet not familiar with dVerse and ask to join us at the pub. Let’s grow the family.

This is Victoria, your hostess today. Let’s have a hootin’ good time this week enjoying creative splurges and reading each other’s offerings. As colds and flu make their way around, part of my past life was mixing up wicked Hot Toddies. Or, for those of you down in the southern regions, how about a Piña Colada with a cute little umbrella?

Don’t forget, the Haibun prompt will be open all week. It’s not too late.