Inspired by What do you see #322
anticipation of joy
disillusionment
can’t wait for you to arrive
can’t wait to go back in
life’s a conundrum
what’s the point
Just Why
So High
My head began to spin, feeling as if I was on the fringe of a fit of insanity. I was told not to reflect on anything specific, just to let myself go and let the thoughts enter my being as they came. Each wave of feeling took me a layer deeper into the resonance of my psyche. What a trip! They warned me ayahuasca was potent, but I hadn’t expected to feel like this. Hours later, the lingering images continued to spill before my eyes as I shook my head. Maybe swimming might help remove the frill of the high.
SenHai Saturday #33
Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing!
This image shows three birds with long, pointed beaks, their long legs immersed in a body of water.
Please create one senryu and one haiku to accompany this image prompt. Remember that a traditional haiku describes nature or a season, while a senryu focuses on human nature and emotions.
Then, provide a link in the comments below or ping back to this post on your blog.
Here is a wrap-up of last week’s prompt. I appreciate each of you for sharing your thoughts!
Nolcha – NO WAY OUT
Anje – SenHai Saturday
Carole Ann – Sen-hai Saturday #32
Sara – Sen-Hai Saturday #32
Eugenia – #SenHai Saturday – 12/28/25
Cheryl – SenHai Saturday #32
Indira – SenHai Saturday #32
Carolyn – SenHai Saturday #32
Sadje – Broken Dreams
Violet – Husks
Carole Anne Johnson
Tears like rain
Tears fall like soft rain—
a storm hidden in stillness,
no words left to hold.
Wounds
Wounds once carved so deep,
soft light weaves through broken leaves—
new roots drink the rain.
A lantern lit in the dark
Soft words like warm rain,
gently falling on old wounds—
she listens, steady.
In her calm, I find my breath,
a lantern lit in the dark.
Light returns, slowly.
Shadows in silence—
a heartbeat learns to whisper,
light returns, slowly.
Scars bloom
Shadows held me tight—
now I breathe in morning light,
scars bloom into strength.
~~~
Carol Anne is a 45-year-old blind woman from Ireland. She has dissociative identity disorder, and she is a survivor of child abuse. She likes writing, reading, and blogging. Carol Anne has been with The Short of It family since 2024.
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#TheShortofIt– Vol 1 The Sound of Brilliance, Vol 2 Reflections & Revelations,
and Vol 3 Natures Discovered – all on Amazon
The Holidays Are Officially Over
turkeys eaten
presents unwrapped
hangovers in the making celebrated
snooze for now
the next cycle of traditions begins again tomorrow
The Bane Of Humanity
U.S. Senate Collection
the stench of greed
fills our senses
the ensuing evil
of dapper men
sabotages our existence
we languish
under the weight of exploitation
and oppression
choking on the scraps
…will we make it another year
or will we rise in opposition?
**NOTE – I’m quite shocked this indictment of “politics, as per usual,” hasn’t been scrubbed from the Senate website yet.
| Title | The Bosses of the Senate. |
| Artist/Maker | J. Ottmann Lith. Co. after Joseph Keppler Puck |
| Date | 1889-01-23 |
| Medium | Lithograph, colored |
| Dimensions | h. 12 x w. 18.5 in. (h. 30.48 x w. 46.99 cm) |
| Credit Line | U.S. Senate Collection |
| Accession Number | 38.00392.001 |
Object Description – This frequently reproduced cartoon, long a staple of textbooks and studies of Congress, depicts corporate interests–from steel, copper, oil, iron, sugar, tin, and coal to paper bags, envelopes, and salt–as giant money bags looming over the tiny senators at their desks in the Chamber. Joseph Keppler drew the cartoon, which appeared in Puck on January 23, 1889, showing a door to the gallery, the “people’s entrance,” bolted and barred. The galleries stand empty while the special interests have floor privileges, operating below the motto: “This is the Senate of the Monopolists by the Monopolists and for the Monopolists!”Keppler’s cartoon reflected the phenomenal growth of American industry in the 1880s, but also the disturbing trend toward concentration of industry to the point of monopoly, and its undue influence on politics. This popular perception contributed to Congress’s passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890.
New Directions
Redux
Of all the things I left behind,
I miss the promises the most. You said…
… we’d have a future of unending kisses,
embraces, and stability.
You dangled sweetness
making it seem possible
there was nothing more to fear.
… I deserved all the loving gestures and smiles.
You had me bubbling with joy,
planning a future.
Committing to a lifetime
of being grounded.
… ours was the greatest connection.
You filled me with passion,
left me hungering for more,
always.
As if I could trust you.
… you would show me a love I’d
never had before.
I’d be safe.
I’d be calm
because it was real.
I was naive and young.
And I was wrong.
The ugliness which brought me here
finally revealed itself,
shattering those promises.
Now, I start over.
Peeking In
behold sweet slumber
i smile with love’s affection
wishing you good night
Weary Traveler
There was a lingering human, walking oddly in circles, dazed and seemingly in a stupor. I was too full to try to ingest him. Plus, I felt it would be inappropriate when others hadn’t even had one yet. Instead, my common sense took over, guiding me toward slumber. With a sharp inhale, I rose and found my way to the place assigned to me. I admit, I was feeling some joy after killing the humans, but that wasn’t the point of my long journey. My family had wanted me to sit this battle out, but I wanted some satisfying revenge.
SenHai Saturday #32
Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing!
The image, as described by the photographer, “A moody DC3 plane wreck sits stranded on the vast black sand of Sólheimasandur Beach in Iceland.” The wreckage is white, the background features hazy, dark mountains, and the sky is filled with clouds.
Please create one senryu and one haiku to accompany this image prompt. Remember that a traditional haiku describes nature or a season, while a senryu focuses on human nature and emotions.
Then, provide a link in the comments below or ping back to this post on your blog.
Here is a wrap-up of last week’s prompt. I appreciate each of you for sharing your thoughts!
Ange – SenHai Saturday
Cheryl – Senhai Saturday
Carol Anne – Sen-hai Saturday #31
Eugenia – #SenHai Saturday – 12/20/25
Diana – Simple Tastes
Sara – youngest monkey
Carolyn – SenHai Saturday #31
Indira – SenHai Saturday #31
Sadje – Monkey business
Violet – Thumbs Up
I Write Her 
