I Write Her

SenHai Saturday #13

Published on July 12, 2025July 12, 2025 by Susi Bocks23 Comments

Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing!

The image focuses on a red-capped Amanita muscaria mushroom, with a thick, white stalk, and the cap itself is covered in small white warts. It grows right out of the forest floor, and the background shows us the denseness of trees standing tall, slightly out of focus.

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!

Eugenia – #SenHai Saturday–7/5/25

A.J. – SenHai Saturday

Carolyn – SenHai Saturday #12

Cheryl – Senhai Saturday

Nolcha – Shag and Sheep

Carol Anne – Sen-Hai Saturday (12)

Sara – Green Mountains

Ben – 6.7.25 — Haiku/Senryu

Sadje – Velvety Mountain

Lisa – Green Rolling Hills

Violet – The Sheperd

Destiny – Virid Shades

The Short Of It Update

Published on July 11, 2025July 11, 2025 by Susi Bocks3 Comments

I’ve already received fourteen submissions in the first week. AMAZING! But there is a BUT. I’ve also had to remind eight additional people to PLEASE follow the directions on the Submissions Page. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you don’t follow the submission process as outlined, your work will not be accepted.

**Another Update – I’ve received a total of seventeen now, but unfortunately, four more have been declined for not following the guidelines! I want to emphasize how important it is that you do!

So…

First, go to this LINK…

Second, thoroughly read the rules in that link…

Third, where it says…

Click this hyperlink to take you to the online Submission Form. Due to the amount of work involved in all facets of The Short of It that I’ve done on previous submission cycles, I had to streamline the process. I love what I do with this, but I also don’t want to get burned out from managing all the details the way I have in the past. THIS submission process will work efficiently for you and me, but it won’t if you don’t follow the directions. Please and thank you!

Universal Peace

Published on July 10, 2025July 12, 2025 by Susi Bocks21 Comments

***awmleer – Unsplash.com***
***Inspired by Reena’s Xploration Challenge #389 – Ode to Joy***

solidarity
let us stand against the hate
choose amity now

Another piece from the past echoes my thoughts about our current world concerns.

Achieving Peace

harmonizing the extremes
by channeling in graceful solutions
the art of negotiation
in a world of bad discourse
it’s a delicate dance
of intelligence and compassion
few possess the skills necessary
yet may all leaders learn those
as our world desperately
requires them now

Presented with slight revision, posted originally on IWH 4/26/2018.

Re-Examine

Published on July 9, 2025July 6, 2025 by Susi Bocks15 Comments

be the better parent
in your child’s wanted present
than how you were wronged
in your undeserved past
set them up for success
in what is always a hard-won future

Feeling Safe

Published on July 8, 2025June 28, 2025 by Susi Bocks9 Comments

Redux

I long for the restful places
where the pain
is expelled or soothed
every thought on paper
brings a downturn of
painful emotions
an uplifting
into understanding
and peace
from hurtful emotions
a broadening
of my horizon
when I let go of
expectations
easing into serenity
and calm
finding
my happy place

Originally posted 3/24/2019 on I Write Her 3/24/12019.

Defiant

Published on July 7, 2025July 7, 2025 by Susi Bocks21 Comments

Inspired by What do you see #296

stand at attention!
both observing each other
my dude! just relax

Burning Out

Published on July 6, 2025July 12, 2025 by Susi Bocks17 Comments

***Art Institute of Chicago – Unsplash.com***

i can feel us drift from the magic
our love becoming a relic
the stars once brilliant,
are now dim
the water we swim in
becoming bloody inky
the beast boils within
a demise beginning
it tracks as the light of love extinguishes
no more words will change the truth
no longer the hunter of the exquisite
i confess disillusionment
for this holy union
as i hear the echo of desires long gone
flames wishing to re-ignite
yet dampened by the inability to catch on a spark
a reality experienced by so many of us
over and over
until we just can’t anymore

***Inspired by The Sunday Whirl – Wordle #713***

SenHai Saturday #12

Published on July 5, 2025July 6, 2025 by Susi Bocks30 Comments

Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing!

The scenery in this image is of a mountain range that is covered, looking almost as if it were carpeted with rich, lush fields of moss, bushes, and grassland. In part of the scene, there seems to be a herd of sheep with a person on a horse and a dog keeping every animal together.

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!

Cheryl – SenHai Saturday

Eugenia – #SenHai Saturday–6/28/25

Carolyn – SenHai Saturday #11

Nolcha – Seasons Meet

Veronica – SenHai Saturday #11

Ben – 29.6.25 — Haiku/Senryu

Lisa – Beauty is Fragile

Sadje – Flowers in the lap of mountains

A.J. – SenHai Saturday #11

Violet – Fire Lily

Carol Anne – Sen-Hai Saturday (11)

Fluctuations

Published on July 4, 2025June 29, 2025 by Susi Bocks8 Comments

if time is fluid
so is existence

what was
what is
what we dream
what is a dream
what we dreamt
what are memories
and hopes
and expectations

all we are
and what is achieved
comes at us in waves
washes in, then retreats
one picture frame at a time
then replaced by the here and now
requiring attention

we are existing in moments
of the present intermingled
with events waiting to happen
or in snippets of the past

so what is reality