Previous Story
Literary Nook
A sonnet for the winter solstice; haikus for Hanukkah
A CNMI Winter Solstice Sonnet
(Winter solstice is Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022)
The sun is coming up, the sun is going down
listen to the sound of rain on banana trees
bright flowers are blooming all over town
enjoy that nice cooling trade wind breeze
after the sun has risen you see that it rose
on its shortest trip through the sky this year
still long enough to burn your face and nose
time for lemon in your tea a tear in your beer
after it sets it is still not yet time for bed
all those things you wanted to do in daylight
but the tilting of the earth you cannot fight
as winter solstice through heaven knocks
I can’t wait for Spring and vernal equinox.
8 Happy Hanukkah Haiku
(Hanukkah is Dec. 18 to Dec. 26)
I wrote this 20 years ago for my students. Chanukkah occurs around the same time as Christmas and is called Festival of Lights. Would you like to know something about Hanukkah? Then read these haiku/senryu.
Temple lamp lit for one night/stayed lit for 8/so we remember.
First night one candle/light a new candle each night/a blessing each day.
Festival of Lights/say “nas gadol haya sham”/for 8 successive days.
Judah Maccabee said/a great miracle happened here/Chanukkah time
8 branch menorah candle lit/temple rededication/on the date 25 Kislev
Hanukkah is complete/with 8 candles lit in the menorah/giving gelt (gold but now chocolate) gifts, potato latkes (pancakes) and song
Spin the top (dredl) now/and sing the song/“savivon sov sov sov, dredl spin spin spin”
Menorah aglow/it is a Jewish holiday
Happy Hanukkah!
***
Joey aka Pepe Batbon Connolly is a retired educator who taught in the CNMI, NOLA, and LVNV. He is a sonnet practitioner who enjoys stargazing.
