Haiku and Wine

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Endless vines flow on
fence posts. Bees kissing blossoms. 
Sticky nectar smooch.

by Christina Finn  (2017)

Throughout New York State — and Upstate in particular — thriving wineries dot the Central New York countryside and the Fingers Lake Region to our West. 

Vineyards awaken
Apple trees blossom anew.
Springtime in Upstate.

Poet: Perri Elizabeth Hogan
Artist: Daniel Shanahan
Series: 2019

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Outside the café
Friends gather by candlelight, 
Words flowing like wine.

by Emily Buchanan (2019)

Typically, from mid-to-late August, to the end of October, wineries are busy harvesting grapes, processing them, and bottling their wines. Sadly, for wine growers in the area, this year’s grape harvest is predicted to be smaller than usual — according to Wine Enthusiast.com, an unexpected and devastating frost in mid-May caused a good deal of damage to crops across the State. 

Old-older-oldest
Summer's eve front porch sitters 
Wine-laughter-gossip

Poet: Dianne Apter
Artist: Kathleen O'Dell
Series: 2019

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At night about nine
Under the moonlight we dine 
Fine food and good wine

by  Pearl Baldwin (2011)

Regardless, though, along with a variety of grapes and locally produced wines, a number of the region’s wineries and small businesses continue to provide wine tasting and guided tours, unique dining experiences, wedding venues and musical entertainment. Click here for more things to do in the Finger Lakes Region.

At Alto Cinco
do as the bartender says:
pinot grigio

Poet: Jane Cassady
Artist: Sarah Anne DiNardo
Series: 2009

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Who builds a city?
Bricks. Sewers. Sidewalks. Light poles. 
Whose hands pick the wine?

by Mary Stanley (2016)

Thanks to CNY Latino Newspaper.com, we received a wonderful poem from Miguel Muller regarding the Finger Lakes Region. While we primarily promote haiku and short poems, Muller’s poem below — translated from Spanish — perfectly fits our Haiku and Wine themed post. Author of a self-published book of poems, An Identity Shared, Muller wrote his vineyard poem after one of his annual trips to The Finger Lakes Region. He states,“….I really believe in NY Wine — especially from The Finger Lakes Region — as a great product and I pay tribute to the hard work of all those who continually labor to make it great.”

“Spirit Of Love”
(Dedicated To All The Workers of The Wineries And Vineyards of The Finger Lakes and Central NY)
 
The Landscape of The Vine.
He receives a kiss from its spirit
every day that opens his eyes.
Every sunrise is a rebirth of the
happy one received when the
grapes swam in the blessings
of their first breath.
 
Bless all the vines, 
the flowers, trees, and the
munificence of the earth.
She carries in her heart a love
for the land of his world
higher than a great mountain range.
 
The Vintner works the land
developing wine for his
management.  She releases the 
fruits, this wine from the
labor of his arms of passion.

For him, she is the goddess of his harvest.
He dedicates his work to her for its rich
cultivation.  She gives it a lot of 
energetic adoration and affection.
With her kisses she washes the crop
that the winegrower’s sweat cultivates.
 
For him, her perfume is like that of a
fragrant grape and the taste on his
lips is the sweetness of the wine
from his labors.

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Do you have a favorite Finger Lakes winery? Or, a favorite wine from CNY grapes? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll share your thoughts in a future post.

Syracuse winters 
drinking wine by the fire -- 
me and my orange cat

by Joan Cofrancesco  (2019)

Whether celebrating a special occasion or just an evening in front of a cozy fire with friends, enjoying a glass of wine can be quite delightful.

Painting with a twist
Friends, laughter, wine and happy 
Fun nights, memories

by Kara McCandless (2018)

To read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. To read more Summer-themed haiku on our Poetry Blog, click HERE. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE — they make great gifts!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku For Summer Skies

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Five goldfinches flit
past fields of purple loosestrife 
up into blue sky.

by Craig Overbeck (2014)

Over green water,
lithe figures dance in the sky― 
Dragonflies in flight

by Joan Dear-Houseman (2018)

Among the many, long-waited joys of Summer, is the singular beauty of the season’s skies. Whether basking in the warm sunshine of a beautiful blue sky, or watching storm clouds hovering at the horizon, Summer skies are uniquely expressive. 

An Ocean Blue Sky…beautifully illustrated by Devyn Passaretti, long-time Syracuse Poster Project poet, Jungtae Lee, reflects on what inspires his writing: “Whenever I write haiku, it’s more about nature. I want to write about what I see. When I see the clouds and the water [at Green Lakes], it just stops me. You want to capture it in words—the way you want to take a picture.”  

An ocean blue sky
floating over cool Green Lakes
A dragonfly dreams

Poet: Jungtae Lee
Artist: Devyn Passaretti
Series: 2016

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Smiling through gray skies
water droplets glisten and
form a rainbow arc

by Mary Jane BeVard (2014)

Sweet saxophone soars
Into the night sky—charming 
tables in the streets

by Mary L. Gardner (2004)

Bright sunlight switches…there are some days when Summer skies can be bright one minute, stormy the next! Acknowledging that we can’t do much about the rain, poet Peter Allen found inspiration when: “….I wrote this following a particularly abrupt weather event at an outdoor concert last summer. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment, I decided to try to express the event in a haiku.” Melquea Smith’s wonderful illustration clearly captures Peter’s haiku!

Bright sunlight switches
to soaking rain—we all run
as saxophone plays.

Poet: Peter Allen
Artist: Melquea Smith
Series: 2020

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Delicate evening
City takes on a soft glow 
Under moonlit sky

by Sheila Forsyth (2003)

Smokey skies, gloomy
haze, eyes sting, windows shut tight.
Venus is orange.

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (2023)

Crescent moon…Artist Geani Sanabria’s wonderful illustration — “….with the moon and the clouds getting close to the earth….[showing] togetherness” — nicely exemplifies poet, Peggy Liuzzi’s, haiku. Like so many of us, Peggy has “…. always been moved by the sight of the new moon in the night sky. This haiku is my attempt to capture that moment in words.”

Crescent moon, hung close
to earth, a silver sliver
caught in smoke—dark clouds

Poet: Peggy Liuzzi
Artist: Geani Sanabria
Series: 2017

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

A quarter moon leans 
against the Syracuse sky 
waiting for the stars

By Jay Cox (2002)

Fireworks in July
Blossoms bursting in the sky 
Diamonds sizzling high

by Silvia de la Garza (2016)

City lights aglow…while fireworks dazzle us on the 4th of July, star-gazing on a clear Summer’s night allows for peaceful reflection. Artist, Alena Sceusa, brilliantly illustrates the thought-provoking haiku below by poet, Travis Bartlett, who writes: “I’ve always taken inspiration from being out under a starry sky. Especially when out in the natural world, looking up at the night-time sky is a great vantage point for admiring all the beauty and creation in the natural world.”

City lights aglow
constellations of mankind
yes, let there be light

Poet: Travis Bartlett
Artist: Alena Sceusa
Series: 2018

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

We hope you’ve enjoyed these haiku for Summer skies. We think you’ll agree: despite the recent smoke and air quality issues drifting into CNY from the Canadian fires, being outdoors, and looking up into a deep blue sky or a clear starry night, is one of the many joys of Summer.

What do you love about Summer skies? Let us know in the comments below! And as always, to read more Summer-themed haiku on our Poetry Blog, click HERE. To read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name anywhere they are highlighted. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE — they make great gifts!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Fair Haiku and a Call For Poetry

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Guests descend buses
Ferris wheel whirls, midway calls 
Great New York State Fair

by Nancy Prosser (Auburn 2019)

It’s that time of year again: 1) The Syracuse Poster Project’s annual invitation to submit haiku and short poems for our 2023 Series is in the mail with an entry deadline of September 30, 2022 and 2) the New York State Fair opens this week and runs through Labor Day!

Extravaganza!
The State Fair kaleidoscope 
days of sights, sounds, tastes

by Ann Gymburch-Schramp (Lee Center 2017)

🎡🎢🎠🍦🐑🐓🐖🐇🐄🎡🎢🎠🍦🐑🐓🐖🐇🐄🎡🎢🎠🍦🐑🐓🐖🐇🐄🎡🎠

Ferris wheel stands tall
Laughter and screams of delight
The New York State Fair

Poet: Alex DeSantis
Artist: Dylan Cownie
Series: 2015

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Sweet butter dripping
Fried Twinkie in other hand, 
Delights of State Fair

by Arlene Quizon (Renton 2018)

Coincidentally, our invitation for the 2023 Series includes an opportunity for poets to write a poem to accompany a ‘reverse poster’ — a special poster created first in order to inspire a poem! This year’s vibrant illustration — “Spirit of Blue Ribbons” — is the result of a wonderful collaboration between the New York State Fair and a 2007 Poster Project alumnus, Lydia Nichols. A former Syracuse University Illustration student, Lydia is an active artist and illustrator in the Syracuse community and was recently highlighted in our “Where Are They Now” Instagram series. To view her website, click HERE; to read our Instagram article, click HERE!

Poet: ____________
Artist: Lydia Nichols
Series: 2023 -- Spirit of Blue Ribbons

You can submit up to three poems inspired by any of this year's list of Ten Syracuse Spirits. We will consider one additional poem to accompany our specially illustrated poster celebrating the New York State Fair. Click here to view the list of spirit prompts.

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Vivid colors and
dazzling lights make for a grand 
State Fair atmosphere.

by Christina Lee (Syracuse 2010)

Fried dough, Midway thrills,
baby pigs, blue ribbon shows, 
State Fair memories

by Deborah Rahalski (Baldwinsville 2018)

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When the Great Fair comes
school cannot be far behind.
Summer ends too soon.


Poet: Lori DiCaprio-Lee
Artist: Keisha Cedeno
Series: 2011

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So, as you meander through the many sights, smells and sounds of the Fair, put your experience into words. See if you can frame your poem with the ‘reverse poster’ in mind, too. Remember, in addition to standard haiku (5, 7, 5 syllables), we will accept other short, three-to-four-line, poems. (What is “short?” Aim for lines no longer than eight words.) And, don’t forget to submit your work by September 30th!

Happy Memories.
The smell of cotton candy. 
Great New York State Fair.

by Teresa Niziolek (Fayetteville 2016)

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Whether or not you’re able to catch some time at the Fair, we hope you enjoy these last few days of August!

Great New York State Fair
Roller coaster memories 
Cotton candy day

by Ricky Maeweather (Syracuse 2016)

If you’d like to submit a haiku or other short poem and you haven’t received our 2023 Call For Poetry brochure and Entry Materials, you can download the brochure HERE and the entry form with the list of spirit prompts HERE. For more details on how to participate with the Syracuse Poster Project, click HERE.

As always, to read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. To read more New York State Fair-related haiku on our Blog, click HERE. If you’d like to purchase one of the two illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the Series Year next to the poster; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE.

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll  for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku For A Sizzling Summer

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Cicadas ring out
The glory of Summer days, 
Crickets praise the nights

by Karl Krohl (Syracuse, 2016)

Through mid-August of this year, we’ve had a sizzling hot Summer here in Central New York. For weeks, high temperatures, sunny days and clear warm nights have been the norm. Though it’s gotten a bit cooler the last couple of days, we’re pretty sure the Cicadas and Crickets are having a delightful Summer!

Like the empty husk–or shell–of a Cicada, the haiku below by Matt Tompkins is a rich play on words. And, of course, the illustration beautifully accompanies his haiku! Matt’s haiku was inspired by “….Syracuse’s faded industrial past and the ways in which its physical remnants—the brick-and-mortar husks of its factories and foundries and warehouses—remain as fertile ground for the city’s current artistic and cultural flourishing. From the university’s arts and literary programs, to the Everson, to ArtRage, to the Redhouse and the Landmark, to the individual studio spaces of working artists, to the Poster Project itself, the city’s creative shoots and artistic climbing vines—its present and artistic handwork and heart work—are rooted in and wrapped around the vestiges of its historic manufacturing body.“

The old cicada
shells of factories lay strewn
with bright new flowers

Poet: Matt Tompkins
Artist: Leah Hennessey
Series: 2021

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Free Summer Concert:
crickets in black tuxedos 
playing violins.

by Martin Willitts, Jr. (Syracuse, 2017)

Early Summer lawns of bright green have turned dusty and brown in the hot weather, and the sweet sound of Goldfinches feeding around the birdfeeder have been drowned out by the dull hum of air conditioners. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the Cicadas and Crickets from singing — loudly.

Buzzing up above
Cicadas in the treetops
Shower me with songs.

Poet: Craig Overbeck
Artist: Rachel Barry
Series: 2014

For poet Craig Overbeck, “....I love haiku because it's a cool challenge to capture an entire moment in 17 syllables. I often compose haiku in my head when I’m running. That’s how this one came about. I was running at Green Lakes, under the trees in July, and the cicadas provided the singing.”

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The night is buzzing
The cicadas sing their song 
My heart knows the words

by Leora Sapon-Shevin (Syracuse, 2013)

One of the unique features of haiku is its spare use of words all the while creating an image. As evoked in the wonderful haiku poster illustrated below, the poet Martin Walls has created an “….equivalency between the sound of the cicadas and the sound of the lights humming on.”  

Fizz of Cicadas
slows as evening cools--lights hum 
on in Armory

Poet: Martin Walls
Artist: James Ryan
Series: 2002 

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Summer symphony
Crickets, cicadas, tree frogs... 
Trill in harmony

by Pearl Popiak (Syracuse, 2020)

Throughout this dry Summer, trying to keep cool has been a challenge. Thank goodness for relatively low humidity, pleasant evenings and all kinds of outdoor music to keep us moving!

Vanessa Castillo’s illustration below colorfully fits poet Joe Sarnicola’s lyrical haiku below. When writing this haiku, Joe “….was hoping to combine my love of the form of haiku poetry with my love of music in a poem that honored Syracuse. I have been to the Jazz in the City concerts, so I tried to reflect the rhythmic elements of jazz in the rhythmic elements of my poem.” 

Clinton Square back beat
to a twelve—bar—blues rhythm
Jazz in the City

Poet: Joe Sarnicola
Artist: Vanessa Castillo
Series: 2016

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The hottest Summer
will soon be forgotten when 
the winter winds blow

by Peter Allen (Syracuse, 2020)

As August begins to cool down — at last, sadly — the songs of this sizzling Summer will soon quiet down. But, until then, we hope you enjoy the many remaining days of this splendid Summer!

Essence of August
Peach juice dribbling down my chin
Crickets sing all night

by Mark Calicchia (Nunda, 2020)

To read more about each poet and artist listed here, click on their name where highlighted. To read more Summer-inspired haiku on our Blog, click HERE. If you’d like to purchase one of the illustrated posters featured on this post, click on the Series Year next to the poster; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE.

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

☀️🦋 Summer Inspired Haiku

Gossamer flutter
Pushes the soft Summer air
Lands on petals fair

by Sally Hendee (Fair Haven 2013)

Last week, the Summer Solstice blew in on fairly warm breezes. So far, as is usual with the start of Summer, we’ve had a fair mix of thunderous rain storms and warm sunny days. Regardless of the weather though, what better way to express the joys of Summer than through haiku and art!

As we’ve noted before on these pages, inspiration for writing haiku and other forms of poetry can be had when paying close attention to what’s around you. Summer is special in that it showcases the many wonders of Mother Nature not necessarily seen during the cold days of Winter. For poet Martin Walls, inspiration for his haiku below was dressed in blue:

“I was driving along Onondaga Lake Parkway, and I saw a blue heron land. It’s a spectacular sight, because they are such large birds and so uniquely constructed….in my collection of poems I use an image in which I compare the heron….to an umbrella, because they have the delicate, angular and clumsy structure of that object. They seem no more than bones and feathers. This time the heron stretched its huge wings and immediately the phrase “city-wide” came to mind—and there was the sudden “panning out”—close observation to expansive—that my haiku needed.”

Blue heron stretches
City wide wings—Summer haze
Settles on the lake

Poet: Martin Walls
Artist: Vanessa Lauria
Series: 2003

🌼☀️🏊🍉🌼🏖️🦋☀️🐞🍉🚴☀️🌼

Look, it is raining.
Now we're dancing in the street.
Oh what summer fun.

by Jacquelyn Green (Syracuse 2015)

For many, Summer is a time to relax and reflect and to simply enjoy the sights and sounds around us. It’s also all about being outdoors and staying active. For artist Meaghan Arbital:

“….[Rosalyn’s] haiku….was appealing because it elicits feelings of a beautiful summer day in Syracuse. Sipping warm coffee with the sun on my face and listening to the birds outside sounded like food for the soul….I want[ed] the illustration to evoke feelings of calm, warm comfort and happiness. The sun is such an important part of our health, whether we realize it or not. We should always make time to get a little sun on our faces, even when it seems to be hiding in the winter. Taking a moment to relax with a warm drink, enjoying the quiet, or some nice music, goes a long way towards wellness.”

Coffee in hand, I
watch the sun dance through the trees.
I drink in birdsong.

Poet: Rosalyn M. Carroll
Artist: Meaghan Arbital
Series: 2020

🌼☀️🏊🍉🌼🏖️🦋☀️🐞🍉🚴☀️🌼

At the old ballgame
night sky explodes with colors—
children's eyes get big.

by Nicholas Petrone (Syracuse 2013)

Summer sports, camping out, swimming and vacationing are front and center for many of us this time of year, too. Poet Peter DeBlois reflects on his haiku:

“This haiku honors the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Long House, who taught us how to play lacrosse, how to govern, and how to relate to nature….The poem begins with a soft dawn image in the Onondaga hills and ends with the bracing sharp crack of two hickory wood lacrosse sticks echoing through crisp morning air and traveling out, like Oren Lyons, with an invitation to engage indigenous values and the land.”

Smoke threads over a
Haudenosaunee sunrise,
two lacrosse sticks crack.

Poet: Peter DeBlois
Artist: Tyler Bates Hill
Series: 2016

🌼☀️🏊🍉🌼🏖️🦋☀️🐞🍉🚴☀️🌼

Music on the shore
A crisp new amphitheater
Cool breeze, relaxing

by Michael Brigandi(Syracuse 2015)

It wouldn’t be Summer without outdoor concerts, neighborhood gatherings, ethnic festivals and craft shows! As Poet Audia Denton reflects on her haiku below:

“….[my] summer haiku was about music and the wonderful summer concert series that Syracuse puts on. Although I was thinking about music in general, the Blues is one of my favorite genres and the Jazz Fest is one of the biggest concerts in the summertime.”

Sensuous summers
Jazz—Blues, waft by eager ears
Sway Syracuse, sway

Poet: Audia Denton 
Artist: Katherine Mills
Series: 2011

🌼☀️🏊🍉🌼🏖️🦋☀️🐞🍉🚴☀️🌼

Cumulus clouds float 
in a deep-blue sky—downtown 
petunias in bloom. 

by Jay Cox (Pompey 2001)

Of course, there are countless ways that Summer inspires and comforts us. For Poet Christina Finn, fond memories from “simple lakeside living” inspired her haiku below. For Artist William Padgett:

“….I went deep from Finn’s verbal cues, especially “positioned dutifully / worship mother sun,” which took me back to one of the first times people worshiped the sun at STONEHENGE and then brought it to where we are today with CHAIRHENGE, still worshipping.”

Adirondack chairs
positioned dutifully
worship Mother Sun

Poet: Christina Finn
Artist: William Padgett
Series: 2020

What inspires you about Summer? How does Summer inspire your writing and art?

To read more about each poet and artist listed here, click on their name where highlighted. To read more Summer-related haiku on our Blog, click HERE. If you’d like to purchase one of the illustrated posters featured on this post, click on the Series Year next to the poster; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE.

Enjoy a good Summer!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku for a Summer’s End

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Summer’s end is often bittersweet, isn’t it? The warm days, without the need of a jacket, quickly become a distant memory as the thermometer gradually drops to the low 50’s by mid- September. While sweaters replace shorts and flip-flops, the deep green leaves of the Geraniums turn yellow and the familiar sing-song of crickets begins to fade as windows close tight against chilly nights.

Ruby dragonfly
alights on the garden gate
Summer still lingers

by Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (Syracuse 2015)

No doubt you’ve noticed this slow change over the last few weeks, beginning with the pale sun rising later and later to mark the start of the day to its setting in the West way too soon in the early evening.

Owl hooted at Dawn
as she tucked in the Moon and
Stars — Morning rose Blue

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius 2020)

Aside from the date on the calendar–and children going back to school–there are other signs in Nature reminding us that this Summer of COVID-19 is coming to an end.

Overhead a skein
of honking geese stitch clouds in
gray and downy quilts

by Mary Taitt (Grosse Pointe Farms 2001)

Other signs of this colorful change in season include the multitude of farm stands that have cropped up (no pun intended) on country roads and on city streets.

mums, melon, mushrooms
Summer’s bountiful buffet–
bustling farm market.

by Evelyn Ayers-Marsh (Syracuse 2001)

When you think about it, this time of year is the only time in Central New York that you can enjoy sun-sweetened corn-on-the-cob and plump red, farm-grown tomatoes!

tomato-warmed palm,
teeth tear, taste ray’s explosion.
Sliced sunlight on bread.

by Rachael Ikins (Baldwinsville 2016)

The end of Summer is also elephant-high sunflowers and cornfields. It is golden bales of hay laying round and full on plowed-under fields. From our 2020 Series, our featured haiku poster deftly illustrates such a scene. The richly-worded haiku was written by Philip Nast and the colorfully detailed poster was illustrated by Tammra Cook.

yellow rounds of hay / cast shadows in stubbled field / sun slips behind hills

Perhaps one of the most telling signs that Summer is making its exit is the quiet at the bird feeder. As our feathered friends leave us for warmer climates, their departure ushers in the golden beauty of the Autumnal Equinox. They leave us with warm and cheerful memories along with the promise of new beginnings and peaceful days ahead.

Hummingbirds fly South
signaling Summer’s Swan Song
and Autumn arrives.

by Mark Calicchia (Letchworth State Park 2020)

A change of season, a change of light — what strikes you the most during these days of change? Let us know in the comments below or send us a haiku!

Be well and stay safe!

Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

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Haiku For Social Distancing

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With the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns this past March, our lives have taken on a new normal. In some respects, by slowing down a bit these last several months, some things seem new again this Summer.

Listen: among gray
towering buildings, summer
crickets serenade.

by Mary Taitt (Grosse Pointe Farms 2001)

Along with directives on wearing masks and proper hand washing, we’ve added new terms to our vocabulary, such as self-quarantine and social distancing.

As summer sun sets,
ethereal realms emerge.
Firefly festival

by Michael McCollumn (Manlius 2013)

Despite signage with clever slogans everywhere you turn, staying 6 feet apart from each other has certainly been challenging—particularly when it’s been such a lovely Summer!

two blue dragonflies
settle into canal reeds –
uninhibited

by Karl Krohl (Syracuse 2013)

During this crisis, as we try to do our best to protect each other by following the rules of engagement, as it were, don’t look to the birds at your bird feeder for any guidance on how to do this…

Sunflower faces
A swoosh of yellow and black:
Goldfinch dinnertime

by Ellen Barnes Syracuse 2014

…or those sassy turtles who’ve emerged from murky depths for some sunshine…

Black armored turtles
Lie six to a limb, sunning
Erie beach party

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius 2016)

….and certainly, don’t ask any of the other wild creatures buzzing about on a warm, Summer’s night!

Summer night concert
black crickets on violins
bullfrogs on bassoons

by Martin Willitts Jr. Syracuse 2014

Of course, Mother Nature’s resistance to social distancing is easy to understand — it’s clearly not in her vocabulary! This is beautifully depicted in a poster from our 2020 Series. The delightful haiku was written by Sheila Forsyth and the wonderful poster was created by Amy Cunningham-Waltz. Find more of Amy’s stunning artwork here.

Lingering summer / Light fades—fireflies check in for / the evening shift

Pandemic or no, this Summer will end way too quickly. So, whether you’re working remotely or taking a well-deserved staycation at home, drink up the wonderful sights and sounds of August before they’re gone! And….”be smart, stay 6-feet apart”….

Days fly by—like wind,
like rain, like snowflakes—jewels
that melt on your tongue

by Craig Overbeck (Fayetteville 2019)

Stay Well!

Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

A Haiku Nod to Sunflowers

As the end of Summer draws near, sturdy Sunflowers still stand shoulder high.  While their full-seeded heads seem to be nodding, Farewell, their brilliant shades of yellow add a unique dimension to the colorful arrival of Autumn.  

From our archives, we found some Sunflower-themed haiku to share with you–what better way to show our appreciation for this beautiful flower that bridges Summer into Autumn!

Brilliant sunflowers                                                                                                                                       cast against slate sky, red birds                                                                                                                       fly in for dinner                                                                                                                                                                          by Sheila Forsyth (Fayetteville 2008)

 Lofty sunflowers                                                                                                                                             arrayed in golden splendor                                                                                                                           heads above the rest                                                                                                                                                            by Sharon Rorer (Syracuse 2007)

Van Gogh Sunflowers                                                                                                                                      paint themselves across the fields                                                                                                                  Camillus, New York                                                                                                                                                           by Joan Cofrancesco (Camillus 2009)

From our 2010 Syracuse Poster Project Series, our featured haiku poster was written by Claire Bobrycki and illustrated by former Syracuse University student, Catherine LaPointe, now a children’s book illustrator and graphic designer–see more of her wonderful work here.

Blue Moon, Big Dipper / Sunflowers under porch lights / Peace on the South Side

We conclude with three more gems:

Sunflowers drooping                                                                                                                                      looking for a warm embrace                                                                                                                        oh, where is the sun?                                                                                                                                                                   by Kelly Bargabos (Syracuse 2010)

Sunflower faces                                                                                                                                               a swoosh of yellow and black:                                                                                                                        goldfinch dinnertime                                                                                                                                                               by Ellen Barnes (Syracuse 2014)

A smile on your face                                                                                                                                         is brighter than sunflowers                                                                                                                         at the farmer’s stand                                                                                                                                                                  by Jungtae Lee (Syracuse 2006)

We hope you’ve enjoyed our brief tribute to the Sunflower! What do you see when you gaze upon a Sunflower?  

The End of Summer “Daze” or It’s Labor Day Already!

The end of August can be somewhat bittersweet: The warm, lazy days of Summer are slowly becoming a sweet memory.  Parents, students and teachers are gearing up for a new school year to begin and college campuses have already begun conducting classes.  Baseball season is winding down while high school soccer games and football practice are largely underway. But, even though the Great New York State Fair and Labor Day officially mark the end of the Summer season, Summer stays with us until September 21!  Days remain mostly warm and sunny, the nights a bit cooler.  And, although tall, golden-eyed Sunflowers have settled back home facing East, there remain colorful songbirds at the feeder and the hum of cicadas and crickets are still lulling us to sleep.    

This time of year clearly resonates with many of our haiku contributors who savour this slow transition to Autumn.  Sheila Forsyth’s (Fayetteville 2014) haiku says goodbye to Summer with a beautiful image:

Evening cricket plays                                                                                                                                                        farewell to Summer on its                                                                                                                                              hind leg violin

As does Ellen Barnes’ (Syracuse 2014) haiku:

  Sunflower faces                                                                                                                                                                  A swoosh of yellow and black:                                                                                                                                       Goldfinch dinnertime

And, Jay Cox (Pompey 2010) pays homage to Summer’s end with this expansive and thoughtful haiku:

Monarch butterflies                                                                                                                                                          dance with fading wildflowers                                                                                                                                     as the sun slides low

We wanted to share with you a series of delightful haiku posters from our collection which clearly display these final “daze” of Summer.  Enjoy!

Hitchcock and Cassetti

DiCaprio-Lee and Cedeno

Walls and Ryan

From our 2009 Series, Artist: Q. Cassetti and Poet: David Hitchcock who writes: “Although I’m often inspired by the interplay of sound and thought, I also write about my own experiences and try to put into words memories that will resonate with others. In these poems, I want people to say, “Yes, I remember that feeling.”  I also think a little humor can open them to thoughts that they may not have had otherwise. So here the poem opens with a little humor, two puns in four words. Then it becomes slightly nostalgic, remembering summer as a child, and how fast it goes, and how baseball games and swimming can remind us of that time. There’s all that in just three little lines.

Chiefly close to home, / catching fast flying Summer / in a baseball mitt.

From our 2011 Series, Artist: Keisha Cedeno and Poet: Lori DiCaprio-Lee:

When the Great Fair comes / school cannot be far behind / Summer ends too soon

From our 2002 Series,  Poet: Martin Walls and Artist: James Ryan, now an Illustration teacher in Central Massachusetts:

Fizz of cicadas / Slows as evening cools—lights hum / On in Armory Square

 

Summer’s Small Treasures

Summer.  Long days.  Blue skies.  Bright evening stars.  Among its simple pleasures: the sweet cacophony of birdsong, the laughter of children playing, the chirping of crickets lulling us to sleep.

Many of our archived haiku reflect these simple joys of Summertime.  Here are a few of them!

Syracuse Poster Project haiku contributor, Dianne Apter (Syracuse 2011) offers up a delightful poem which warmly embraces one such Summer treasure – the company of friends:

  Old-older-oldest                                                                                                                                                                Summer’s eve front porch sitters                                                                                                                                  Wine-laughter-gossip

And, Jacquelyn Green’s (Syracuse) 2015 haiku cheerfully evokes a Summer treasure that never gets old:

 Dreaming of Summer.                                                                                                                                                 Double Dutch, hopscotch and friends.                                                                                                                          Good times and laughing.

For some, nothing says Summer like chasing Fireflies!  Their magical flight, on a starry Summer night, can still take us by surprise.  As part of our 2015 Syracuse Poster Project collection, our featured poster beautifully reflects a childhood we can still remember when we chased a brightly lit Firefly.  Eloquently written in 2014 by frequent contributor, Thomas Stock, this charming poster was illustrated by former Syracuse Illustration Student, Sophia Openshaw, now a freelance illustrator from Annapolis, Maryland.  

Fireflies blink brightly / Caught in jars of summer dreams / Where I once left them.

We’ll leave you with this 2014 haiku by Syracuse native and poet, Martin Willitts, Jr.  He writes vividly of another Summer treasure which certainly cannot be denied:

 Summer night concert                                                                                                                                               Black crickets on violins                                                                                                                                                  Bullfrogs on bassoons

What do you treasure about Summertime? Let us know in the comment section below or on our Facebook page! And, don’t forget, if you see a poster you would like to own for your home or office, visit our Shop page!

Stay Cool!