Category: Contrast and Paradox

• Alive, Still Listening

  Amid the brightness of a New Year’s day, the weight of familiar words returns, echoing the persistence of life and the resilience of the human spirit. This haiku captures the interplay of renewal, memory, and survival.

  I have not yet died—
  On this sunny New Year’s day,
  Those words return still.

  Prompt: Write a reflective piece about hearing words or thoughts that resonate with your persistence or survival, especially during moments of renewal or celebration. How do these echoes shape your journey forward?

  January 1, 2025

  haiku, memory, reflection

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• The Preacher’s Lament

  Beneath the warmth of a sunny day, a voice carries a weighty message: the inevitability of decay. This haiku captures the paradox of light and darkness, hope and despair, in fleeting moments of reflection.

  On a sunny ray,
  A preachy voice came my way—
  Speaking of decay.

  Prompt: Write a short poem or prose piece exploring the contrast between beauty and forewarning. How can something as warm as sunlight carry a message as cold as decay?

  January 1, 2025

  haiku, humanity, light and darkness, nature, reflection

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