Nathan Lowell (he/him) 📎

Professional teller of tales

I write the books I want to read but can't find.

he/him

#selfpublishing #sff #dailyhaikuprompt #bookstodon #fountainpens

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Last Notes

2026-10-29 12:27:48 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A good night and quiet morning. Oh, and fresh coffee.
I've learned to value these small things. The ones I looked past in the pursuit of whatever it might have been at the time.
I still do that.
Overlook what's right in front of me while reaching for something else.
In my dotage, I find more comfort these common things that I've overlooked. Trying to make amends with them, maybe.
May you find some small comfort in your day #today

2026-10-28 13:34:41 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Every day I create two things with words. It's seldom profound. Sometime banal. Often just a pin in the day that says "I am here."
Each of the things has a guiding principle.
This post has to be 500 characters, something real, and potentially positive.
The haiku is a poem that uses the exact prompt for the day.
These aren't limits. They're frames. They're focus points to quiet the noise.
I hope you can quiet some of the noise in your day #today

2026-10-27 12:40:07 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A quiet start so far. Woke ahead of the alarm and turned the tables on the cat by waking him instead this morning.
An open docket today, populated only by the wood and water tasks around which my life revolves.
How shall I spend it?
Frivolously and with abandon, waving a two-handed single-fingered salute to John Calvin and all his ilk.
No, not really, but it felt good to say it.
Still, I hope you find some joy (and humor) in your day #today

2026-10-26 12:51:23 UTC

heads bowed and waiting
seeds long vanished from the stalks
gray, withered grasses
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-25 13:11:26 UTC

just a few at first
then suddenly all at once
red maple leaves fall
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-25 13:08:14 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A lovely, quiet morning. Unhurried. Settling in like the beginning of a good book with a nice cuppa on the side.
I've strayed from my script already, but it doesn't matter. Perhaps more accurate to say "it mattered more than the script."
That's a good feeling to bring to a morning where I've things to do but nothing actually pressing me to do them. Just a comfy path that lead to getting them done.
May you find a comfortable path through your day #today

2026-10-24 12:49:54 UTC

polished and gleaming
holding autumn in your hand
one perfect apple
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-24 12:37:59 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Another quiet morning. I'd like to think it's because I've tempered my expectations and curbed my run-away impulses.
I'd be wrong, but I still like to think it.
More accurate to say I've learned to savor these moments when they occur. To note the all too rare stillness inside.
Maybe by recognizing them, I might see them more often so I can bask in that all too brief period of peace before the day begins.
May you find a moment of peace in your day #today

2026-10-23 12:31:27 UTC

Do you enjoy being outdoors, and if so, does it have an impact on your creativity?
I do enjoy being outdoors. I enjoyed it more in my younger days but even in my dotage, I try to get out a few times a week. Mostly it's just my morning ramble around the neighborhood.
I miss the pine woods and rocky shores of my youth. Camping with an actual tent. Cooking on a fire.
I've become too curmudgeonly to deal with fellow campers cramped together in the parks and too frail to venture into the wilds on my own.
But even when bound by concrete walks and paved roads, nature still happens. Seasons shift. Geese fly. Blue jays scold. Squirrels scamper and rabbits huddle hoping to be unseen. The wild grasses and escaped grains still prosper in ever smaller patches but still return year after year.
And it's half an hour when I'm unplugged and can think my own thoughts.
So yeah. It helps.
#ScribesAndMakers

2026-10-23 12:12:00 UTC

twisted spruces grow
on desolate mountain tops
high on rocky slopes
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-23 12:03:24 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A quiet morning after a few that started not so quietly. Feels good to have a few moments to breathe before the day ramps up.
That's not to say I don't have wood to chop and water to carry. I just don't have to break out the axe and bucket just yet.
I've a few moments to savor my coffee and consider my Practice. It's been a while since I gave that any thought. In these waning days of the year, maybe I should.
May your day start well and slowly #today

2026-10-22 13:50:13 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A busy day ahead. Extra tasks on the schedule.
One of those days where I need to keep an eye on the clock because I've commitments to others. Everything should fit, but we know how things go.
Some days are like that.
I use timers a lot on days like this. I've a tendency to go "head down" into something and forget that there's more than just the task in front of me.
I hope the parts of your day all fit together smoothly #today

2026-10-21 12:45:34 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
My morning has been invaded by another early riser! The quiet time before the day begins? Vanished.
So? The day won't go to plan. Derailed from the start.
So what. It's a morning. I can make it a bad one by bemoaning the incursion or I can decide that having company before coffee isn't the end of the world.
Maybe something in between.
Point is, I get to choose my reaction.
I choose joy.
With just a little slice of regret.
I hope you choose joy #today

2026-10-20 11:54:51 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Just not right now. With 90 minutes until sunrise, I think I can afford a few minutes of just sitting with my coffee.
The house is quiet. Even the cat is still asleep. There's nothing urgent. Nothing so important that it can't wait a little.
Sure, there's wood to chop and water to carry. Later.
My coffee's hot. My chair, comfortable.
For now, it's enough.
May you find enough in your day #today

2026-10-19 12:43:57 UTC

red apples gleaming
hanging heavy on the branch
ripe for the picking
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-18 11:12:17 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I'm rushing this morning. I'm cramming the morning routine into as small a box as possible, because I'm looking forward to what comes next.
Kinda self-defeating, if I'm honest with myself.
The morning routine is the foundation of the day. The time I have to just be me before I have to be whatever the day needs.
But I think this morning, I need more than a foundation.
I hope your foundation is solid enough #today

2026-10-17 11:21:23 UTC

tattered scarecrow stands
straw leaking from its clothing
empty sleeve waving
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-17 11:17:08 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
An early start on a chilly morning. I'll need to bundle up on my walk this morning.
A short night but restful. Those are much nicer than long and troubled. The days are frustrating enough as they unfold without having night time holdovers starting the day on the back foot.
A weekend of family activity for the most part. As always there's wood to chop, water to carry but also some smiles and laughter.
I hope your day has some laughter in it #today

2026-10-16 12:29:02 UTC

a few leaves fallen
just a hint of things to come
a small reminder
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-16 12:26:45 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A bit of catch-up needed to pick up the tasks I dropped yesterday while spending time with the family.
We each tend to live in our own little worlds. It's rare that we come together. When we do, we tend to wallow in it. As we did yesterday.
So I've some extra wood to chop, the water jar is empty, but nobody starved or was fed to the wolves. We'll start the morning with smiles and warm feelings.
I hope your day starts as well #today

2026-10-15 14:01:11 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
For years I tried to walk my 2 mile loop every day. It helps with my glucose and bone density, among other things.
But I kept failing. Some months, only walking 2 or 3 times. Or not at all.
Those failures bred more failure.
I shifted my thinking. If I can't do 60 miles a month, how much can I do? How much is enough?
Funny how a shift in perspective can change things.
I hope your perspective shows you what you want to see #today

2026-10-14 11:59:05 UTC

wild blueberry pie
smelling of summer barrens
fresh from the oven
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-14 11:56:08 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A dark and dreary morning. Nothing special on the docket. A day for a hot breakfast and an early walk to beat the rain.
I've got wood to chop, water to carry, as always. And a few minutes to sit and listen to the fan noises that pass for silence in my house.
I remember silence like I remember the sea. Neither of which I've visited in years, but still remember while I listen to the fans.
I hope you have some precious memories to visit #today

2026-10-13 12:38:42 UTC

caught in the middle
between sun rise and full moon
gold and silver day
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-13 12:35:00 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A much quieter day. A minimum load day. The kind where I have the usual things to do but nothing that needs to be done right now.
There's laundry that can wait until tomorrow, but it's such a low key thing I may do it anyway.
I've breakfast to fix and a walk to take. A book that needs my writing in it and another that I'll read.
For the first day at level 74, probably the best day I could think of.
Here's hoping your day treats you well #today

2026-10-12 11:18:41 UTC

autumn's light breezes
memories of summers past
rustling in dried reeds
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-12 11:15:16 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
An early morning, perhaps because of a late one yesterday. I'm not used to getting that much sleep.
A busy day with a couple of extra chunks of wood to chop before day's end.
Beyond that, I'm hoping for a quiet, unassuming day dressed comfortably for the warm weather. I'm not so much interested in the day's style as long as it's comfy.
I'll just have to see what day comes to call.
I hope your day visits with no unpleasant happenings at your door #today

2026-10-11 14:02:35 UTC

hunter's moon setting
leaving clear blue autumn skies
a new day's dawning
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-11 13:53:50 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I'm starting late this morning. Most mornings I'm up at 5. This morning? 7:15.
Getting an 8 hour night is a rare gift. One that brings me a little extra calmness these days instead of an instant sense that I've somehow wasted part of the day.
I've still got the same wood to chop. It will be enough. A Sunday so even fewer extra tasks that need attention.
For once, a real day of rest.
I hope you get a real day of rest #today

2026-10-10 11:29:04 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A normal Saturday here. Nothing extra beyond the norm.
Always wood and water. Some days have more wood. Others more water.
An early start. Two hours until sunrise and the house is quiet. Some time to sit and sip. Think about nothing important.
I'll make breakfast soon. Read some. Maybe write some. I'll have some play time later when the wood is stacked.
I hope you can have a little play time in your day #today

2026-10-09 13:23:08 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A groggy morning after a long restless night. Slow to wake. Struggling against the night's hangover.
I have some coffee and some time. No need to go haring off chasing the dawn.
Yeah. Unpleasant out of the gate but the day's familiar shape will smooth out soon. I've plans for breakfast and an extra task later.
For now? I've got coffee and time to find my feet. It's enough.
I hope you find your feet easily #today

2026-10-08 12:30:00 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A chop wood, carry water day. Just a day ending in Y.
I ticked a few boxes yesterday. I can see some modest progress. I have some more to do. There are always more.
Seems like a rule. As soon as you get one thing done, there's at least one more. Sometimes more.
That's over and above the wood and water stuff. The things that need constant attention.
Must be because I'm still alive. Fair enough.
I hope your deals are all fair #today

2026-10-07 11:32:37 UTC

when cool breezes blow
in autumn's sweater weather
comfort found in wool
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-07 11:10:49 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Taking the morning out of order this morning. My carefully crafted timeline already gone higgledy-piggledy.
How ever shall I survive this chaos?
Easily. The morning is mine to do with as I like and if I choose to have my morning think before I do my morning read? So be it.
Look at me being a rebel anchovy.
Some mornings, I just can't follow the pattern. And that's okay.
May you find your inner anchovy #today

2026-10-06 12:20:37 UTC

stretching in the sun
shifting in the autumn breezes
old oaks groan softly
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-06 12:14:17 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
It's noisy in my head this morning. More than just the tinnitus. My attention span seems to be measured in seconds.
At my age, ADHD is an old friend who knocks on the door too frequently to be ignored but whose presence no longer disturbs me. It's just another feature of the day, like rain or Monday.
We'll share a cup of coffee and move on.
Sometimes acceptance isn't defeat.
May your day be a little quieter than mine #today

2026-10-05 11:42:08 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I feel unsettled this morning. Like maybe a solid night's sleep was not quite enough.
But I'm here for the day to come. Doing the morning routine as I have done for months now. A well worn groove in the carpet of my day.
Sometimes the repetition grates on me. Most days I know that these first few steps can make the difference between a good day and a bad one.
I just need to keep going.
I hope you can at least keep going #today

2026-10-03 12:40:16 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A solid night behind me and a quiet day ahead. I have a few things to do. Mostly wood and water tasks.
Saturday morning cartoon day. I've a good book in progress. Another that I'm trying to write. A game that takes up too much of my head space.
I have a new soup recipe to try this evening.
But for now, the house is quiet. The hurdy-gurdy hasn't started playing and I don't have to dance.
May your day start softly and continue comfortably #today

2026-10-02 11:46:47 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
The best kind of quiet morning. One with no obligations pressing me to launch into the day. One where I can sit with the quiet and let myself just breathe for a few minutes.
A few minutes is enough. More than that and I get restless, eager to move into the morning.
The difference between being pressed and feeling eager makes a world of difference.
I like living in that world.
I hope you like living in your world, whatever it might be, #today

2026-10-01 18:51:18 UTC

My audio people let me know that one of my audio books is on sale for the month of October.
They asked me to tell you.
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Wizards-Butler-Audiobook/1774248654
Thanks for coming to my TEDx talk.

2026-10-01 13:35:48 UTC

sprouting on my lawn
appearing without fanfare
mushrooms after rain
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-10-01 13:32:16 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A late start to the new month. I had such high hopes for last month. They failed to appear.
Which is both the truth and an admission.
They were things I needed to do, but didn't. No surprise that they didn't just appear.
I got some good Practice in. Remembered how it used to work. Made some progress on the WIP.
Reinforced my understanding of kayak thinking.
I won't get where I want to go if I don't paddle.
May your month get off to a good start #today

2026-09-30 11:41:25 UTC

chilly autumn dawn
beginning sweater season
refreshing the soul
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-30 11:33:19 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Tight morning schedule backstopped by an 8am dental appointment.
I still need to get All The Things done but I want to get them done before I sit in the big chair.
There is time if I can focus.
That's always the challenge. Focus.
Getting it. Keeping it. Recovering it when it wavers.
I feel like The Little Engine That Could this morning
I think I can ...
May your focus stay centered on what's important to you #today

2026-09-29 13:18:48 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Up before sunrise but moving slowly. The house still quiet and I have coffee. Breakfast soon, then a walk outside.
A homely day of regular tasks. Laundry, cooking. Reading, writing.
I'll play, probably a lot.
A new recipe to try for dinner. I'm looking forward to it.
I used to dislike these quiet days where nothing happens. Lately I've come to treasure them for the peace they bring.
May you find some peace in your day #today

2026-09-28 12:04:21 UTC

before winter comes
ephemeral emerald
a last dragonfly
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-28 11:57:49 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I need a nap.
Funny way to start the day, but after a second restless night in a row, I'm glad I don't have anything on my list that will require sharp and attentive brain activity.
Or fine motor control.
Maybe it's my body telling me something.
Or maybe my mind needs more exercise during the day to tire it out so it's not looking around the bedroom at 2am for mischief to get into.
Deep breath. I can do this.
I hope you're up to your challenges #today

2026-09-26 10:51:35 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
An early, early morning. Two hours before sunrise.
I don't know why but I feel like I can breathe more easily in the dark before the dawn. Nothing that needs to be done. No phones ringing.
An obligation on my part to feed only the quiet parts. Perhaps to think. To dream.
Shall I write? Shall I read? Shall I put on my headphones and listen to music?
Maybe.
But right now is enough.
I hope your dawn breaks peacefully when it comes #today

2026-09-25 11:33:46 UTC

in verdant green beds
autumn's red dahlias wake
with crimson splashes
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-24 11:29:38 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A blinking awake, do I have to morning following a night so broken all I can find are left over shards.
Answer for most of the day is "No. I don't have to."
There are some things - wood and water - that need doing but I don't mind them. They're just folded into my Practice now. I hardly notice.
Some others, though? Yeah, no.
Hope you can sift your day for the bits you want to keep #today

2026-09-23 11:55:25 UTC

chrsanthemums bloom
jewels in autumn's palette
before the leaves turn
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-23 11:48:40 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I started the morning early. Listened to some music before digging in. Not much. One really great performance of a classic song.
Ephemeral. Never to be repeated.
Like the day.
An hour before sunrise, what might this one bring? What might I bring to it?
No great, Earth-changing thing.
Something simple. Real. Honest.
A day of wood chopped well, water gathered with gratitude maybe.
That's enough.
May your day be enough for you #today

2026-09-22 11:46:50 UTC

equinox moment
but only for a second
a knife's edge balance
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-22 11:42:55 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Slow, out of focus start is still a start.
I've things I want to accomplish this morning and I've made little progress toward them in the last hour.
Some days are like that.
The challenge is keeping this slow start from turning the day into a non-starter all together.
It's only the first hour. The sun isn't even up yet. It's way too early to give up on the day.
I hope you don't let a slow start stand in your way #today

2026-09-20 13:52:17 UTC

single seagull's quill
seven shells that once held snails
seaside memories
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-20 13:25:55 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Oh. Hi.
I kinda lost my way right out of the box this morning. Not distracted as much as "took a wrong turn" and realized I wasn't where I needed to be.
That's okay. It's still early. I just needed to find the path and get back on it.
Some days are like this. A bit scattered. A little confusing. I don't always do the things I need/want to.
It's enough to do them most of the time.
I'm good with enough.
I hope you get enough #today.

2026-09-11 13:00:43 UTC

soft autumn evening
cool breezes whisper to the pines
waning moon rises
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-11 12:55:30 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Very rough start but little on the agenda. The sun is getting ahead of me, but the temperatures aren't beastly yet.
Some morning just don't flow smoothly. They stutter and jerk. Stop for a minute and then rush ahead a half hour.
These mornings I just hold on and ride it through to the end.
The afternoon might not be any better but that's what tomorrow is for.
I hope your day started well and progresses smoothly #today

2026-09-09 12:14:36 UTC

good morning, sparrow
singing your little heart out
hidden in the bush
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-09 11:59:52 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Busy day ahead. Lots of back and forth. Lots of different things happening. So lots of distractions.
I expect stuff to get dropped.
Some days are like that. I can stress over it or I can roll with it.
It's my day. I can treat it the way I want.
I choose joy.
Or at least "roll with it."
I hope you can choose how you'll treat your day #today

2026-09-07 11:27:38 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A short night. Unsettled dreams. A rough start but considering the wood and water I need to deal with this morning, probably just as well to get a jump on it.
The month's project saw no progress yesterday. I need to pick up where I left it and continue.
In a kayak I don't move unless I paddle.
Although, sometimes, just drifting is enough.
I hope you can enjoy the scenery drifting by #today

2026-09-05 11:33:11 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I often dream of a quiet room. Quiet enough to hear my heart. High enough to look out over the fields. Perhaps white washed walls. A simple bed and a comfortable chair in which to read or write.
A solid door to block the noise.
The morning reading has this line:
"I want to make myself an empty room"
It made me realize that most of the noise I want to leave behind doesn't come with the room.
May you find some inner quiet in your life #today

2026-09-03 13:19:38 UTC

in their pine bound banks
splendid greens turning golden
aspen rivers flow
#DailyHaikuPrompt #oops

2026-09-03 12:56:29 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A fresh morning after a solid 8 hours of sleep. Those nights come rarely. These mornings to be savored.
I've wood to chop. Water to carry. Words to read and others to write. Some breakfast shortly.
Anything is possible.
Sure, it could all go horribly wrong, but that's true every day. At least this morning, I can face it with a good night's rest behind me and a smile on my face.
I hope your day starts with a smile #today

2026-09-01 12:11:28 UTC

with sugar and spice
a pumpkin becomes a pie
heaven in a shell
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-09-01 12:00:03 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I have Things To Do over and above the normal wood and water.
I'd like those Things to be included in the wood and water tasks. Things I do every day to keep head and heart going. Not something Extra.
So my Practice needs to add a few new sticks to the pile.
It won't happen in a single day, but it's something I can work toward. Slowly. One day at a time.
May you find something to work toward #today

2026-08-30 13:30:12 UTC

just one potato
its many-eyed offspring
can feed a village
with patience and the seasons
great things from a humble seed
#DailyHaikuPrompt #tanka

2026-08-30 13:01:38 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A day of rest planned. Taking stock as the month winds down and giving some thought to how I want to spend the next one.
I've got obligations tomorrow that will be distracting, but nothing beyond the wood and water tasks until then.
Maybe a day to tend some fences. Break some down. Build some up. The next few months will be challenging. Taking a moment to see where I am seems like a good idea.
I hope you can take a moment for yourself #today

2026-08-28 11:54:42 UTC

full moon in shadow
planetary minuet
dancing in the sun
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-28 11:42:40 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
The day's off to a good start. Bread already baking. The cat has been fed. The day's remaining tasks mostly wood and water.
With a little luck, I'll have the day well in hand by the time I get back from my walk.
I'd like to claim "good planning" or "my disciplined approach" but - honestly - it's just letting the day unfold. Doing each thing as it appears in the line up and moving on.
I hope your day is as well behaved as mine has started #today

2026-08-26 11:33:55 UTC

soft night and dark skies
adrift in the Milky Way
wish on falling stars
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-26 11:29:14 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I'm fighting distraction head on this morning. So much to see and do, it's making it difficult for me to get my morning routine finished.
It's not like I have a lot on the list. If I can avoid the side trips and excursions, my day will be my own by mid morning.
A big if.
Distraction is sneaky. It grabs me while I'm busy doing other things and drags me under.
But I'll try.
I hope distraction doesn't get it's hooks in you #today

2026-08-25 11:54:32 UTC

"Do you have any self-imposed rules for your creative work?"
I can think of two.
1. Every work has to twist a trope. It has to be a story that satisfies genre expectations in a way that isn't expected.
That twist forms the backbone of a series.
2. The main character has to be (or at least start out) as just an everyday person*. The problems have to be personal to them. They're not trying to save the world. There are no constantly rising stakes culminating in a final battle to save the world.
Each story is a period in that person's life, with the normal boundaries and vicissitudes we all face. Even if they're on a space ship or dealing with magic.
I don't like the "slice of life" idea, because life doesn't come in slices. It's all at once, all the time. Yet, we do have periods where Things Happen - for good and for ill.
I try to capture those.
#ScribesAndMakers
* Ishmael Wang is the victim of his own success. One of the liabilities of trying to capture the length of a person's life and not merely a snapshot.

2026-08-25 11:33:54 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Some mornings start slowly. This is not one of them.
A couple of good night's rest has me up and at 'em. Maybe not a "barbaric yawp" day but perhaps a small "rawr."
I've oatmeal warming on the stove, coffee in my cup, tasks ahead that need doing and I'm here to get them done.
For once my eyes are crusted over with sleep, my body not complaining that I'm using it.
Let's do this.
May you meet your day however you need to #today

2026-08-23 12:11:19 UTC

corn husk and fine silk
stripped away from garden's gold
smelling of summer
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-22 14:06:34 UTC

quail on a fence rail
watching wind riffled grasses
riddled with foxes
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-20 11:44:48 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A simple chop wood, carry water day. Sunrise in 40 minutes. Thanks to the cat waking me early, I might be outside to see it.
It's quiet now. Peaceful. A moment before the day gets powered up and rolling at full speed.
Before coffee and breakfast. Before the wood pile calls. Before life's friction heats up the day.
It can't last, of course, but for just a few minutes, I can breathe.
I hope you get in a few quiet breaths #today

2026-08-19 12:30:45 UTC

pale last quarter moon
leads bright sun across blue skies
barely visible
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-19 12:27:31 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A balancing day with a few things in play that I need to balance against urgency and convenience.
None of them has to be done immediately but all need to be accomplished relatively soon.
This "looking ahead" thing is tricky. The temptation to wait until there's no choice in the matter runs strong.
My aversion to jobs stacking up? Not as firm as it might be.
May your decisions all be straightforward #today

2026-08-18 12:25:30 UTC

killdeer drags her wing
protecting her sandy nest
by running away
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-18 12:17:36 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
I strayed from my routine this morning. I got up on time but did not dive straight into the day.
I have a choice.
I can see it as an hour I spent letting my brain wake up, a relaxing start to a low-key day.
Or an hour wasted where I lost an hour to mindlessly playing.
I know which one I'm choosing.
I hope your choices are all as straightforward as that one #today

2026-08-17 12:26:37 UTC

harvest time begins
as days grow ever shorter
soak in autumn's sun
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-16 14:41:26 UTC

flickering lamplight
casting uncertain shadows
autumn's darkness grows
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-16 11:28:17 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Stayed up too late. Rose to early. Still have to Do The Things.
A rocky start. Headache from not quite enough sleep. Breakfast will be a slapdash affair. It's cool and cloudy so my walk will more likely wet than hot.
Some days the chop wood and carry water tasks seem larger. More difficult. Even tedious.
But I still need to do them.
I hope your day slides in and carries you along #today

2026-08-15 12:58:39 UTC

storm clouds split open
dump joy on upturned faces
my lawn rejoyces
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-15 12:50:14 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Must be the weekend. Everything's gone cattywampus this morning.
Not in a bad way. A decent night and a cool morning. A planned rest day for the most part. But my solo morning time seems to have a few extra people in it.
I'm not used to having to be responsive this early in the day.
This, too, shall pass.
I'll count my blessings. There are much greater problems in the world than these.
I hope you find blessing to count #today

2026-08-14 12:08:25 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Old eyes, and crusty this morning. Not wanting to open or focus properly when they are.
Like the rest of me, I suppose. Old and a bit crusty at times. Lacking in anything like adequate focus.
But I'm still here. Still trying.
The eyes will settle down. I'll find my feet in a bit and take a walk in a cool (for a change) morning.
Small tasks on the list. Matching my ambition for the day.
But I have faith.
I hope you have faith in your day #today

2026-08-11 12:33:31 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…mvd8
Thanks.
This made me laugh.
Also, I can relate.

2026-08-09 11:27:35 UTC

after all the noise
in evening's velvet quiet
lonely cricket chirps
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-09 11:23:50 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A quiet start after a good night's sleep. No special things on the list. No pulls toward this or that.
I'm looking forward to chopping wood and carrying the day's water. In this otherwise frazzled and unraveling world, it feels good.
For the moment, I have my coffee and no pressure. Perhaps I'll watch the sunrise.
May your day be as peaceful #today

2026-08-09 02:58:02 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…ut9d
Why not?

2026-08-08 11:37:01 UTC

gust front moving through
oak leaves dance a mad gavotte
willow shakes her tresses
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-08 11:33:42 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
Rushing a bit this morning. Much as I love a slow, contemplative start to the day, some days just don't sit still for it.
Sunrise in a few minutes but I've got dough that needs baking so the family can have bread this week. It's finishing it's rise while the oven heats.
I just need to finish mine so I can bake it.
Only wood and water tasks on the list. After yesterday's whirlwind, I'm grateful.
May your day be whatever you need it to be #today

2026-08-07 11:59:07 UTC

velarian blooms
spreading flowery picnics
for pollinators
#DailyHaikuPrompt

2026-08-07 11:50:35 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A busy one on tap. Shopping, laundry, baking, workmen coming.
Somewhere in there I need to find time to write, read, and take a 2 mile walk. The sun will be up in a few minutes. The forecast is "more heat" and "wildfire smoke."
Charming.
Still wood needs chopping. Water needs carrying. Everything else is just noise.
May your day be a little quieter than mine #today

2026-08-06 12:27:10 UTC

A new day. A new chance to succeed.
A wood and water day, like most. One extra task for the list. Maybe two if I do my laundry.
Moving day. After 3+ years, I've made my last morning post on Zirk.us.
I'm not stopping. Just moving here to carry on.
Trying to keep track of two accounts (three if you include the Daily Haiku Prompt) is just more complication than I need.
Sometimes, I just need a change.
May your changes be your choices #today

2026-08-05 11:45:40 UTC

FWIW, I read a LOT but very narrowly.
1. SF - mostly space opera
2. F - PNR, PNWF. Almost no zombies, shifters, or vampires
3. Romance across a wide range of niches.
4. Self pubbed
5. Past tense. Sorry. Present tense makes my brain itch.
That what you write? Can you make sure I'm following you?
Thanks.

2026-06-24 13:13:20 UTC

Tell us a fish story (definition open to interpretation.)
The summer I graduated from high school, I worked as a deck hand on a fishing boat out of Portland before enlisting in the Coast Guard to avoid the draft.
We left the dock at 3am to head for fishing grounds 2 hours away. Returned mid afternoon with the day's catch of whitefish.
Not glamorous. Not fun. Didn't earn much money but learned how to mend a net, how to sort fish.
How to grill shrimp on the boat engine's manifold, fresh from the sea and seasoned with its water.
50+ years later, that fishery doesn't exist.
The last of the Eastern Side Trawlers is in a museum somewhere, probably. Existing mostly as models and memories.
When I think of all the things we've gained in the last half century, I hardly think about those we've lost.
Except that one.
The one that, ultimately, got away.
#ScribesAndMakers

2026-06-11 12:28:47 UTC

How much do you worry about what others think of your creative work?
Usually not very much.
Of course I want people to read my books. They won't do that if they don't like them.
But I also know that my stories aren't for everybody. They may not even have much wide appeal.
And that's okay.
The niche I like, the one I want to reach, is large enough.
So, sure, a lot of people will bounce off them. It's not what they expect. Not what they like or want.
Doesn't mean they're bad - although quite a few people have said so. It just means it's not a story written for them.
#ScribesAndMakers

2026-05-03 13:28:26 UTC

When you see the word 'read', is your first instinct to read it as present tense or past tense?
If the word is sitting by itself, off in a corner, minding it's own business? It's a complete, imperative sentence so present tense.
When it's out partying with others? I try to keep the context in mind and not pass any quick judgements.
#ScribesAndMakers