Category Archives: Haiku

day 240

walks with Gabby

the air is cooler
maple tree leaves are turning
memories of home

~kat

Being a Midwest kid who transplanted to the eastern mid and south Atlantic regions of this country had been a culture shock when life first took me east. We spent the day yesterday driving by old neighborhoods, schools, unrecognizable downtown buildings that have either deteriorated, been renovated, or are no longer standing, paved over into a parking lot. It’s very weird. I didn’t grow up here, my partner and our friend did. It was so entertaining for me to hear them talk about the old haunts, stories of their wild teenage years, teachers that made an impact on them, their families, friends, and to feel their joy when discovering that some of the old dive bars that they hung out at were still standing and open for business! Memories. It was wonderful to watch them tour down memory lane.

We ended the day at a wonderful restaurant. Good food, great company, and engaging conversation. Needless to say as exhilarating as the day was, I was exhausted by the end of it, but this trip has been so good for both of our souls. 

And we brought Gabby along too! She has been such a good little traveler. All around a good trip. Some of the interesting discoveries we have made on our walks around the hotel have been so interesting. So there are your glimmers. I know there is a skeleton of a small critter, maybe a squirrel, amidst the sights…I found it beautiful in the sense that it had been left undisturbed allowing nature to reclaim it along with the leaves now beginning to turn and fall around it. 

Much love, peace, and glimmers to you! ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

~kat


day 239

Photo by Kat Myrman 2025
Kent State May 4th

four killed, nine wounded
no good comes when armed solders
march on native soil

~kat

Top on the itinerary for our time away was a stop at my partner’s Alma Mater, Kent State University, to visit the May 4th exhibit, a new addition to the campus. It is particularly poignant and chilling to consider how history seems to be repeating itself. It only took a week for this administration to arm the National Guard soldiers that wandered the National Mall of DC doing photo ops with tourists. It would seem that this was trump’s intent all along. Especially now that other democratic and sanctuary cities are next on his list of cities needing an armed occupation. We have seen this before. It does not end well. People will die. People did die.

May 4th happened during the time of Richard Nixon, when congress members still believed in the rule of law and the constitution; when congress members were brave (some would say had a spine), and served the people. They say that those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.  It’s sobering to consider what is at stake, and how close we are to repeating some of the dark pages of our history. 

Today’s glimmer is bitter sweet. It is truth and history, and places like the exhibit I visited today. They are glimmers of light to help bring us back to our senses, to give us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes so that we avoid making those mistakes again. May we learn. May we act. May we redirect ourselves before another tragedy happens. 

much love, peace, and glimmers to you,

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

Photo by Kat Myrman 2025
Photo by Kat Myrman 2025

Poetry Form today: Haiku 5/7/5 syllables per each line.


day 238

traveling

here in the rustbelt
the air smells industrial
no hint of sweetness

~kat

Well…we’re traveling this weekend. The vegetation in Virginia where we live has a distinct sweet scent to it that is noticeable when traveling long distances state to state. We  are hundreds of miles from home in the “rust belt”. It has been interesting to notice that the air in Ohio where we are currently smells different…there is an industrial metallic tinge in the air.  Chicago, where I grew up, has its own scent…

Just because the air is less fragrant I still managed to find a glimmer. A leaf from a nearby cottonwood tree. It’s in one of my favorite shapes…a beautiful heart! 

Much love, peace and glimmers wherever you find yourself! 

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

Ohio Cottonwood Tree Leaf ~ kat


day 231

by any other name

petals of purple
violet, in name only
the great imposter

~kat

The Saintpaulia Ionantha

Today’s glimmer and an exposé of sorts is a photo of my happy, blooming African Violet plant. It’s been a few months since I brought this leafy green plant home with not even a bud or hint of flowers. I fed it. Watered it from beneath, taking care that no water touched its tender leaves, and gave it daily indirect sunlight. You may remember when I shared the first buds…and then the first bloom. Now there are several clusters of buds and several beautiful flowers. It makes me so happy to see it thriving, and blooming! 

But I am afraid I have some disturbing news to share. 😳 I looked up African violets online to learn more.

Brace yourself… you may want to sit down when I tell you that my lovely, perfect African violets are not violets at all. They are the great imposter plants discovered in East Africa, Tanzania. Their true name is saintpaulia ionantha to honor Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire (1860-1910), who collected the first African violets. It is interesting to note that while they are a popular indoor plant, they are quite rare in the wild, some varieties considered extinct.

So now you know the truth. It’s still one of my favorite houseplants.  To me it will always be an African violet, but now I have a new mission. To grow and keep my beautiful green friend healthy and happy. My tiny contribution to the survival of the saintpaulia ionantha. 

Much love, peace and glimmers to you! 

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

And one more glimmer. A group of turkeys have taken up resting in the shade of the Catawba tree in the front yard. I was able to snap a photo of them today! ✨✨✨🦃🦃🦃✨✨✨


day 228

What is a word you feel that too many people use?

Taking a dive into one of word press’s prompt questions (shown above)…

sorry

sorry to admit
that i say that I’m sorry
for saying sorry…
it’s a reflexive response
that makes me invisible

so sorry…
sorry…I’m sorry
how sorry

~kat

It’s been a Monday. I could not stomach watching the news and commentaries regarding the bizarre events of the day. The news itself wasn’t what sickened me as much as the way that commentators attempted to treat everything as if it is normal. Providing detailed summations and analysis as if anything that was declared from the Oval Office could or should be taken seriously. I’m waiting for someone in the press corps to tell it like it is…that everyone is terrified of angering the toddler in chief and more importantly that he is in way over his head and doesn’t have a clue. The emperor has no clothes! You can only spin things so much before you get twisted up in the tangled web you’ve woven.

Anyhow…I listened enough to get the basic gist of what happened. It’s embarrassing. The fact that I didn’t vote for this chaos only makes it worse to watch. But I’m past the wish it had turned out differently, I told you so, angry at how stupid people are stage. It’s all of our reality now. It’s not easy being woke.

After all that I need a glimmer… how about you? I received my great granddaughter’s official portraits. Now, I am sensitive to protect the anonymity of my young family members, but I think these snippets might qualify to give you a spark of joy. Babies are hope bundled in blankets. All things good. May we salvage and restore enough of the mess we’ve made to leave something for our children to work with when we’re gone!

Much love, peace, and glimmers to you.

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨