Have you savored enough fragrance, haijin! Congratulations to last week’s contributors!

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Looking ahead.

The United States celebrates Memorial Day this Monday. As I stated in my last Memorial Day #Haikai Challenge:

This Federal holiday commemorates those members of the US armed forces that have died in service: 

“Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day – Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, whereas Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.^[4] It is also not to be confused with Armed Forces Day, a minor U.S. remembrance celebrated earlier in May, which specifically honors those currently serving in the U.S. military.“

The commemoration of Memorial Day collides with the pandemic. New York, the hardest hit state in the country, begins to reopen. Governor Cuomo mandates gatherings of no more than ten, and he recommends “car parades” to honor the fallen. Whatever way we choose, we must honor those veterans that made the ultimate sacrifice. We would not have a nation without them.

Memorial Day is also the unofficial beginning of summer–and nothing says summer like the opening of beaches. But COVID-19 strikes again! Beaches throughout New York will close parking after reaching half-capacity. Swimming will be prohibited due to lack of lifeguards.

There are alternative ways to celebrate summer. There is a land fully awakened to enjoy! My own front and back yards have become a “summer meadow”, as the fully-blossomed maple, oak and locus close off neighbors from my house.

Perhaps there is a meadow for you, too!

This week, write the haikai poem of your choice (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) that alludes to either Memorial Day, summer meadow (natsuno), or both.

As always:

Here’s how the challenge works:

1. write the haikai poem of your choice.
2. post the link of your post to Mister Linky.
3. pingback by posting the link to the challenge on your site.
4. read and comment on other contributors’ posts.

Happy Memorial Day, haijin! And may you mellow in your own summer meadow!