hosts: Kala Ramesh & Firdaus Parvez
mentor: Lorraine Haig
A Thursday Feature 14th November
Prakash Thombre Ink sketch
Ink sketch and write-up by Prakash Thombre, Pune.
Active Waiting
Fisherman 1: “How long do you think we’ll have to wait today?”
Fisherman 2: “Hard to say. Could be a while, could be soon. That’s how it goes.”
Fisherman 1 shifts slightly, looking out at the calm water. “I don’t like waiting much. Feels like nothing’s happening.”
Fisherman 2 gently smiles and keeps his eyes on the water. “It’s not about nothing happening. It’s about being ready for when something does. You can’t force a fish to bite, but you can stay ready for when it does.”
Fisherman 1 nods thoughtfully. “So, you’re saying the waiting’s not wasted if we’re prepared?”
Fisherman 2 glances at the horizon. “Exactly. Active waiting. It’s about staying present, paying attention. We’re not just sitting here—we’re watching, listening, ready to move when the moment’s right.”
They both fall quiet again, the sound of waves filling the space between them. The waiting, while still, is focused, each fisherman alert, not knowing when the opportunity will come, but prepared for it all the same.
In this way, active waiting becomes a balance of patience and readiness, where the time spent in anticipation is just as important as the action when it finally arrives.
Experimental illustration done with ink and watercolor.
Challenge:
Enjoy the ink sketch and watercolour by artist Prakash Thombre and then read what inspired him to write what he wrote.
Does this inspire you enough to write a haibun, on an imaginary conversation? Do you agree with Prakash's views on active waiting?
The Gita says: karmanyakarma yah pashyed akarmani cha karma yah
sa buddhiman manushyeshu sa yuktah kritsna-karma-krit
BG 4.18:
Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.
Have a whale of a time, while you are at it!
Haibun outside this prompt can be written also :))
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PLEASE NOTE:
1. Only two haibun per poet per prompt.
2. Share your best-polished pieces.
3. Please do not post something in a hurry or something you have just written.
Let it simmer for a while.
4. Post your final edited version on top of your original verse.
5. Don't forget to give feedback on others' poems.
We are delighted to open the comment thread for you to share your unpublished haibun (within 300 words) to be considered for inclusion in haikuKATHA monthly journal.
Important: Since we're swamped with submissions, and our editors are only human, mistakes can happen. Please, please, remember to put your name, followed by your country, below each poem, even after revisions. It helps our editors; they won't have to type it in, saving them from potential typos. Thanks a ton!
#1
Waiting for springtime
A Monday afternoon:
"There were more leaves yesterday."
"Where?
"On the tree."
"Oh, but half are attached and half need sweeping."
"Did you bring the broom?"
"I've a bucket in the wagon. . ."
"Well, we have four hands."
"Did you brings gloves? Or bandaids?"
The following week:
"I brought an extra sweater."
"Do I shiver like a newborn kitten?"
"The leaves have all blown away."
"The winter winds are early."
"I've a new book, a play. In it there's a man on a leash who speaks no sense."
"I prefer the one about chasing windmills. Keeps me warm. No need for an extra sweater."
"It's red."
"Like the color of the flowers before the new…
14/11/24 #1
Beyond Waiting
“How long will it be?” she asks, eyes tracing the waves, their pull gentle, tugging at her feet.
“Hard to say,” he answers, gaze lost in the far-off cliffs. “Could take longer than we think.”
She shifts, arms wrapped close, salt on her tongue, the sky wide above. “It’s as if we’re just... here.”
A quiet smile stirs at his lips. “Maybe it’s not about moving forward. Maybe it’s about being, letting what’s here fill us. The right wave will find us when it’s time.”
She turns to the water, breathing slow with its rhythm. “Not waiting, being open.”
“Open, steady. These moments are never empty if we’re awake to them.”
They stand, still, feeling…
What an inspiring prompt and philosophy to ponder, illustrated beautifully by Prakash Thombre's sketch and watercolour. It resonates deeply and reminds me of approaching the writing of haiku.
I am loving this month's prompts. Great philosophy indeed. "...active waiting becomes a balance of patience and readiness". Absolutely! But sometimes, when the length of waiting depends upon other humans (everybody is busy, caught up with life), some kind of action needs to be taken to protect or further one's goal, don't you think? it would not be so wise to keep waiting, expecting the other person to act.
Nice prompt… quite similar to mindfulness.