by Alan Bern
Gaṅgā— Aubade to Serenade
haiku 1
monsoon aubade mutes
mustard yellow at cockcrow—
Gaṅgā blushes pink
*****
haiku 2
sounds of survival—
blind side-swimmers splash Gaṅgā
red list Sōs dolphins
******
haiku 3
before here was here—
Gaṅgā delta re-echoes
ballads of boatmen
*****
haiku 4
freedom serenade—
daily toll of temples’ bells
ghee lamps on Gaṅgā
NOTES
*River Ganges is officially, and popularly called Gaṅgā, in Sanskrit, Hindi, and other Indian languages.
*Ganges dolphin’s popular name, Sōs, is reminiscent of the sounds the dolphin makes when it breathes.
* In Hinduism, ghee prepared from cow milk is a sacred requirement for worship, and fire rituals, including offering of ghee lamps.
Monica Kakkar (she/her) values her freedom, peace, silence, and solitude. Her glass is full, her mind is open, her spirit is oneness, and her heart is overflowing with gratitude. She explores, expresses, connects, and celebrates through haiku, senryū, sciku, and short poetry. Her haiku have won awards, reached the final shortlist, and have been published in journals, booklet, library binder, cedar pole, garden, open house, and window clings. She looks forward to sharing her poetry with kukai, contests, festivals, anthologies, journals, and literary magazines. She enjoys location independence. These haiku were shared from the National Capital Region, India.
Retired children’s librarian Alan Bern has published three books of poetry and has a hybrid fictionalized memoir, IN THE PACE OF THE PATH, forthcoming from UnCollected Press. Recent awards include: Winner, Saw Palm Poetry Contest (2022); Honorable Mention, Littoral Press Poetry Prize(2021). Recent and upcoming writing and photo work include: CERASUS, Thanatos, The Hyacinth Review, DarkWinter, and Mercurius. Alan is a published/exhibited photographer, and he performs with dancer/choreographer Lucinda Weaver as PACES: dance & poetry fit the space and with musicians from Composing Together. Lines & Faces, his press with artist/printer Robert Woods: linesandfaces.com. https://www.instagram.com/abobern/ https://twitter.com/AlanBern1/ https://www.facebook.com/alan.bern.1