LesleyScoble.com

For Coleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday 24 Seasons Poetry Challenge No. 4 – Cold Dew: (October 9 – October 22), PT 2: Shubun 秋分 I wrote three haikus about chestnuts. Coleen invited us to write about the first Kigo word that comes into your head when thinking about autumn. 

Chestnuts! Came into my mind straight away and my childhood joyful memories of running through golden woodlands to find as many conkers as possible. I was in awe of the shiny mahogany coloured polish of the surface of the nut. I couldn’t wait to get home to select my champion conker and skewer it and thread string through it, ready to knock my friend’s conkers into oblivion in the school playground.

Today, I no longer swing my conkers in battle. I share them with the squirrels in the park.

Sweet Chestnuts

Chestnuts’ russet gleam
Fireside dreaming embers glow
fragrant amber warmth

Lesley Scoble, October 2023

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Horse Chestnuts

Falling from the tree
Conkers can bonk on your head
Causing injury

Lesley Scoble, October 2023

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Squirrels

Squirrels like chestnuts
They eat embryo trees for tea
or plant them to grow

Lesley Scoble, October 2023

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Kigo

MY Kigo words for autumn are: 
chestnuts,
squirrel, 
conkers, 
falling, 
russet, 
and fireside (although, with the warm weather we are having, it may no longer apply).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My thanks to Coleen Chesebro for her inspiring 24 Seasons Challenge that encouraged me to attempt writing the haiku.

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Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.