Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose

Excellent

Hello, Jim,

This is a very interesting haiku. Your kigo is tree in bloom (fanned), less than 17 syllables, good connection between phrase one and two, and the satori is very clever. Good job!

 Comment Written 28-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 29-Mar-2017

Thank you for this review. I thought I should re-establish myself in this home of Japanese style with a tree indigenous to that part of the world.

Comment from Joan E.

Excellent

I take the supplement daily and had never seen a picture of the tree with fruit. I enjoyed your double entendre in your haiku and the detailed facts in your notes. Smiles- Joan

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 24-Mar-2017

Perhaps your taking the supplement will enable you to live long enough to become a living fossil too. Lol. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.

reply by Joan E. on 24-Mar-2017

I always wanted to be "an old fossil"! Enjoy the weekend when it arrives- Joan

reply by the author on 24-Mar-2017

Don't rush. form an orderly queue.

Comment from crybry67

Excellent

I always learn something from your poems and notes. I have heard of ginkgo biloba, but had no idea of the history behind it. Fascinating to hear that they survived a nuclear blast! Wonderful job on this. Blessings ...Christy

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 24-Mar-2017

Thank you for another great review of my work. I am most grateful.

Comment from June Sargent

Excellent

Great testimonial to the amazing gingko tree's ability to survive. Enjoyed the facts you shared as well. A living fossil indeed

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2017

Thanks so much for this review of my haiku

Comment from Kerry Foley Robinson

Excellent

That was a great Haiku, I have heard of
Gingko Biloba, I never saw one and had no
idea the history of it, or that it was a tree
very amazing. ~Kerry~

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2017

So glad you liked this one and pleased to have madyou aware of this ancient species.

Comment from Meia (MESAYERS)

Excellent

I use this medicine to aid memory.
I use this medicine to aid....what? Oh yes, memory.
Memory, what is that?
Joking!
This is a fantastic write the tree has many uses in medicine it is a pity in the north of Europe traditional medicines that might be more effective (St.Johns Wort, Ginko Biloba, Milk Thistle, ) tend to be overlooked in favour of pharmaceuticals. This was a fabulous read as always well done, kind regards, Meia

 Comment Written 22-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

Sort proves it doesn't really work. Lol. Thanks for moving on with me from the pleiades to haiku trees. I haven't done a haiku fro some time now. I must get back in the swing.

Comment from Dorothy Farrell

Excellent

Hi Jim, a good haiku about an interesting subject. I've seen a ginkgo tree, but never in fruit. Good double meaning with the word 'fan'. Lines one and two interconnect as required and your satori is excellent. Truly amazing how some things are destined to survive. Good addition to the book. Warm regards Dorothy

 Comment Written 22-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing this. It is a long time since I went down the haiku road. I must ease myself in gently.

Comment from ~Dovey

Excellent

Hi Pantygynt:

Gingko Biloba must have some incredible healing properties for the tries to still be thriving after exposure to the 1945 atomic bomb explosion. Thank you for the history lesson and notes!

Your haiku reflects that moment in time perfectly.

Kim

 Comment Written 22-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

It is a rather amazing tree. Thank you for reviewing this. I seems strange wrtng smething that isn't a pleiades.

reply by ~Dovey on 22-Mar-2017

It does seem strange not writing a Pleiades lol I was going through my portfolio yesterday and I found one I had written a long time ago titled, 'Hockey,' that I had forgotten about. I'm not sure if I told you or not... I have a poem being published in a journal called, 'Alaska Women Speak,' this month. They have also invited me to participate in a poetry reading at Barnes & Noble on April 8th. My reading is from 7 to 10 minutes, so I've been trying to choose which poems I want to read from my portfolio.

reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

I will leave that choice entirely up to you.

reply by ~Dovey on 22-Mar-2017

There is a lot to choose from lol The one that is being published is on my list, for sure. 'March, By My Calendar' is the title. And there will be at least one hockey poem. I suspect perhaps a Pleiades, too lol

reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

Oh I was working on a March poem earlier. I am not at all sure of it so I will ask you to preview it if I may. A piece of free verse or is it in fact quite highly structured? Don't be kind, be honest.

March.

March
The month
Caesar moved
ex hibernis
winter month and spring
foot in both camps
named for Mars
chaos ?
March
was once
the first month
of the whole year
then April and May
glorious June
summertime
forward ?
March
July
waits in the
wings of the year
high summer arrived
the conqueror
divides all Gaul
in three parts
while months
March
August
sees summer
in its decline
towards September
when the seasons
change again
autumn?s
March
begins
October
and November
to the Christmas month
January?s
New Year Dawns
and soon
March
will be
bringing spring
back to hedgerow
once we have done with
February
as the months
onward
March

reply by ~Dovey on 22-Mar-2017

I like the premise. Imaging the march with Caesar, out of winter, onward into Spring, dividing Gaul. Marking the calendar months along the way. But then we get HERE and the marching references all but stop until the last lines of marching back to hedgerow through February. So, I'd like to see more marching references in this section: (pertaining to Caesar's march - the history is rich and the vehicle you've used to describe it is perfect)

August
sees summer
in its decline
towards September
when the seasons
change again
autumn?s
March
begins
October
and November
to the Christmas month
January?s
New Year Dawns

reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

Thanks for looking at that I thought the implied marching through the year was enough. I chucked out a huge chunk of marching references because I thought there were too many . Have a look at this lot!

March
?Marchons?
Frenchmen sing
Napoleon
Europe?s continent
completely conquered
la grande armée
rampaged through
on the
March
Anschluss
annexes
Austria with
Hitler?s Germany
and stormtroopers
goose-stepping
come to
March
eastwards
all the way
to Moscow?s gates
but at Stalingrad
they would not see
the next month
coming
March

reply by ~Dovey on 22-Mar-2017

I don't know the history. Did Caesar march on through summer and into the autumn/winter months?

I think just the one reference to his march and carrying it through the year is enough - keeping up that marching cadence through all the months. It just seemed to drop off a bit there at the very last. Perhaps, build up the October-January section with a reference or two.

Going on to the French and Napoleon and then on to Hitler is likely to confuse things. I think pulling those out was a good idea.

reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

I have a feeling that the whole thing is fundamentally flawed. Historically armies in Europe did not campaign through the winter. Caesar's lot were always going into "Hiberna" or winter quarters. I think there was very little fighting in European winters until the 20th Century. Napoleon's retreat from Moscow was a case in point. Thanks for your help.

reply by ~Dovey on 22-Mar-2017

I wondered about that - I think they did the same during the Revolutionary war in the Americas.

I still like the idea and the march through the year...
Are there any historic references to feasting or a day of truce for the holiday that could be added? From Caesar's timeframe, I mean.

I know I've heard stories like that during WWII.

Comment from aryr

Excellent

This was very interesting, the poem itself was concise and specific to the strength and endurance of these amazing trees. Your notations provided a fountain of information regarding the survival of this species and offered amazing information. Thank you so much for this delightful, educational piece of writing.

 Comment Written 21-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

Thank you for reviewing this and helping me go cold turkey off the pleiades.

reply by aryr on 22-Mar-2017

You are very welcome, yikes cold turkey mmmm wait cold turkey sandwiches are tastey lol, just teasing, I guess when one gets on a roll it is hard to change tracks; but you did well.

Comment from Dolly'sPoems

Excellent

So beautiful and delicate, it seems hard to believe this plant survived a nuclear bomb! Nature can defy man's cruel hand it seems, wonderful well chosen words, love Dolly x

 Comment Written 21-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2017

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing this so sympathetically