What beauty a mother beholds in those jewels, the beginning
of his-story or her-story. Some diamonds have a long
history. According to Egyptian legend, the tourmaline
journeyed from the center of the Earth and passed through a
rainbow. It‘s the gemstone of the rainbow.
black tourmaline...
his eyes
on my ankle
# 08. Vania Stefanova, BG
***
Jewels have alluring qualities that are immediately evident,
but they also have a history of symbolic meaning. I have no
idea how many people are concerned about or even aware of
their symbolism. Certainly, precious stones are meant to
make a statement about those who gift them or wear them. It
is interesting to explore the symbolic possibilities of
meaning in various circumstances.
Coral
has been used to protect children, and parents give a gift
of coral to their children for this reason. Perhaps
this is true in this haiku.
graduation dance
around her neck
a coral necklace
# 45. Marija Pogorilić, CR
***
Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets
opportunity.” The users of these stones might have believed
otherwise about the preparation required:
first sunrise
a thin layer of dust
on my good-luck stone
# 54. Chen-ou Liu, CA
two moonstones
under my pillow
lucky charms
# 82. Sandra Martyres, IN
Moonstones
were believed
to help focus the mind and the intentions. If held in the
mouth, they might inspire knowing what best to do and
avoid. The moonstone was often worn as a charm for
protection and by those seeking love. It was best for
finding the person one hoped for when wearing it on the
night of a full moon.
Not from the moon
but from 'Earth'
moon stone
# 113. Munia Khan, BD
her lofty quandary
jewellers’ rainbow
or star moonstone
# 171. Karin Anderson, AU
***
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone
monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” I
like to think that this quote from Pericles is exemplified
in the following haiku:
anniversary
thirty years of love
in my pearl ring
# 43. Máire Morrissey-Cummins, IE
in every pearl bead
of her rosary—
the secrets of her heart
# 106. Christine L. Villa, US
tearful granny
sapphires from the photo
long gone
# 18. Malvina Mileta, CR
Diamond Jubilee—
all the rainbows
in one tear
# 04. Djurdja Vukelic-Rozic, CR
***
Frederick Keonig wrote, “We tend to forget that happiness
doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have,
but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do
have.” So who are the happy ones?
grandma’s treasures
rubies and diamonds
in a bank locker
# 02. Sandra Martyres IN
each precious stone
in her collection
a family heirloom
# 34. Sandra Martyres IN
***
Some gemstones make a stronger statement than others. The
king of gemstones is the ruby. Its red color is
decisive, the color of love, and radiates warmth and a
strong sense of vitality. It was believed to not simply
reflect light but generate it.
new year’s eve
the ruby in the display
lights in the darkness
# 16. Ramesh Anand, MY
king of precious
stones
ruby’s oval brilliance
stashed in a dark vault
# 109. Harvey Jenkins, CA
At the same time the ruby represents conscious
control of the emotions, keeping the mind clear and free
from lust. It was also believed to have protective powers.
blind date—
only seeing
her ruby pendant
# 108. Christine L. Villa, US
***
Many stones are associated with love and romance. Everyone
knows which ones these are:
diamond ring
in the river's mud—
stolen heart
# 37. Djurdja Vukelic-Rozic, CR
marriage ring—
love circles around
the new moon
# 73. P K Padhy, IN
***
The solitaire is not an ordinary diamond but is
considered the summary of magical and divine love. It
represents the ultimate in jewelry. It is a single diamond,
elegant, simple, and in proportion to the bride. It is an
attention getter.
it dazzles
the solitaire
on her ring finger
# 32. Sandra Martyres IN
The KohiNoor is another diamond with a history. It
might have existed for the past two and a half centuries. It
was once the largest known diamond in the world. It means
“Mountain of Light” in Persian. It was believed that
whosoever owned the Koh –i-Noor would rule the world.
It became a part of the British Crown Jewels when Queen
Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India in 1877. She was
careful to make sure that only women wore it. It had a
reputation of bringing ill luck to any male owner.
the queen's tiara
sparkles brightly
kohinoor diamond
# 38. Sandra Martyres, IN
The Koh-i-Noor at one time belonged to Shah Jahan,
who built the Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz.
a tribute to love
white marble and precious stones
the Taj Mahal
# 61. Sandra Martyres, IN
***
Emeralds
are beautiful and have a lot of symbolism. It is the sacred
stone of the goddess Venus and thought to preserve
love. It’s a symbol of hope and considered by some as a
stone of prophecy. It also acts as a tranquilizer for a
troubled mind as well as bringing wisdom and reason.
Emerald:
celebrity's choice
for paparazzi
# 123. Munia Khan, BD
green gem
a fitting birthstone for
an emerald isle child
# 07. Máire Morrissey-Cummins, IE
To me “an emerald isle child” has a fantasy ring to it. An
amazing way to describe a child. This child has a bright
future.
Springtime is certainly a time of hope and we welcome its
beauty after a drab winter. Green too is symbolic of hope,
new life, and resurrection.
her lofty quandary
jewellers’ rainbow
or star moonstone
# 171. Karin Anderson, AU
first leaves—
greenfinches glow emerald
in the low sun
# 156. Juliet Wilson, UK
***
A cat’s eyes are big and round, full of mystery and
wisdom, so it seems, going back through the ages, even to
Egyptian times. It’s not surprising then, that an
emerald or diamond has that feature.
her cats' green eyes
shine brightly
emeralds at night
# 55. Sandra Martyres, IN
***
The pearl is especially a feminine symbol with
softness and a gentle luster originating in the sea. It is a
symbol of purity and dedicated to the Moon Goddess in all
her forms.
full moon
glow of your pearl
necklace
#152. Juliet Wilson, UK
***
In this next haiku, there is certainly a clash that sets one
wondering what the story is.
in the soup kitchen
her frayed turtleneck
hides a string of pearls
# 62. Harvey Jenkins, CA
The word “sapphire” is synonymous with blue, which
evokes the images of sky, God, the world of spirit.
Buddhists believe that closeness to it will promote prayer
and meditation. Hindus believe the sapphire brings good
health, happiness, and wealth.
a blue sapphire ring
sky’s color condensed
into one small stone
# 76. Harvey Jenkins, CA
A waterspring and the
sky
and a blue butterfly—
our sapphires
# 31. Smajil Durmisevic, BA
***
The amethyst has an interesting use. In Greek,
amethystos means “non-intoxicating”. If placed under
the tongue or worn by the drinker, it was said he could
drink as much alcohol as he wanted without any
ill-effects. You will find goblets made from amethyst.
amethyst
the birthday calendar
indicates February
# 72. Gillena Cox, TT
I had to include this one since my birthday occurs in
February but not every year.
***
Milk is a liquid containing a lot of water. It is
not surprising that the opal has a milky color
because it contains a lot of water in its mass. This causes
it to be sensitive and often changes colors as though it has
a soul of its own. There is a belief that the opal is
unlucky, a belief held only in the West. Evidently Harvey
does not hold such a belief.
opal collection
Milky Way Galaxy just
outside my window
# 91. Harvey Jenkins, CA
***
Many believe that agates carry
protective powers. When cut and polished they can expose a
circle which is regarded as a symbol of the eye and believed
to protect the wearer against the
evil eye.
a red agate
blinks in snow
eye of the hare
# 129. Vania Stefanova, BG
Agates can have different layers of color which can
symbolize hidden information about to be revealed. It was
supposed that agates had the power to attract divine
energies and anyone wearing them would attract the favor of
God. If this is true, we poets would benefit wearing an
agate. The words of a poet often have hidden meanings.
precious words
a poet finds on the beach
like green agates
# 21. Neal Whitman, US
***
The name garnet comes from pomegranate and
has a similar shape as the seed of this fruit. It is
associated with the fertility of the womb and, because of
its “redness”, is said to be efficacious in treating
bleeding wounds, blood disease, and hemorrhages.
adorned circle
on her bare neck:
her garnet necklace
# 119. Munia Khan, BD
***
The word aquamarine means “water of the sea”.
It is not surprising that sailors believed that it would
keep them safe crossing the ocean. Roman fishermen thought
that they could help them catch more fish. In this modern
age does anyone truly believe in the power of these precious
stones – maybe not sincerely but certainly some would like
to.
mermaid's ornament
stone of Pisces—
Aquamarine
# 121. Munia Khan, BD
***
Onyx
was used in magical rituals to conjure up demons. For this
reason it should never be worn at night lest the wearer
suffer from nightmares. It’s considered to be an unlucky
stone. In Arabic, the word for onys means “sadness”.
onyx-studded collar
her Shih-Tzu prances and struts
through the neighborhood
# 150. Harvey Jenkins, CA
***
With their meaning and symbolism, the uses of precious
stones can be quite varied. They can be used to attract
attention, to celebrate, to express beliefs and feelings, as
status symbols, and in many more ways. Unfortunately, they
have a social impact since they, above all, are used by
those in authority and power. Since they are valuable they
automatically spell the difference between the rich and the
poor, the haves and the have-nots. They can set people
apart. They might relate to the spiritual but definitely
come from an earthly origin.
gem packed cathedral
a starving family outside
in a rusted sedan
# 50. Karen O'Leary, US
Here is a quote from Thornton Wilder: “We can only be said
to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious
of our treasures.”
***
I invite you to compose some found poetry using lines
from the haiku thread, perhaps reflecting the consciousness
of your treasures. Here is my example. The references at
the right indicate the Haiku Thread sources.
FOUND
POETRY from the "precious stones" Haiku Thread
Starry night
39 Maire Morrissey-Cummins, IE
Childhood dreams
52 Chen-ou Liu, CA
Thirty years of love
43 Maire Morrissey Cummins, IE
Encrusted with diamonds 44
Sandra Martyres, IN
Flawless and sparkling
63 Sandra Martyers, IN
A tribute to love
61 Sandra Martyres, IN
Finding the jewels
84 Marie Morrissey-Cummins, IE
Within you
84 Marie Morrissey-Cummins, IE
