Poetic Sketch
by Marie Bortolotto

heart-shaped post-it note on the mirror -- be free

Marie Bortolotto Art

Poetic Sketches
by Marie Bortolotto

1/

forlorn woman
shrouded in drizzle

2/

person soliciting donations --
our eyes meet in silence

3/

person in need --
I throw coins into his baseball cap

4/
noisy intersection --
a woman scurries with her yappy dogs

5/

walking --
the rain pours down on my lonely thoughts

6/

empty bowl -- a person in need sits cross-legged on the pavement

7/

tiptoeing --
fallen chestnuts
helter-skelter

8/

a lone crow strolls down the rain-soaked street


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Marie Bortolotto Art

Poetic Sketches
by Marie Bortolotto

1/

cloudy day
my breath lost
in the wind

2/

rainy day
this too shall pass
walk on


3/

each day,
I wait for poems
to enter my heart

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Marie Bortolotto Art

 "Nothing To Say" Marie Bortolotto 2024

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Free-Form Haiku
by Marie Bortolotto

breathing in
breathing out
that's all you need to know

"That's All You Need To Know" Marie Bortolotto 2024

"

Free-Form Haiku
by Marie Bortolotto

1/

walking and waiting
no poems today

2/

waiting --
a poem appears
out of nowhere

3/

What was I seeking years ago? I don't remember --
Nothing to find but what's here!

4/

breath of fresh air --
the wind blows away my thoughts

5/

momentary respite
cackling crows lecture me
atop the cell phone tower

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Free-Style Haiku
by Santoka Taneda (1882-1940)

1/

I have no home;
Autumn deepens

 

2/

Well, which way should I go?
The wind blows. 

 

Marie Bortolotto Art

Poetic Sketch
by Marie Bortolotto

I've climbed many mountains
in search of a worthy sage
but not a person was found

now I wander the flat roads
wisdom is nowhere, but here --
in the quiet of my own breath

Haiku
by Marie Bortolotto

1/

daily pilgrimage
listening for poetry
hidden in silence

 

2/

why are you complaining?
a crabby crow squawks
into the morning gloom

Short Verse
by Marie Bortolotto

old Sikh, draped in white
walking stick in hand
flourescent orange turban
wrapped around his head

circumambulates the park
chanting holy names in concert
with a cacophony of crows

Poetic Sketch
by Marie Bortolotto

What will you make of your life
when the bloom is off the rose
and delusions no longer fascinate?

Was it all you thought it would be?

Did you find what you were seeking,
fall on your knees, in awe?

Remember --

It's never too late
to find beauty hidden
in the silence of things

Marie Bortolotto Art

We weep for a bird's cry, but not for a fish's blood.
Blessed are those with a voice.

-  Mamoru Oshii

Poetic Sketch
by Marie Bortolotto

while at the park
my mind wanders
finding refuge in the moment
I close my eyes and listen --
to what?

bird calls
construction
dogs barking
wind blowing
traffic noise
footsteps
airplanes
motorcycles
garbage trucks
human voices
squirrels
car horns
cell phones
leaf blowers
bicycles
children's laughter
my breath,
my heartbeat

and in between all of these --

SILENCE

Haiku
by Marie Bortolotto

1/

hot and humid --
a bird's cry breaks silence


2/

soon the trees will lose their leaves
stand naked in the bitter wind
it's a miracle they survive at all
after everything is taken from them

Haiku
by Marie Bortolotto

everyday
walking nowhere
arriving here

Poetic Sketch
© Marie Bortolotto 2024



city life is full of distractions
it's easy to dismiss
the call of existence --

fallen rose blossoms  
autumn's solemn kiss
dust in the wind 
voices at twilight

Marie Bortolotto Artist

"Poetic Utterance" by Marie Bortolotto Artist 2024

 

Poetic Sketch
© Marie Bortolotto 2024



chopping wood
carrying water

washing dishes
mopping floors

flossing teeth
peeling potatoes

brewing tea
steaming rice

brushing hair
cleaning sinks

mincing garlic
frying eggs

watering plants
scrubbing toilets

smelling roses
tasting lemons

hearing birdsong
seeing rubbish

touching dirt
planting flowers

reading sutras
sitting still

chanting mantras
walking home

breathing in
exhaling out

chopping wood
carrying water

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Marie Bortolotto Art

 

 

Poetic Sketch
by Marie Bortolotto

crestfallen rose
on the stem --
end of summer

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Marie Bortolotto 2024

Marie Bortolotto Art

Poetic Sketches
by Marie Bortolotto

1/

silent morning --
walking home
cultivating joy

2/

windy day --
a dry leaf rattles
across the pavement

 

3/

worn out --
beauty found
in imperfect things

Marie Bortolotto Art