Weekly Haiku: 04/02/2026

 Here is this week's haiku, composed by the Editor and his cousin Natalie! :)

Rising from the flames –

The immortal firebird shines,

Blessing all with hope.

In this digital image, processed by the Editor, we see Natalie showing a PowerPoint slide about the phoenix (firebird). The slide depicts the antediluvian prophet Enoch and his twin sister Tabitha meeting a phoenix near the Central Fire of the Universe. The imagery on the slide includes elements drawn from Pythagorean philosophy, Second Temple Judaism, and Coptic Orthodox Christianity. Happy springtime holidays to everyone!

Lily's Language Lab: Week of 03/29/2026

 Compiled by Lily Randall, Blog Staff Writer & Wortschatzmeisterin

Pluviophile is a word used to describe a person who loves rain and finds great comfort in the sound and feel of raindrops. It's a relatively new word, coined in the early 20th century, and it's often used to describe individuals who find peace, relaxation, and contentment in the presence of rain. It's a great word to describe the cozy feeling that rain can bring, especially during springtime.

In this digital image, processed by the Editor, Lily shows off her enthusiasm for rainy days! :)

Weekly Haiku: 03/26/2026

 Here is this week's haiku, composed by the Editor:

Siduri the sage –

In the Land of the Sunrise –

The world’s first Sibyl.

In this digital image created by the Editor, we see Siduri, the world's first Sibyl, tending her vineyards next to her fortified residence in the Land of the Rising Sun. Siduri is the wisewoman consulted by King Gilgamesh of Uruk during his quest for the secret of immortality, as detailed in the Gilgamesh Epic from ancient Mesopotamia. Siduri's advice to Gilgamesh is quoted almost verbatim in Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 (King James Version):

"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the Sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the Sun."

Lily's Language Lab: Week of 03/22/2026

 Compiled by Lily Randall, Blog Staff Writer & Wortschartzmeisterin

Blooming perfectly describes the vibrant and colorful state of new life during the spring season. It's a great way to sum up the beauty and excitement of the season as the flowers and plants around us come alive and burst with color. I hope this word is as "groovacious" to you, our readers, as it is to me!

The word blooming comes from the Old English word bloma, meaning "to bloom" or "to flourish." It is related to the Middle English word blome, which means "flower" or "blossom." The word has also influenced other words like "bloomer" (a type of trouser) and "blooming" (an expression of surprise or excitement).

Butterflies flutter around multicolored flowers inside a tropical greenhouse. This digital image by the Editor was inspired by his visits to the Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri, during the early 2000s.

Weekly Haiku: 03/19/2026

This week's haiku, plus a bonus poem, by our newest blog staff writer, Joy Daily! :)

Blue rose blooms at dusk— 

Laughter stitches up the sky— 

Joy needs no reason.

Blue roses bloom and glow at sunset in this new digital image by the Editor! The blue rose is a symbol of love and longing in German Romanticism.

"Storm and Sunshine"
By Joy Daily, Blog Staff Writer

When storms arise, stand firm — but know,

The Sun still dances, warm and bright.

Through every ache, through every woe,

Joy hums her tune — just hold her tight.

Lily's Language Lab: 03/15/2026

 Compiled by Lily Randall, Blog Staff Writer & Wortschatzmeisterin

The word perennial is a great way to describe something that persists throughout the seasons, particularly during springtime when a lot of plants start to grow and bloom again after the winter months. It comes from the Latin word perennis, meaning lasting through the year. I hope you find this word as "groovacious" as I do!

In this digital image created by the Editor, Athena, the Classical Greek goddess of wisdom, is seated on an ornate chair in a grove of olive trees near the Acropolis in ancient Athens (which was named after her). The wise old owl is perched on Athena's chair, and Athena herself is holding a book entitled "The Perennial Philosophy," of which she is the author. As a wisdom goddess, Athena is comparable to other wisdom goddesses from the ancient world, such as Minerva (Roman), Neith (Egyptian), Sophia (Judeo-Christian-Gnostic), Saraswati (Hindu), Prajnaparamita (Buddhist), and Benzaiten (Japanese Buddhist/Shinto). The "perennial philosophy" highlights the idea that all the great spiritual traditions of the world share a common core of basic teachings that they inherited from the same Source, probably in prehistoric times.

Weekly Haiku: 03/12/2026

 This week's haiku was crafted by the Editor and his cousin Rowan!

Friday, March 13^th.

Pluto: Clyde Tombaugh’s triumph!

The planet with heart! 💙

In this digital image by the Editor, we see the surface of Pluto at sunset. Pluto's largest moon, Charon, is above the western horizon in a waxing crescent phase. The haiku refers to a large heart-shaped formation on the planet's surface known as Tombaugh Regio; it was named after Clyde Tombaugh, a son of Illinois who discovered Pluto on March 13, 1930, which is recognized as Pluto Planet Day in Illinois. (The Editor met Clyde Tombaugh's grand-nephew 25 years ago on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana.)