Dear friends,

Hello from chilly Atlantic Canada! Winter is well on its way in my corner of the world, and I hope this finds you all well, cozy, and safe. Hot chocolate, anyone? :)

Okay, so what have I been up to – well, I'm currently working on compiling my haiku (both published and unpublished selections) into a collection and have created a couple of mock covers. I'd love to know which one of the following grabs you the most. These are still works in progress, but I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Send me an email at gisele@grleblanc.com, or you can drop me a quick tweet if you prefer.

Other than that, I'm trying to get through this resistance I've been feeling towards my writing. Hopefully the colder, snowy weather that will soon be upon us will inspire some words.

I posted the following haiku last fall and again very recently. Funniest thing is that it's one of my unpublished selections but it's gotten the most likes and RTs I've ever received on Twitter.

I'm not sure I ever actually submitted it anywhere -- if I did, I must have revised it because I can't find any information on it (I usually keep track by noting the first line).

spider silk
a withered leaf
spins in the wind

Someone commented that it was a good example for people who are learning about haiku, and given how many people have liked and retweeted it so far, I think it's safe to say that's true. :)

A couple of months ago, I was finally able to get a reasonably priced (and in good condition) copy of Chiyo-ni: Woman Haiku Master, by Patricia Donegan and Yoshie Ishibashi (which is no longer in print).

For those of you not familiar with Chiyo-ni, she is widely regarded as one of the greatest female haiku poets.

The haiku below is from the book, although the photo was one I added (found it through canva.com) – what can I say, I was feeling creative. :)

The note accompanying this haiku stated that it is one of Chiyo-ni's best-known Buddhist haiku, expressing the peace of detachment.

You can learn a little bit more about Chiyo-ni here.

Well, that's it from me!

Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with peace and happiness! I'd also like to take this time to thank each an every one of you for your continued support; it truly means the world to me.

Namaste,
Gisele LeBlanc
gisele@grleblanc.com
www.grleblanc.com

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