Heeding Haiku With Chèvrefeuille September 2nd “Indian Summer”

Indian Summer

Dear friends of MLMM,

According to meteorology on the Northern Hemisphere Autumn has started and our new Heeding Haiku has all to do with that start.

Before I start with our new prompt I love to share a haiku which I wrote in November 2012 it was inspired on a prompt “Indian Summer” and I love to challenge you to write a haiku (or tanka) inspired on “Indian Summer”:

after a warm day
a thin layer of fresh fallen snow
covers the garden

© Chèvrefeuille

First I love to share some interesting info on Indian Summer (in my country, The Netherlands, it’s known as ‘oude wijven zomer’ or in English ‘Old Wives Summer’).

An Indian summer is a heat wave that occurs in the autumn. It refers to a period of considerably above-normal temperatures, accompanied by dry and hazy conditions, usually after there has been a killing frost. Depending on latitude and elevation, it can occur in the Northern Hemisphere between late September and mid November.

The expression ‘Indian summer’ has been used for more than two centuries. The earliest known use was by French-American writer John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur in rural New York in 1778: “Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer.”In British English St. Martin’s Summer was the most widely used term until the American phrase became better known in the 20th century. In the United Kingdom, the term Indian summer is used loosely for a period of unseasonable warmth and sunshine in late September, October, or November. In former times in English-speaking regions of Europe, ‘Indian summer’ was called Saint Martin’s Summer, referring to St. Martin’s day, November 11. An alternative was Saint Luke’s summer. Another alternative was “All-hallows summer”, as All Hallows’ is November 1. In the United Kingdom Indian summer is often used to describe warm weather that comes late in the year after unusually cool summer months.In the Netherlands it is sometimes called “oudewijvenzomer” or “sint-michielszomer” (“St. Michael’s Summer”), although the term “nazomer” (“late summer”) is used more often.

OK … now we know something more about ‘Indian Summer’ … time to start writing haiku. Write a haiku (or tanka) inspired on “Indian Summer”. Have fun!

When you have written your poem(s), please TAG Heeding Haiku with Chèvrefeuille and Mindovemisery’s Menagerie. Then add your link to the Mister Linky widget below.