Carpe Diem #317, Ivory (provided by Bjorn Rudberg)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As the days become shorter, the nights longer and the weather changes I realize that time flies. Sometimes I think that our lives are going faster then ever. Technologies change fast and the computer is granted more 'power, but something isn't changing at all, maybe it occurs lesser, but it still occurs.
"What are you talking about?" I can almost hear that question asked by you all. Well ... let me tell you a little story.

Ivory poachers

Several years ago (2001) I went on a holiday to Florida US with my family to visit the Disney Parks. My children were 10 and 7 at that time and (of course) they, and my wife and I too, had a wonderful "once in a lifetime"-experience. One of the parks, Animal Kingdom, had a Safari-like attraction. During the ride through this wonderful park the guide told an exciting adventure (as part of the ride) and it became a wonderful ride. We were part of that adventure ourselves. There were poachers spotted and we had to catch them and bring them to justice. The adventure was about poachers who were hunting on elephants for their Ivory. Then it was just an adventure which was part of the ride, but as we all know ... elephants are still hunted for their Ivory (as the photo above shows us).

elephants hunted
by poachers with their long guns -
expensive ivory

expensive ivory
makes poachers greedy for more -
hunting elephants

As I was preparing this episode another thing came in mind ... a song titled "Ebony and Ivory" and as I can recall it was sung by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. I remember that song very well, because at that time I was a big fan of Paul McCartney and I like that song very much. I love to share that video with you all.

A wonderful song ... don't you think so?

Another thing which came in mind was the saying "Ivory Tower", it means that "someone thinks he/she is better then the rest of the world and that he/she is the most intelligent being on this earth". Another meaning could be taht he/she is hiding in his/her "Ivory Tower", because he/she is extremely anxious for the outside world.

Ivory Tower
like an Eagle's nest
high above the sea

As I am writing the above words ... the legend of the Tower(s) of Hanoi is coming into my mind. So ... I have to tell you taht legend I think, because why (ine heavens name) does this legend comes in mind it has nothing to do with "Ivory", our prompt for today provided by Bjorn Rudberg.

Towers of Hanoi

The legend of "The Tower(s) of Hanoi" goes somewhat like this:

As the world was created, monks built a temple or a monastery commissioned by the gods. As that temple was created the gods placed three time-worn posts surrounded by 64 golden disks in it. The monks acting out the command of an ancient prophecy, have been moving those disks, in accordance with the immutable rules of the gods, since that day. They couldn't place a bigger disks on a smaller disk and they had to replace all the golden disks from the first post to the third post. As they succeeded, playing the last disk to the third post, and so completed their task given by the gods, the world would be come to it's end.

A nice legend, don't worry the end of the world isn't near, because if the monks complete their task then we will be almost 600 billion years further in the future.
Well ... it's not clear why I had to tell you this legend. Maybe ... it was just for fun (smiles).

monks of Hanoi
playing a game of towers
'til the end of the world

'til they end of the world
monks will replace golden disks
life long task

Tower(s) of Hanoi

I hope you did enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let this post be your inspiration to write your "Ivory"- haiku. Have fun!

This prompt will stay on 'til October 9th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our second Carpe Diem Special by our featured haiku-poet, Garry Gay, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET).
!! Ivory is open for your submissions at 7.00 PM (CET) !!