culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

bowl cut

How resourceful are you?

hair clippings stick

onto the side of

a black sloped hill

a lot of people

assume a great haircut

requires the best shears

razers, combs, and brushes

when in actuality

we should learn to use

what’s already around us

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

spit it out

What are you willing to share with the world?

a poet and painter

sit by the shore

recording life

the thought of

keeping and locking

our ideas and dreams

to only ourselves

without sharing them

with our audience

needs to be reexamined

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

moss and stone

Do you conquer or coexist with nature?

year after year

sitting on the ground

of the moss temple

is the purpose

of our existence

to conquer everything

in our path

or to coexist with

the natural world

as a polite guest?

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

refill

What replenishes your soul?

trickle of water

pours into bamboo

hits the rock

our cups

with an elixir

of well water

before our hands

reach for cans

filled with sugar

that make us sicker

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

save the ___

Whose history are you preserving?

hummingbird flight

no flowers in sight

no food for me

may grab attention

in the short-term

but what really

makes a difference

is communicating

the long-term impact

of our actions

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

tick-tock tick-tock

When did you wake up today?

morning sonata

a grasshopper chirps

a lawn mower mows

while some may find

it an inconvenience

to turn off our alarms clocks

and go back to sleep

we should appreciate

the fact that

we woke up today

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

weighing out

When do you use pros and cons lists?

food scale

rusted metal plates

holding ripe bananas

an important decision

with pros and cons

may seem helpful

at a high-level

but frequently takes

our cognitive bias

into consideration

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

name-dropping

What keeps you humble?

old cherry tree

barely holding back

a red balloon

as a means

to specifically impress

our peers or audience

does more damage

by inflating our egos

with pride and arrogance

instead of humbleness

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

click

What do social media algorithms teach you?

white pelicans

migrating towards

the great wetlands

on a photo

showing birds

to only see more

photos of birds

in our future interactions

is the trained algorithm

we are subjected to daily

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

ladder

What advice do you give to learners?

one, two, three

wooden shelves holding

father’s advice

beginner

intermediate

advanced

no matter the scale

rating, or degree

we should take pride of

who we are

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

we assume

Do you assume without asking?

bus station

converse run through

mud puddles

far to many reasons

for what could have

made a person late

and miss the bus

when we should

instead be asking

why it happened

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

push pins

What improves your fine motor skills?

left behind

imprinted on the wall

crayon figures

on bulletin boards

can hold lighter items

in a particular place

but also provide us

a chance to improve

our eye for design

and fine motor skills

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community, creativity, culture Tomosumi community, creativity, culture Tomosumi

reverse reverse

What can you do about aging?

grandfather clock

the lunar moon passes

the fifteenth day

when the most valuable

things we have in life

are our health and happiness

why do we make things

so difficult for ourselves

to cause stress instead

of being blessed?

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

octopus

What do your scars say about you?

tako sashimi

clinging onto the plate

and perilla leaf

does the ability

to regenerate

lost appendages

over a matter of months

mean we will return

to our original self

or evolve into something else?

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

the glades

What calms your mind?

chittering squirrels

the remains of macadamias

left on a rock

we stumble upon

as we wonder

in and out of

a foreboding forest

gives us pause

from our fear and anxieties

to stop, look, and listen

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

square to cube

How are you becoming multifaceted?

a flick of the wrist

dice ricochet across

emerald green baize

the transition

from 2d to 3d

seems daunting

and unnecessary for those

who crave consistency

before they realize

we are always changing

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

accordion

What causes you to stop and start?

red and yellow

lights on the bridge

staring at fire

the next time

we get stuck in traffic

tap on the brakes

and see the chain reaction

of buses, automobiles

and motorbikes

that follow our lead

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

pawns, knights, and kings

Who are you protecting and fostering?

a shogi board

pentagons scattered

across the field

being judged solely by

our status and affiliation

in the community

is like people peering through

an unopened door’s keyhole

to only find and see

what’s in front of them

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

season one

What is your favorite season?

sakura petals

settling on top of

my picnic basket

marks the beginning

of blooming flowers

even after hours

for these sunsets

won’t let us forget

what we bring

into spring

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

gf

How do you become more inclusive?

marinating tofu

in a sea of tamari

bubbles pop

experimenting with

alternative ingredients

for a recipe

expands our knowledge

in crafting dishes

as well as promoting

inclusiveness

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