Thursday, April 12, 2018

PAD Day 12: A Haibun for Survivors


Today's dual prompts from Poetic Asides and NaPoWriMo: (1) write a "lament" poem, and (2) write a haibun (a mixed form of prose and haiku). This week we are finally getting weather that really feels like spring, even flirting with summer, so this haibun celebrates that, along with the hardiness of the flora in my neighborhood. You could call this an "anti-lament" poem.


Defiant Ones

The true season has finally decided to show up, after weeks of cruel teasing. The first day of spring gave us heavy wet snow that bowed and split many trees about to bud.  A section of privacy fence collapsed from the weight of the snow and crushed my backyard forsythia. I hefted up the fence and braced it with bungee cords, a temporary fix, but I worried about the fragile bush, squashed almost flat to the ground. As it happened, there was no need to grieve  - today it sprang back with a vengeance.

first swath of color
a vibrant yellow brush stroke
in my back garden

The first mild afternoon in my neighborhood this year demands a walk and I oblige. The cherry trees are coming into full glory, but one that caught my eye is barely standing at an acute angle to the sidewalk and curb in front of a neighbor's house. It looks like a car has hit it, with gouges and stripped bark on one side, yet it has the strength for one last show.

mortally wounded
the blooming cherry tree says
please save your laments

1 comment:

Vince Gotera said...

Wonderful, Bruce. Glad the forsythia prevailed!