Lessons From Nature Haibun

Image credit Ben White, Unsplash

Supple Opal

Surrounded by supple spring hens on the first day of school, I can’t help but wonder, am I not attractive anymore?

Autumn Valley hike
Barren Yosemite Falls
Zero water drops

I walk around campus, feeling like a ghost. A stunning twenty-something-year-old is hiding behind the art building, crying on the phone. “Why am I not enough for you?” she asks, and I realize we’ve both fallen for the same trick.

Javelina herd
Safety in numbers, split them
Alone, they’re an easy kill

Why am I blaming myself? The only thing I did wrong was give him too many chances to take a bite out of my heart.

Magpie hunts Squirrel
Her beak vying for his eyes
Squirrel stole an egg

If one night with a twenty-five year-old body is worth more to him than my whole entire soul, then maybe I just need to wait for a more mature man, with better priorities. His choices unveil his value, not mine.

Unearthed, left behind
Unwanted opal gemstones
Treasure to wise eyes

I’m just starting to re-build my life, and I’m about to leave him in the dust. By the time he realizes what he lost, I’ll be so far out of his reach, he’ll never see or hear from me again.

Withered brown leaves- dead?
Botanical surgery
New blooms sprout once more

photo credit Yousef Espanioly, Unsplash

Written for Tanka Tuesday Theme Prompt: “Lessons from Nature”

The form I chose is haibun. From the Tanka Tuesday Poetry Cheat Sheet:

“Haibun are always titled. The title should connect to the rest of the poem. Haibun prose can be written in present or past tense including, first-person (I), third-person (he/she), or first-person plural (we). Subject matter: autobiographical prose, travel journal, a slice of life, memory, dream, character sketch, place, event, or object. Focus on one or two elements. Keep your prose simple. Nothing should be overstated. The length can be brief with one or two sentences with a haiku, or longer prose with a haiku sandwiched between, to longer memoir works including many haiku. There are different Haibun styles: Idyll: (One prose paragraph and one haiku) haiku/prose, or prose/haiku; Verse Envelope: haiku/prose/haiku; Prose Envelope: prose/haiku/prose, including alternating prose and verse elements.“

#tankatuesday #themeprompt

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