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November 26, 2013

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Poetry

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Letters from Japan Haībun

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Used Courtesy of ArtifactsandFictions

Dear Joanie,

I arrived safely, and my company has given me a nice hotel. It’s fall here, too. I should be home soon. Take care of mommy.

Love, Daddy

father gone too long
black marks on paper not enough
leaves falling slowly

Dear Joanie,

I hiked high up a mountain Saturday in the morning mist. The mist receded before me, always out of reach. My contract has been extended, and I will be here at least another month. I miss you. Will you please write me more often?

Hugs, Daddy

mother sad and still
sitting by the cold window
white snow blowing past

Dear Joanie,

My heart is with you, but I have to stay a little longer. The temple bells wake me in the morning. I’m working long hours to return home to you. Tell your mother I love her.

Fondly, Daddy

cold empty playground
wind singing and swaying swings
dad played soccer here

Dear Joanie,

I so appreciated the photographs and book you and Mommy sent for my birthday. It lightened by heart, just as the sun is warming the ground and calling forth buds. My project is finally finished! I will be home in a week after a few more meetings!

Love, Daddy

sunshine glints brightly
ocean waves beat against stone
Japan behind mists

Dear Joanie,

Thanks for your joyful letter. I’m so happy spring has arrived. Here, the trees have leafed up, too, and the grasslands wave in the mountain breezes. The air is fresh, and smells of flowers. The final meetings took longer than I thought. One more week, and I will be home. Here is a picture of the view from my window. I think of you every day.

I love you and miss you, Daddy

heron rose from reeds
salt marsh seagulls call hello
sun sets on absence

Copyright 2013 Brenda Davis Harsham

Prepared from art by Suzanne and inspired by the Haībun weekly prompt. Also written for the DPChallenge, which I have never tried before. Although I write haiku, I have never paired them with a letter-writing prose style, so this was a departure for me.  I’m writing all five haiku in one go because: Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and Blogging, oh, my!

45 thoughts on “Letters from Japan Haībun”

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    • Your art moved me deeply. Both pieces inspired me, and I started to imagine myself in the blue, but in end, the other gave me a great gateway into feelings I have never put into words before. Thanks for sharing so generously with us. I hope you read the comments because my readers really loved your art. 🙂 Warmly, Brenda

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  15. Brenda, this is absolutely a delight – love the letter writing format and each haiku, perfect blending. i vote this as a DP freshly press 🙂 really well done. ♥

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  20. Oh dear oh dear – this takes my breath away, and I do usually not like the overblown comments, especially the ones that start with “oh”! Brenda, what a special, special unique haibun. I get that sudden feeling again, that sort of -‘this is what makes it all worthwhile’ feeling. I do like haibun very much as a genre, but in posts like this I see it taken to heights I could never foresee. Just beautiful, stylistically, for the emotions it engenders and for the quality of the production. Thank you.

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    • I’m delighted you like it!! I wanted to try something new, but I’m afraid my time this week is running out, and soon I will be in the family maelstrom. Starting in about 10 minutes. I didn’t have time to learn a new poetry form. I want to give that a try in a week or two. Besides, I love haiku.

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  24. Sweet letters..your Haiku’s are so charged with your feelings too, reminds me of the times when we used to pick up a pen and paper for mailing, it was so much personal back then.

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    • That’s what I was reminded of by Suzanne’s art. When penmanship used to reflect your soul and letter-writing was a fun part of the day. And getting a letter in the mail — the very best of treats. I tried to convey that, and I’m so happy you found it there. 🙂

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    • Thanks! My hubby is back from Japan, and my kids missed him. He was only gone a week, though. The picture prompts this week made me think of him being gone, and how that feels to a child.

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