Sometimes life gets away from me. Like the winter sun, the central things I care about seem too distant to keep my focus. I start to pay attention to the cold, the ice, the blocked flow of my life. And yet, through the trees, the sun returns, to remind me of all the things that form the center of my life.
sunshine on cold days
casting long shadows on the snow
spilling star shine
My children are growing up so fast, growing apart, growing away, turning toward their own lives, a little more each day. But slowly, even more slowly than the earth circles the sun. As they turn their bright faces toward other people and other places, so I remember my center. The things I have always been drawn to do: to write, to contemplate, to think about the larger world.
I am like the woodpecker in the forest, pecking and pecking at life to see what nourishment I can find. The drum, drum, drum becomes one with my heartbeat, and the universe answers in the echoes.
noisy thoughts thrumming
snow showers from the pine branch
falls into silence
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Inspired by the Haībun challence by Ese and Managua, this week a Mongolian proverb, “Wise men talk about ideas, intellectuals about facts, and the ordinary man talks about what he eats.” My head is usually in the clouds, but today my head was turned by the sun.
39 thoughts on “Winter Sun Haībun”
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Friendly Fairy Tales 
Both beautiful and painful – yet hopeful – I can relate to this one and it is so well-written – definitely my favorite out of all of your haibun so far. Great work 🙂
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Thanks! Winter makes me more contemplative, I guess. I appreciate you dropping by. Regards, Brenda
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🙂
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Reblogged this on under the tea tree and commented:
I enjoyed this post so very much. It has a lovely rhythm.
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Thanks! I’m glad you liked it. Maybe it will cool things off a bit in your hometown. 🙂
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I love this post Brenda.
It’s summer here! Not sure that you want the high humidity and high UV.
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I like all the seasons, but I was so pleased to see the sun after so many gray days. We are back in the gray again now. High temps, humidity and UV would surely be a shock after temps 30 below freezing!
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The drum the drum!!! It is indeed the sound of the universe echoing.Once again I fiond your words full of resonance and meaning. Thanks for finding your center on such a day as this.
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Thanks, Paul. I’m glad the echoes of my musings found resonance in your life, too. I think you must be a kindred spirit, my friend. Blessings, Brenda
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I concur Brenda.
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A quiet wintery reflection on the passage of time and the way a mother’s life changes as her children grow. The imagery is so vivid your experience and emotions come across loud and clear. Beautiful writing.
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Thanks! I appreciate your words on this quiet afternoon. Have a great week, Brenda
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I love that first photo with it’s small patch of sun. Your haiku! Noisy thoughts and then that snow falling silently. Beautiful. (I wonder, do woodpeckers ever rest, do they ever pause in stillness? Our forest here is full of Acorn Woodpeckers. What a racket they make!) This was lovely writing. As your children find their way in this world you’ll have that strong center to draw from. ( In Aussie-speak you’ll be right, mate).
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Thanks, Maureen. I think even woodpeckers must occasionally get enough food. This time of year, the woodpeckers are sometimes the only sound, other than the snow falling. So peaceful, no one around. Then usually a dog and its owner will tromp through. 🙂 They are so energetic. I do hope you’re right, and I’ll be right, too. So far, so good. Hey, I’m also happy you like my photo, I went looking for one. It’s hard to get a good photo this time of year. Cheers, Brenda
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I really like the pensive, somewhat melancholic, atmosphere here. It definitely carried over to me.
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It was a cold, cold day. Even the sun could not bring the temperature up near freezing. 🙂
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I don’t like to differentiate between the two pieces, but it does show the mastery in your writing. Your haibun I just read about friendship was so open, welcoming, warm and revealing, and of course in your trademark, flowing style, but this haibun is for the aficionado, deep, thoughtful, quiet, absorbing the reader, very much like snow absorbs sound, sun rays and thoughts. Here there is food for thought. Your haiku….well…you must know how lovely they are, even though you wrote them. Jen said she feels the haibun seems to lift haiku. I think there is magic here, the haiku sit very, very well among the prose.
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I like when they can each stand alone, prose and haiku, better than when one supports or explains the other. I like when they add a certain extra something, like the salt around a margarita glass — important itself, not just a decoration. Thanks for seeing the magic, I shared less memory and more philosophy in honor of the quote. And I tried to make it about my journey that day, in honor of Basho.
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Your first sentence there gives me real food for thought. I may have to re evaluate my thinking.
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That’s just my take. Where I’ve tried to head myself. I plan to read Basho’s book, too. The few excerpts I’ve read were delightful.
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This is so beautiful. And just how I feel some days too:-) Your photo captures those feelings so well! Glad your camera got unfrozen for a bit!❤
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I was inspired by your pictures, partly, trying to get a few with frost, but I didn’t manage it. 🙂 I did get a few good ones, though, I think. 🙂 I managed to get one for this post.
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Stunning.
AnElephant is speechless in admiration.
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Thanks, Elephant. 🙂
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Is that a street or a river? I can’t make it out on this phone… looks cold either way… Thanks for caring about my daughter!
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That’s a river, and it sure was cold. I do hope your daughter is okay, and you, too.
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I start counting to spring from the first day of winter. The shortest day passes then, and the struggle back into the warm is something I celebrate.
(And the hemlines go up in spring too!)
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The number of layers decrease, too! Always a joy to me. January and February are always the hardest months of the winter, in terms of weather, and in terms of not as much to anticipate once New Year’s is past. But we are nearly half through them. 🙂
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Nice. Finding solace in the winter and renewing yourself. Feeding ones soul is so important.
I have woodpeckers in my yard too. I really like the last haiku.
Have a great weekend! ~Jules
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I have an affection for redheaded woodpeckers. 🙂
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They have left coded messages on my willow!
Perhaps directions to the next fairy ball? 🙂
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A message from the universe is always mysterious. How exciting to contemplate it. 🙂
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I wish the wind would stop blowing so I could get some warmth from the sun. 🙂 Beautiful…as always my friend.
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I find a down coat to be a good substitute most days, but the sun was a kind benediction. Snow storm again tomorrow… Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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yes, brenda, and i anxiously await its return )
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It’s on the increase, getting stronger every day!
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Nicely done, but can’t wait for summer.
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It’s summer somewhere in the world. 🙂
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