“The world is mud-luscious…
[and] puddle-wonderful”
e.e. cummings

My neighbor greeted me mournfully with these sad words: “Your house always has that large puddle in front of it,” and she pointed. Sure enough, I could have laid down in that puddle, and it would still have been longer than me and wider, too.

“That’s okay,” I responded with a smile. “I have two small boys who will love that puddle.” She looked taken aback, but I was the kind of mother to take my boys puddle-stomping on a whim. We named that puddle Alligator Pond. Many times, we stomped there, in water shoes and rain boots, and found ourselves anointed with the magic waters.

Now we can see all the world in a puddle, earth, sky, trees and ourselves.

Puddle splash laughter,
Muddy knees, arms windmilling,
rainwater in boots.

Copyright 2013 Brenda Davis Harsham

Note: If you like the haibun poetry style (prose followed by haiku), and want to dip a toe, you can find this week’s prompt at Ligo Haibun.

Further Note: The puddle in the photograph is not Alligator Pond, which is much dirtier and much closer to the sidewalk.