White clover, dandelion, buttercup and wild violets line the pathway that I walk. Just between the path’s edge and the grass, golden, stringy pollen catkins, which have fallen from the oaks, collect themselves. A miniscule, yellow-tan butterfly alights on a branch of Cherokee rose, and a beetle crosses my path. As I climb the hill, the trees overshadow me, and I am grateful for their shielding from the hot sun. A chipmunk clambers over a log, and a robin, perched in a tree, flits away as I approach.
in the shadow of
the trees, a doe hides herself
from human presence
© Susan Joy Clark 2021
This is an autobiographical account. My phone was out of battery power or I would have taken my own woodsy photo. The theme this week for Tanka Tuesday, hosted by Colleen Chesebro of Word Craft Prose & Poetry, is “travel/journeys,” so I thought it worked perfectly with a haibun and another walk in the woods.
This is so great! I feel like I am there!
Thanks so much, Mark. I am enjoying this haibun form. It’s a little bit new to me, although I think descriptive writing has been a strong point for me. It’s great for me to combine this form of writing with some walking/hiking exercise. Another personal benefit of this writing form is that I will have some really detailed memories to look back on. Anyway, I’m really glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Breathtaking… Beautifully expreseed. 🙂
Thanks very much, Amy. 🙂
All the creatures of the forest need protection from the humans! Beautiful reminder.
Thank you. I would have liked to get a better glimpse at that doe. It would have been nice if she understood I was not a threat. I did get to photograph another deer on a different day who was happily munching wildflowers, believe it or not, in a wild area of someone’s property. I may post those eventually. 🙂
Susan, this haibun is stunning. I love your descriptions. I feel like I’m on the path with you. Well done. <3
Oh, thank you so much, Colleen. This form is new to me, but I really enjoy it. It seems to suit me. 🙂
I like the haibun. Tanka prose is equally as fun to write. Nothing is ever overstated in these forms. Brevity is still the main objective. <3
I haven’t tried tanka prose. I’m sure you’ve written about it in your blog someplace. Can you link something?
Refer to the cheat sheet for the forms: https://wordcraftpoetry.com/tanka-tuesday-poetry-cheat-sheet-for-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenges/. Good luck! I know you will love it. <3
Thank you. 🙂