heart rattle mom’s phone call this one unwanted
Usagi
The Poetic Rabbit
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This work by Tawnya Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.LinkedIn
red wolf journal
NaHaiWriMo Day 18
This entry was posted in Photo, Poetry, Prompts, Senryu and tagged death, grief, Haiku, NaHaiWriMo, Poem, Poetry, poetry prompt, postaweek2012, rattle, Senryu. Bookmark the permalink.
Shiteki Na Usagi 
Well done.
Raven,
Thank you. 🙂
The combination photo and words…provides a deep feeling of sadness…exceptionally expressed.
slpmartin,
Thank you. This one was important to get right.
Good morning, My family had a stretch of time with many such phone calls and many passings, when I was in my 40s. A few Mother’s Days ago, we visited the cemetery in Milwaukee where my parents and many loved ones are buried. I was amazed at the atmosphere. So many people paying their respects and visiting. Enjoying the lovely day too. Not sad. But it surely took time for me, and I think it helps people when poets and other artists express all of life. Also a very personal journey, how we each grieve.
Mom taught English–“the human condition.” Love endures.
Ellen,
My father’s funeral was one of the best experiences of my life, because it was a celebration as well as a time of grieving. I was stunned at how respected and admired he was (shouldn’t have been), and it gave me much to think about regarding my own life. Your mother left a beautiful legacy, and I can tell you are doing the same. Thank you so much for sharing my haiku and your experience with me.
mm…yeah know where that one is headed…if it is late at night too…
brian,
It wasn’t late at night, but it was still so difficult to process. I’ve got another poem about that. I actually had to ask her to repeat what she told me about three times, because my brain kept saying, “No, that’s not what she’s saying.” The call came about an hour before my kids got home from school, so I had time to pull myself together. Never easy, and still a shock no matter what the circumstances. Thanks for sharing it with me.
Yes, it does.
sandy,
Thank you. Should I remove the photo then?
Even without the picture–maybe more so without–this one feels sad, heavy.
Bill,
Yes, I agree. I debated about including the photo. I kept it in case the poem was too vague (haiku can be that way) and because it is one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken. Not too hard to be sad about that kind of phone call. I find myself dreading calls from my siblings now. I hold my breathe until I know everything is fine. The next one will be even harder than the first.