AnElephantCant hide a dark secret
He feels that at this point it must be revealed
Michael’s photo is super
But AnElephant makes a blooper
He just cannot find a good rhyme for field
AnElephant makes another illiterate assault on this great weekly challenge hosted by his friend Al.
And he again thanks Al for his ongoing efforts with this site.
Please take a moment to check out this page to see some superb interpretations of the Japanese Haibun, a literary form which explores the relationship between the human experience and nature.
This week he chooses this quote as his inspiration:
“Grown up, and that is a terribly hard thing to do.
It is much easier to skip it
and go from one childhood to another.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
Childhood
When my daughter told me she was about to produce my first grandchild, I was pleased but not overly excited.
An absent and, sadly, too often uninvolved father, I did not expect to dally overmuch with the next generation.
Well, as it turned out, for a variety of reasons, I spent literally hundreds of hours in his company, mostly just one on one.
And he taught me more than anyone else in my life.
About puddles and trees.
And tadpoles and dinosaurs.
And big trucks and silly songs.
About Puff and frozen ponds.
About wobbly sticks and ice cream.
About trees and birds, museums and unmatched socks.
Double-decker buses and giraffes.
About magic and about laughter.
He taught me how to look at the world afresh again.
And to love life.
In short, (okay, not very!) he taught me to be a child again.
So now, when I walk knee deep with rolled up trousers in the winter Mediterranean and people ask me if it is cold, I see his laughing face.
I smile, shake my head, and thank him for my life.
there is no cold
for a child
who is having fun
What a fantastic haibun – AnElephant has learnt the wisdom of childhood which we all grow out of for awhile until wisely we return … thanks to the young who guide us. Bravo!
LikeLike
Nicely done good sir, our gkids give us a whole new perspective and i love that.
LikeLike
So absolutely beautiful and heartfelt. Anelephantcant hide somethings when they are referenced by a very special little boy, and this is surely a case in point. Well done. I’ve tears in my eyes for the truth of it! xo
LikeLike
AnElephantWrites an excellent Haibun
One where the weather will always be mild
And as everyone knows
It’s a brilliant prose
About a second time of being a child
LikeLike
What a magical, and magnificent childhood! No one could ask or expect more than these beautiful memories! I love it – well done Elephant! Nan 🙂
LikeLike
I can see you smile. And I love that.
It is the gratitude that is woven throughout the haibun that makes it so good and touching.
Beautifully done.
LikeLike