Haibun: Mud Puddles

The rain fell this past week, making mud of everything not paved over and pooling water in every uneven surface. My year and a half nephew took to those puddles with his blue rain boots. Every puddle was stomped with a mix of excitement and curiosity if he could stomp it harder. His smile was infectious.

Before the last rains, his older brother took some fence post holes and made them deeper. My nephew, not knowing these holes could exist, tried to stomp a big mud puddle and started to fall into a fence post hole filled with rain water. Putting it all together in the moment, I grabbed him up before he went into the hole.

He was soaked from his thigh down, his rain boots were full of water. Not really knowing what happened, he was a bit irritated I was taking him away from the puddles to dry off. 

Within an hour he was on my lap, eyes heavy, as we watched Cocomelon and he relaxed into me, everything forgiven and right with the world.

after the day’s rain

the ground’s muddy stain attained

a winter crown feigned