Haibun: Twisted Black Rock

‘Hitting 5 miles or getting the kids back?’

The sun burned in the sky as hot as it did into the ground under each step. Her heart was set on 5 miles today. Finally! However, the youngest didn’t sleep and her oldest was quickly rejecting the yellow airborne pollens. Pollen is how Spring rains in the Sonoran Desert.

But still? Even though the terrain is much more jolting than she remembered, she wanted the 5 miles. It felt close to a need. Maybe a pep talk to get the last half mile to the overlook, “the 2.6 miles” and turn back?

Taking a deep breath—seeing her loves and her hopes—seeing them struggling, she smiled, “Look how far we got, maybe we can get the 5 miles next week?” 

And she took one more deep breath to fully exhale disappointment into the warm air of love.



jagged, rusty rock:
twist, then interlock. burned black.

desert springs burn dry

https://andhaiku.blogspot.com/2019/05/twisted-black-rock.html