“#Michigan #Gardening,” #haibun

I feel great satisfaction in the planting and growing of perennials. They become my offspring, a by-product of the energy I infuse into the plants to grow and become strong. Each season, I fuss over the fresh growth, thrilled that my plant babies survived another year.

day’s first blush
halcyon weather
eventide storms

Today, the humidity wrapped vaporous tendrils of fog around the trees in my neighborhood. As I labored in the garden digging holes, my sweat dripped into the soil.

dark clouds birth
crepuscular light
draws rainfall

By the time the rains came, my plants were tucked into the soil and my balance with nature was again restored.

© 2021 Colleen M. Chesebro


This haibun is an example of a prose envelope haibun (prose, haiku, prose). An explantation of the form is found on page 84-89 in the print book of Word Craft: Prose & Poetry.

This week’s Tanka Tuesday challenge was to pick synonyms for the words dawn and twilight selected by Gwen Plano. I used “first blush” for dawn and “eventide” for twilight. In the second haiku, I used “birth” for dawn, and “crepuscular light” for twilight.

37 thoughts on ““#Michigan #Gardening,” #haibun

  1. Gorgeous descriptions, photos and poetry. “.. humidity wrapped vaporous tendrils..” that whole paragraph was delightful 💜♥️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. After I got hacked and cloned, that was enough for me. Instagram wanted me to prove my identity by taking a photograph me holding my ID! I said no, and that was that. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Are you on Twitter, Elizabeth?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That is crazy! Yes, I’ve a Twitter account, but no much activity in there, I’ll share my post and tag you in there! I should be more active in there. Have a great Sunday!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Very nice haibun. I love your vocabulary and dripping your sweat into the earth. I have done that more time that I remember but when you do it, it sounds nourishing and magical somehow – poetic! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

        1. I had hoped (secretly) that my sweat would nurture the plants as well. I’m glad you picked up on that. But, still… it was pretty ugly. I’m still adjusting to the humidity here. Good thing, it comes and goes. Unlike Florida which almost killed me. I just don’t do heat well. Where we lived in northern Buckeye (near Surprise, AZ) it will be 117 tomorrow. I’m so glad we moved. Whew!! LOL! 😀

          Liked by 1 person

  3. We had some fog on the road on our way home the other day. And if I had blinked I would have missed the emu. Yes that’s right I said emu. Apparently there is a farm off the main route in Illinois – I looked it up. There are many emu farms too, in the states. I only knew of one restaurant that actually served Emu (I think). One of those odd places that also serve Buffalo. Though I think Buffalo is more common than Emu.

    You garden is looking fabulous. I have some white (I think it is) Clematis over an arbor. 😀

    Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.