Monday, August 22, 2016

a goodbye under blue skies

Photo taken 8/10/16 by Arcadia Maria.  All rights reserved.


“a goodbye under blue skies”

I don’t remember how the clouds looked that day.  What I do remember is standing beneath blue skies with the June sun on my skin.  My young mind trying hard to grasp the heaviness of the occasion.  Grand-mom wept into her handkerchief as grand-pop held her.  Mom had her arms wrapped around dad with a solemn face.  So many relatives were gathered around the open grave, where you will lay until the end of time.  The preacher said his solemn words of comfort and we all left flowers for you as a token of our love.  We then departed that place, to get back to piecing our lives back together.  But for me, it would be some time before I fully understood what happened.  I had never lost an uncle before so it was all new to me.  After all these years I have not forgotten you.  For every Spring, I visit your grave along with grand-mom and grand-pop, under blue skies.  I still cannot believe it’s been twenty nine years since you been gone.

white clouds and blue skies
try to wipe away our tears
with help from the sun

- Written for dVerse Halibun Monday: The Sky is the Limit.  We were tasked to write a halibun poem about the day sky.  I'm not sure what came over me when I read this prompt, but I decided to revisit a memory I had of my uncle's funeral.  I was only eight years old when he died in a car accident, but I have fond memories of him from when I was very little.  This is for you, uncle Evan.  





15 comments:

  1. What a beautiful haiku to end this haibun. The image of the clouds trying to wipe away our tears is very poignant.

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  2. Really beautiful tribute to your uncle.

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  3. nice, personal & very creative & terrific way to illustrate the prompt; kept some suspense there for a time before you identified the deceased.

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  4. So much to like in this... The personal, the connection to the sky and the memories tied to the cloudspecked sky...

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  5. My first loss..
    of the human
    kind.. was an
    Uncle too.. but
    not a blood relative..
    and the closest thing
    to a Father then.. sad
    when blood feels less..
    yet truth
    is tHeRe
    are no
    coffins for Love..
    for mE @lEast..
    and west..
    WitH no
    directions
    @aLL..

    EYes oF Love Linger FeeLed FilLed..
    kNows no distance.. space..
    Blood.. or death..:)

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  6. A very personal and touching haibun.

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  7. Such a poignant haibun.. and a great tribute to your uncle.

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  8. A beautiful tribute with a poignant haiku to underline your memory and your love for this special person.

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  9. A beautiful haiku to end a haibun of childhood memory.

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  10. This is poignant and beautiful. I like the image of the clouds and skies as consoler.

    Imelda

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  11. Must have been a wonderful uncle for such a powerful memory. Beautiful tribute!

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  12. Poignant. ..we will never realize the time gap....beautifully written. ..

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  13. Well, whatever came over you, I think it was a good impulse. You convey the emotion of both your child and adult self, quite beautifully.

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  14. A tribute from your heart! And that it remains with you so vividly all these years later is a testament to the man and your love for him, Arcadia!

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