Photo: V. Slotto
November, Interrupted
Outside, I see the barren pewter skies of late November, consider how I was taught as a child that this is the time of year in which we are to reflect upon death. Nature seems to cry “emptiness,” though I know that, in reality, life surges beneath the surface of what appears to be.
Wind howls, inviting our outdoor chimes to sound a song of hope when, in a flash, color fills our naked fruit trees as a slew of winter birds fill their branches. Bright yellow and red accents of the cedar wax wings, the stunning burnt sienna of robins and breath-taking tones of blue of Stellar Jays. Even tiny monochromatic chickadees bestow joy as they nestle together in the maple, where scattered orange leaves cling stubbornly.
ornamental pear
stretches out her fruitful arms
fertile emptiness
Written and linked for dVerse, where today Kanzen Sakura invites us to post a haibun on any subject as long as it is a non-fictional account of something that happened to us, concluding with a traditional haiku. This happened just this morning! Please join us.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
Beautiful piece. One day I hope to see a wax wing. I’ve seen photos; such a lovely bird.
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Wonderful visuals. I especially liked the brids with the “stubborn orange leaves”…
Thank you.
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SMiLes my FriEnd
as i sit here with
a momentary wait
of Cold Front storm
to give
respite
for a
two month
drought in Florida
Summers now that
rarely
seem
to end..
i suppose with
sympathy i should
feel the pain more of
the rest of Nature here
than
politics
dear
in red state dunk..;)
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I love the pewter sky of November. This is what is happening in my yard right now. Gorgeous haiku!
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Those colours hang on to give us hope. A beautiful haibun. Love the contrast within the last line of your haiku…”fertile emptiness”.
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Even tiny monochromatic chickadees bestow
joy as they nestle together in the maple
How nice to be seeing the drab of winter being balanced with all the colourful birds together in the bare trees.
Hank
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Beautiful! As we go into this winter season, I know that my goats are preparing to bring spring’s new life to the world. Love the images of the birds.
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Lovely – nature and birds – two of my favorite things to write about. The black capped chickadees are quite simple in color and the others so bold – but the chickadees always seem to radiate energy and joy 🙂
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I would be so grateful for the color of waxwings and other birds to bless our trees with colors… the haiku is gorgeous.
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Victoria….you never disappoint. This was beautiful haibun and a wonderful haiku. Pewter skies….indeed!
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A beautiful haibun Victoria and I Iove ‘outdoor chimes to sound a song of hope’ and the gorgeous colours of the birds.
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Your observations and argument is perfect, 😉
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Very lovely image comes to me of the birds landing as if they were flowers blooming.
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I liked the phrase, “life surges beneath the surface of what appears to be”.
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Your images of color are beautiful. I too love the haiku and the promise of life to come.
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I too can see ‘the barren pewter skies of late November’ in your prose, Victoria. I love the sound of outdoor chimes in howling wind – a wonderful sound effect to match the sky and nature’s cry of ’emptiness’. And then the beautiful birds appear in a dash of colour. Such a shame about the ornamental pear – we have an ornamental cherry and she also has my sympathy. I enjoyed this immensely, Victoria!
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This is absolutely stunning, Victoria💝 I can almost picture those majestic birds and oh the scene where ‘scattered orange leaves cling stubbornly” sigh beautifully executed.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
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What beautiful images captured so perfectly Victoria. Enjoyed your haibun very much. Hope you are keeping well.
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The haiku is splendid. Fertile emptinesss…hope in the midst of loss. Simply gorgeous.
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