cherry blossoms
mother’s baby steps
holding my hand
*
(International Sakura Award – 2020)
Bending moments
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cherry blossoms
mother’s baby steps
holding my hand
*
(International Sakura Award – 2020)
This was also one of my very top favourites! There is so much in this haiku, and yet it looks so simple. Definitely worth reading and reading again!
Alan Summers
Call of the Page
Thank you so much Alan, this is about my mother’s last few years.
My condolences.
I’ve written a lot of haiku and haibun about my own mother that I didn’t expect to write. I’d only written two haiku about my father, and that was about the funeral. Although he is briefly mentioned in my Batwoman haibun. 🙂
warmest regards,
Alan
Thank you Alan 🙏🏽. I think I have read your haiku on your mum. One way to commemorate our loved ones.
Thank you. I’ve written multiple haiku of or around my mother, and haibun. But I’m guessing it might be this one you are thinking of in particular?
It’s been in a number of places including these:
house clearance
room by room by room
my mother disappears
Alan Summers
Winner, Touchstone Award 2016 (The Haiku Foundation)
Shortlisted: Museum of Haiku Literature, Tokyo, Japan
First Publication Credit: Blithe Spirit 26.1 (March 2016)
Anthology Credits:
The Signature Haiku Anthology ed. Robert Epstein (Middle Island Press 2020)
2018 Haiku Canada Members’ Anthology / L’anthologie 2018 des membres de Haïku Canada (ed. Marco Fraticelli and Philomene Kocher)
old song: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku 2017
ed. Jim Kacian/Red Moon Press Editorial Staff
Yes, you are right, that’s the one, love this haiku, I will never forget it.
Thank you!
It’s appeared in lots of other places so better known than this one:
mulled wine
my mother’s voices
move within me
Alan Summers
Asahi Shimbun (Japan) 1st January 2016
As well as The Green Lady haibun etc…
In fact I got an unexpected email request from the founder of a very prestigious haiku journal letting me know how much they loved my house clearance poem, especially as they have just lost their own mother.
‘mulled wine’ that’s beautiful. House Clearance is a classic.
I’m not surprised that you were one of only two poets who achieved the International Sakura Award from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom judging panel for haiku.
cherry blossoms
mother’s baby steps
holding my hand
Madhuri Pillai
Melbourne, Australia
International Sakura Award
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2020
Each line unravels the greater poem with beauty, grace, and poignancy. I expect to see this in an anthology or two.
Alan Summers
Call of the Page
Thank you very much Alan 🙏🏽
This probably resonates with everyone. They teach us to walk, run behind us and care for us throughout their lives. And this is the day we dread…very moving, Madhuri. I wish this post had more likes.
Thank you.