shadow ink pools
matte vacuum reflection
absorbs no light
Miraged oasis in the distance, the desert traveler’s pace quickens. Skin bag long dry, biology mandates relief to stay imminent collapse. Stumbling, she falls to her knees in gratitude — which flips to horror. A crow lands.
perched in dead palm, caws
to still-moving carrion
scant tears wet sand
She follows black wings, the only movement on a mercilessly vacant horizon. She’s not sure when she loses consciousness, but she awakes to cool night and a bill pecking her hand. It hops just out of reach, again and again, as she pulls herself up the slow rise.
dune hides butter moon
below, village fire burns bright
dark portend brings life
This happened to me (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)
top image link here
bottom image link here
Merril is today’s host for dVerse’ Monday Haibun. Merril says:
Today I want you to write [haibun] about a time you looked up and saw. . .something.
Tao Talk 
Wow, sounds like quite an experience. And yes, stick to it!
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Thanks, Mary!
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Beautifully done, Lisa–and since I know you have vivid dreams, I’m sure it did happen.
Besides, you included a crow. 😏
Unfortunately, too many places are like this now.
Thank you for adding your voice today!
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Thanks, Merril. My pleasure!
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You’re welcome, Lisa!
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Love the drama and the inclusion of a “butter moon” ❣️
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Many thanks, Tricia ❤
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My pleasure!
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Oooo…i want to know more about this experience Lisa. I loved reading this! ☺️💕
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🙂 I hope good things happen for her now that she’s crossed the desert.
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Yes!
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I am scared by that experience and wonder what it means. Love that butter moon description.
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Grace thank you and not really sure where it came from. Hoping she’s on the other side of scary now.
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This is fabulous Lisa. It ended way too soon my friend. I loved the darkness, and the tension, and your mastery of this mystery! 👍🏼🙂✌🏼❤️
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Rob thank you! ❤
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A very surreal haibun, Lisa! The images and implication of the crow’s presence really make it.
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Dwight, thank you. My head has been a little spacey the past couple of days and hoping this haibun helped clear it out…
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Read the opening of an epic sci-fi. Brutal heat. Your images make it all too real.
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K, you reminded me I just watched a movie called, “Gold,” (on HULU) set in a desolate place like that. It was a disturbing movie and I think the residue was still with me when I wrote it. Thank you.
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Did you enjoy the film? It sounds the sort of be into.
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Enjoy probably isn’t the right word. It was compelling but difficult to watch in a lot of places. Have you seen Revenant with Leo DeCaprio and his battle against survival in the mountains in winter? This is somewhat similar but set in a wasteland like that top image.
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Love your opening haiku Lisa! It led me on through the landscape indeed!
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Carol, thank you and glad to guide you through it to the other side 🙂
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A for adventure. Nice haibun.
Thanks for dropping by to read mine
Much💚love
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Thanks much, Gillena!
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What an intriguing story Li.
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Thanks, Sadje.
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You’re welcome
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Drought is cruel, and death is often the outcome. I felt that close here.
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Yes, it is, Jane. A lot of my perennials bit the dust this year. We’ll see if they sprout up again in the spring.
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The above comment is from Jane Dougherty, and she’s not ‘false’ whatever WP says. It doesn’t like me at the moment.
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WP has a pernicious ghost in the machine.
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The above comment is from me, Jane Dougherty, and she’s not ‘false’ whatever WP says. It doesn’t like me at the moment.
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So engaging and strange! Loved the butter-moon.
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Thanks, Jay. Nice to see you!
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Nice to see you too, Lisa🙂
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A guardian angel in the form of a crow. What a wonderful story told in Haibun style!
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Thanks, Dale! What all you have left to follow are dark portends or death…
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Truly.
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This is a strange, but a unique experience. You’ve captured everything about it in your haibun – the angst, the horror, and the redemption.
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Well-put, Nitin, thank you.
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Strangely true.
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Thank you for reading and commenting.
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