Tag: haibun

Around the World

Chris Hall
The view through my kitchen window today

Preparing for the coming festivities, modest though they are again this year, I gaze out of my kitchen window. Carols from Cambridge are playing on my CD as I chop and stir. Craning up at the wide blue African sky, I think of all the friends I’ve made across the globe. The storytellers, the poets and the bloggers who through their words, thoughts and dreams make my world all the richer every day.

warm wind blows
while thoughts from abroad
embrace me

*******************************

Be happy, be safe, and let us look to a better future for the world, my writing friends!

Island of inspiration

Chris Hall69 Comments
The image shows a red motor boat anchored near a quay. There is a small buoy floating near it. In the distance you can see a small island.

Creeping out at dawn, she tiptoes barefoot over golden sand, gritty grains sliding between her toes. The sun, a crimson sliver, struggles to free itself from the horizon. She steps onto the jetty, its planks still moist with dew. Now, tugging softly at the mooring rope, she draws the boat towards her. With a brilliant flash, sunlight flares across the azure water bathing the bay in its gilded rays. She shades her eyes, tastes the salt on the breeze, inhales. Then, she drops lightly into the boat, casts off, and slips away into the morning.

her island awaits:
magical voices whisper
giving up secrets

~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Saffu@Unsplash
The image shows a red motor boat anchored near a quay. There is a small buoy floating near it. In the distance you can see a small island.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #138 photo prompt

Around the world…

Chris Hall62 Comments
A summer garden with lush green shrubs growing beyond a covered stoep where there is a table and chairs. Four painted coffee cups are set out on the window sill.
The view through my kitchen window today

Making preparations for the coming festivities, modest though they are again this year, I gaze out of my kitchen window. Carols from Cambridge are playing in the next room as I chop and stir. Craning up at the wide blue African sky, I think of all the friends I’ve made across the globe. The storytellers, the poets and the bloggers who through their words, thoughts and dreams make my world all the richer every day.

warm wind blows
while thoughts from abroad
embrace me

Be happy, be safe, and let us look to a better future for the world, my writing friends!

Home thoughts

Chris Hall50 Comments
The images shows a parcel wrapped in gift paper and tied with a string. There are a few Christmas decorations scattered near it.
We see a parcel wrapped in gift paper and tied with a string.
There are a few Christmas decorations scattered near it.

As the festivities commence
my thoughts turn north
to the country of my birth
where snow crunches underfoot
and darkness is driven away
by constant pools of light.

Where ice sparkles
and children exhale
frosty breath
making snow angels
on silvery lawns.

Now I’ve put down roots
where summer’s sun
bakes the thirsty earth
and children dance
on dusty paths.

Here, where velvet darkness
draws in quickly
and Africa’s golden moon
smiles down, I know
I’m already home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Jonathan Borba @ Pixels

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #113 photo prompt

Tender is the night

Chris Hall66 Comments
The image shows a huge stone angel guarding a city within its two wings.
We see a huge stone angel guarding a city within its two wings.

Sun’s last liquid rays slip silently beneath a purple-clouded horizon, while birdsong fills the twilight air. Wings, skimming softly over a wide velvet lake, whisper gentle goodnights, and from night’s star-bright firmament, a pearlescent figure appears, bathed in lunar light.

angel’s wings descend
cocooning the sleeping town
in tender embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit:  Kellepics @ Pixabay

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #112 photo prompt

Note: It seems that some of my spam woes have returned. So if I seem strangely silent, my comments may well have slid into your spam folder. Please, if I’ve just popped in a ‘like’ on one of your posts and run away, would you mind having a hunt for me and fishing me out!

The Coming of the Rain

Chris Hall66 Comments

As the sun’s pink fingertips caress the tops of the purple mountains behind the cave, Owab is the first of the hunters to wake. Aquila waiting for him outside. The eagle bows and turns to the east, where a procession of wispy clouds rises with the dawn. Aquila takes to the air and Owab, in the thrall of his night-time vision, follows where his guide and protector leads.

When they return, Owab is leading a long-legged rain-cow which will bring soft raindrops to last a whole season.

The Great Bull bellows
rain swells the gathering clouds:
the parched land awaits.

This concludes my little African adventure, although I wouldn’t rule out a comeback for Owab and Aquila sometime in the future. You can find the previous episodes here.

Photo credit: John Fowler at unsplash.com/@wildhoney

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – WISP, CARESS, FINGERTIPS
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – SEASON

I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!

Read more Six Sentence Stories here at the Link Up Party!

Rain Dance

Chris Hall46 Comments

Hopeless as it’s beginning to seem without the elder’s lead, the dance continues. Chanting, stamping, every person keeps in time, as strings of shells which dangle from their ankles, rattle to a timeless beat. Owab, carried by the rhythm of the dance, wills himself on, inhaling the powerful scent of the sacred herbs smouldering on the remnants of the fading fire.

They cannot fail. Without the Rain Bull, the land will turn to dust and the group will be driven from the place they call home.

Far into the night
they dance on through scented smoke;
waiting for a sign.

Previous episodes of this little African adventure are here.

Photo credit: Nika Zhorzholiani from Pexels

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – PERSON, DANGLE, HOPELESS
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – REMNANT

I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!

Click here for more Six Sentence Stories – come and join the party!

The Summoning Begins

Chris Hall67 Comments

The hunters advance further into the foothills of the purple mountains. Despite Aquilla’s reassuring presence, Owab remains downcast. He cannot pretend that his failure to forestall the lioness’ attack on the elder hasn’t weakened the group’s chances of success in their search for the Rain Bull.

As night falls, the hunters light a fire on a shelf-like outcrop of rock and wait as the quarter moon rises in the velvet sky to align with Orion’s three she-tortoises. Each throws a handful of scented herbs into the flickering flames.

Aquilla cries out;
they gather around the fire
and prepare to dance.

Previous episodes of this little African adventure are here.

Photo credit: researchgate.net

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – PRETEND, SHELF, TALL
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – QUARTER

I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!

Click here for more Six Sentence Stories – or bring one of your own to the party!

Blood Moon

Chris Hall54 Comments

After a solid day’s trekking, the hunters are cheered to find a group of thorn trees, indicating the presence of precious water. Aquila flies on, scouting for a cave to protect them from the coming night.

Distracted as they forage for food, the hunters fail to sense the danger. A lioness leaps, the group scatters, but an older man lags behind; Owab turns, raises his spear, but he’s too late.

Gripped by powerful jaws, the lions move in; by morning there will be nothing left but bones.

The pride is sated
and under a blood-red moon
a shooting star falls.

Previous episodes of this little African adventure are here.

Photo credit: Nick Owuor

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – HORN, CHEER, SOLID
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – PRESENCE

I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!

Click here for more Six Sentence Stories – or bring one of your own to the party!

Aquila triumphs

Chris Hall76 Comments

The boomslang slithers from beneath the canopy of acacias, the nearest hunter in its big-eyed sights. Aquila cries out, letting his powerful talons swing forward to pluck the serpent from its thorny perch, as a group of startled magpie shrikes rise from the trees in a shrieking cloud of black and white feathers.

The snake thrashes while the eagle’s talons tighten, spearing the serpent’s skin. Ruby beads bleed across its sapphire scales and the snake slumps. Aquila spirals back to the waterhole, dropping the vanquished snake at Owab’s feet.

They will feast tonight
but the journey continues:
mauve mountains beckon.

Previous episodes of this little African adventure are here.

Photo credit: © Koshy Koshy / Flickr

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – MAGPIE, OUTLET, NEAT
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – POWERFUL

I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!

Click here for more Six Sentence Stories – or bring one of your own to the party!