Sakura Matsuri

Posted on By adcitlali

Come –
see real blossoms
of this painful world
            by Basho

I miss the days when suicide was not a normal word. Those days when we daydreamed about the places we would travel, the smiles we would laugh, the freedom we’d reclaim, the success, and joy. Do you remember that sunny day when we drove to the Texan Hill Country? The bluebonnets and wildflower blossoms? What was the colour of the sky?

Under a tree
a hurtful word fades out —
cherry petals colour the sky


_____Adriana Citlali
XXVIII-III-MMXVI

Haibun Monday #10: Hanami | dVerse

Inspiration Poetry

Comments (17)

  1. It seems those innocent days are gone ~ Love the question: The bluebonnets and wildflower blossoms? What was the colour of the sky?

    And your lovely haiku reply, the cherry petals ~

    Beautiful haibun Adriana ~ Thanks for joining us ~

  8. A heart wrenching write. This morning I was reading about a local teen, who has memorialized his twin who committed suicide two years ago when he was 14. I sat and cried at the photo of the young man and his sad, pensive eyes. The surviving twin has started a foundation in memory of his brother based solely on people joining and doing a good deed every day because the deceased twin was a kind and helpful, whimsical young man who did what he could everyday to help those who were lonely, sad or new in school to feel welcomed and appreciated. There was no details about the why of the suicide when he was such a bright and kind person. Your haibun and haiku make me wonder, what was the color of the sky when he committed suicide….the haibun brought fresh tears. Thank you so very much for participating and linking this rare jewel of a haibun.

    1. Thank you for sharing such heartbreaking story, Toni. I have not experienced suicide, nor the urge to commit it, first hand. I had been very close to a person experiencing that urge. It is a strange door that was opened to me, without me completely understanding it. I still struggle with the idea.
      It happened recently, that a dear friend (who has also experienced certain closeness to suicide) and I were talking in the car while driving her youngest kid to daycare. It was a normal conversation to us, until we realised we were talking about suicidal thoughts as if it was the most innocent of topics! We have passed from the tears, the anger, to the sadness and the acceptance of the fact that a dear person can have such thoughts. The acceptance is the worst part, because it is just a mask. The idea of the materialisation of such thoughts is too painful to be accepted… I send you a hug!

  9. It does seem that this time is a time of sadness for so many people for so many reasons.. You have written a poignant haibun.

  10. Would that hurtful words could fade out, but can be numbed by natural beauty. I was taught that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words cab never harm me. So much for well-meant advice,

  11. Sorry..coming in late for this one.
    There is so much healing in nature, which could be the reason why we often reflect back to sunny days and wildflowers for comfort. An insightful piece.

  12. True.. mY friend..
    suicide iS a word
    used too much
    these days.. childhood
    depression.. pre-diabetes.. type two
    iN children…. school age.. now thirty
    three percent of U.S. population.. yes..
    Around Fifty percent of the nation’s
    adults now.. too.. on some kind
    of pain killer..
    ugh.. skyrocketing
    rates of prescriptions
    to cure all of misery
    and suffeRinG
    real..
    been there..
    done it too.. but
    aLL WeLL n0w juSt
    bY the real aLL FReED
    effort oF moving.. connecting..
    creating noW as REAL.. my friend…

    First world
    problems..
    TRuly Sick..:

    FloWeRinG
    HUmans DRY
    WiLLting heRe..:(..

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