Leon Tefft
Author, Writer & Poet
Our Morning Tea
I’m awakened again by the quietest silence tapping my shoulder. Gliding into the kitchen dumbstruck as a marionette on a darkened stage, bright lights spotting my rendered smile, I’m uncertain what moves me even as I’m transported.
Poured cream swirls in black tea from a spoon clinking on thin china cups. The same thin cups you always said tea tastes best in. An empty cup rests on a saucer across the table from me. I brewed more tea than I should have again.
routines without you
are hollow madness
my strings are broken
Observing our home, I notice things I now realize were always here. Sparrows chirping in the garden. A ticking grandfather clock. Floral wallpaper you hated. Your favorite pillow creased on the daybed. That noisy spoon. I suppose I’ll keep noticing these things as time rattles downstream. The river never waits.
Our spaniel goes about her usual business of being a pleasant dog. Unaffected, or so it would seem. I wonder. I might feel envy, but I feel nothing.
coldest of winters
eternity burns
longer than forever
Published in Scarlet Dragonfly Journal – April 23, 2024
For those new to haibun, it is essentially a pairing of concise, evocative prose and striking haiku, where each complements the other. Both elements are distinct, yet they work together to weave a narrative without explicitly stating the story. This leaves readers to interpret and draw their own conclusion as to the meaning of the haibun. Without a doubt, I find haibun to be the most challenging literary form I’ve ever engaged in.
This haibun is particularly special to me. Not only was it accepted for publication by the esteemed Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, it is also the very first haibun I wrote. My intention was to captivate readers with the prose and then deliver a powerful hammer blow with the haiku. I’m pleased that I accomplished that goal.
I am deeply grateful to Kathleen Trocmet and all at Scarlet Dragonfly Journal for recognizing my work and granting me the honor of appearing in their publication.
