Yesterday morning, the almost full moon set in a glowing, misty haze. Birds chattered and scolded me just before dawn, the day of the vernal equinox. Today, I bring some of the Purim Hamantaschen I baked to my mom. Philadelphia is a smeary charcoal drawing—damp and dreary. The day seems surreal. My mom is seeing birdcages. As we leave, a sad clown, tall and silent, walks out of the lobby of her building. We listen to news of mourning in New Zealand on the car radio. But when we get home, I see the first daffodils blooming, bright beacons in the gloom.
shimmery moon hums
songs float between here and there,
mockingbird echoes
I wanted to post a poem yesterday for World Poetry Day, but it was just one of those days where I was running around, and then dealing with family issues. . . This haibun is for Frank’s Haikai Challenge, March Equinox.
AND Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Challenge using synonyms for Spring and Sing.
AND for dVerse, where Kim is hosting Open Link Night (which was last night).
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #4: Merril’s latest #haibun for #dversepoets, Colleen’s Weekly #poetry #tanka challenge and my current #haikai challenge!
Thank you, Frank!
😇
Sad clown and mockingbird seem appropriate, these days,
Yes, you are right.
I was driving to work at the ungodly hour of “too early for me” and had a great view of the moon and sun but could not stop to capture it! Sigh.
Lovely haibun, of course.
Thanks so much, Dale! 🙂
I like the perspective of daffodils as beacons.
Thank you, Frank!
Like Dale, I was commuting to work @ 5:30 and had a view of the moon for almost my entire commute. It was beautiful. I know the worms were happy. 🙂
Thanks, Jill. 🙂
A beautiful ‘almost full moon’ haibun, Merril and I love the description of Philadelphia as ‘a smeary charcoal drawing’ . That tall clown is definitely surreal! The haiku is perfect.
Thanks so much, Kim.
I realized later that perhaps the clown was dressed for Purim and visiting someone in the building–but it was weird. 🙂
You met all the challenges beautifully with this haibun, Merril. Daffodils are such happy flowers. I mentioned them in my poem this week too. The cookies look yummy. 😀 xo
Oh, did anyone dressed as Vashti for Purim?
Only you! 🙂
We don’t really celebrate, so didn’t dress up. I thought the clown might have been someone dressed for Purim though. And my older daughter in Boston went to a Purimparty. She and her wife dressed as sharks. 😂
Ha, ha! Well, I’m sure they stood out at the party. 😉 Some one told me once that they went dressed as Vashti to a Purim party. Vashti was a queen in the old testament of the bible.
Yes, she is the Queen who was banished, and then Esther took her place.
Lovely haibun, sad but with a bit of joy, hopefulness. I also like this: “Philadelphia is a smeary charcoal drawing—damp and dreary.” It’s an apt description of the San Francisco neighborhood I used to live in, especially in winter and early spring.
Thanks so much, Marie!
Yes, I can imagine the phrase could apply to SF in the winter. 🙂
Our neighborhood was officially called the “Sunset District,” but we called it the “Sunless District.” 😉
🙂
Shimmery moon hums.. I want to remember this. I’ll listen carefully next time I look at a beautiful big moon at night! Yes there’s mourning across NZ but also hope that shines like your little daffodil beacons. The determination to reach out in solidarity and love, and affirm that we’re all NZers together regardless of cultural and religious differences – I’ve never seen unity on this scale here before. The Purim Hamantaschen look so delicious, they’re new to me.
Thank you so much!
I think you in NZ are inspiring the world. The tragedy is horrible, but that determination and unity you speak of is so visible. Shine that beacon far–the world needs that light of hope.
I made soooo many Hamantaschen this year, but they came out great. They’re supposed to be shaped like the bad guy Haman’s hat. I have no idea why. 🙂
Oh, I wondered about the shape, thanks! Haman was SO bad, what a curious thing that these represent his hat.. I’d never have guessed!
🙂
It’s been a week like that. But that moon! Huge and misty. I got some good photos too. (K)
That moon was beautiful. 🙂
It was. My daughter came out to see what was up, I’d been outside so long taking pictures.
I hope she stopped to look at the moon. 🙂
She did! She also walked home later, so I’m sure she spent some time looking at it then (when she wasn’t looking for feral cats…she’s got a phone full of photos)
🙂
Wonderful photograph and excellent haibun (no, WP, not halibut)
Thank you, Derrick. 🙂
How lovely to see those first blooms of spring. They shed light and hope, against all the darkness and hatred in our world today. I can see that shimmering moon too.
Thank you, Grace!
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I really like this… the moon … the mockingbird …and the daffodil blooming reminding us that there is always hope! Loved this line… Philadelphia is a smeary charcoal drawing—damp and dreary.
Thank you very much, Dwight!
Such a mix of dark and light. I love the visual on Philidelphia being a smeary charcoal drawing. Excellent write.
Thank you so much, Violet. It was a strange week. I’m happy to see some sunshine!
Sad clown and mocking bird… just about sums it up, doesn’t it? This too shall pass. But yet, in the midst of all the gloom, you found rebirth and hope. Lovely Spring inspiration. ❤
Thank you, Colleen. It was a strange week, wasn’t it? We have a beautiful spring day today. 🙂
Yes, and the Mueller report is in and the evil one has been exonerated.
No, the wording says they can’t prove he did anything, but he is NOT exonerated. NY Times: “Mr. Barr and the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, concluded that the special counsel’s investigators lacked sufficient evidence to establish that Mr. Trump committed that offense, but added that Mr. Mueller’s team stopped short of exonerating Mr. Trump.”
Somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better. 😦
No, I know. I was hoping for more.
😤 I had to turn it off!
I don’t watch the news. It’s not as bad on NPR.
LOL! Thanks for the tip. ❤️
🙂
I love the contrasts here… the darkness and gloom with the joy of the daffodil joy… so much like life…
Thank you so much!
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A spot of something good amongst all the sadness in this world! Thank you for the haibun.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
Lovely description. 😊
Thank you very much! 🙂