A Time Piece

(a haibun)

By a spiteful hand

A stone broke my hourglass…

No time left for dreams

An old man and stray dog, share the shelter of an oak, as a dismal rain steadily falls. The man pats the dog on the head. The dog wags his tail and licks the man’s hand. Both become lost in memories of things…warm homes, affection, love. But both know when the storm passes, they will go their separate ways. They have different paths to travel.

Shards of broken glass

Hidden in the endless sands…

My portrait of life

Life can be fickle at times. It gives little warning to man or beast. Oh, once in a while, you will hear the rumble of distant thunder, or catch the gleam of something sharp in your path. But most of the time, things come and go unexpectedly and they cut to the bone. It’s a long time healing and you always carry the scars.

Suddenly, the sun!

Drunk with sweet understanding

I begin anew

This is the end of my journey. That old man was me. And the dog? He is right here. I went back and got him. We have a lot in common, don’t ya know. I call him Uly. That is short for Ulysses. He and I have passed by our Scylla and Charybdis. What we both have lost, we cannot regain. That’s life. But we have found peace. And that my friends, makes life worth living.

© ewrichardson 2008