She is riding on an old fashioned sleigh with a back and side bar to hold her in the seat. Cold air bites her bare cheeks. There is a baby on the sleigh in front of her and she holds the other child under its arms.
puppies
curled up together
winter sun
There is a roughness on her cold cheek – a scarf perhaps, or the back of her sister’s snowsuit. She closes her eyes against the bright snow.
comfort food
the smell of sleep
on an old blanket
Someone lifts her up and carries her into a blast of warm air as they enter the apartment. The stiff clothes are peeled from her body. Her aunt offers hugs and kisses.
tomato soup
the way love tastes
in a memory
~~~
Bards Annual 2017
First published in Failed Haiku: A Journal of English Senryu, November 2016
Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #3: Barbara Kaufman’s #haibun appears in Bards Annual 2017!
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Brilliant Barbara
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Beautiful story.
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Love this! You have captured the sweetness and trust of childhood memories at their best. Tomato soup and Ritz crackers! That does bring back cozy memories. Falling asleep in the back seat of the car driving home, my dad carrying me inside. Biss.
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