As the Seasons Change

My husband and I were at infant and junior school together. We have a photograph of us when we were in Miss Sanderson’s class, and we not only recognise our younger selves but we can also remember the names of all the children in the photograph. We were both energetic youngsters; David was mad about football and I loved running and long jump. We ran, cycled, scooted or skated everywhere, chasing around the playground or the block of council maisonettes where we both grew up. Every autumn we picked blackberries from the bushes by the railway line, kicked fallen leaves and collected glossy horse chestnuts from the trees at the front of our block, some to play conkers and some for the class nature table.  Every September we put on our newer, bigger school uniforms and went back to school a year older. That was a lifetime ago and a lot has happened. For one thing, I can’t run like I used to; I get breathless after walking even a short distance. I’ve lived in a number of different countries and studied at several universities. I’ve had a range of jobs. I’ve given birth to and brought up a beautiful daughter, who is married now. I have lost family and friends to illness and accidents. Two things haven’t changed throughout my life: my love of poetry and the unwavering love of my soul mate, my best and oldest friend.

as the seasons change
leaves, conkers and blackberries
fill up our table

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Haibun Monday: Winds of Change

Toni has been discussing “changes in seasons” – fall to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall or, seasons in our lives – youth to young adult, young adult to adult, adult to middle aged, middle aged to older aged. She has explained that Japanese aesthetic is all about change – impermanence – and that Japanese has several words associated with change: mujo, mono no aware (pathos of things), wabi (subdued, austere beauty), sabi (rustic patina), yugen (mysterious profundity), iki (refined style), and kire (cutting).

She has asked us to write about change: how we have noticed the coming of fall or another season; changes in our bodies as we grow older; our melancholy (or joy) at the passing of things; how our lives have changed since falling in love, getting divorced, and so on, in a one paragraph haibun, ending with a nature-based haiku.

30 thoughts on “As the Seasons Change”

  2. Thanks Kim for sharing your growing up years and life with your husband, your soulmate. I know I cherish the college years where I first met my husband and we shared such beautiful memories of those days. As the years went by we shared so many adventures, travels, laughs and challenges. Now that he has passed almost four years ago, I remember those days and miss the touch of his hands, his laughter, and his voice….the hummingbirds and cardinals that we loved and watched together, come to tell me my soulmate is still with me.

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  6. Good God! Looking for the d’verse submission, I read just about everything I could on your blog. LOL! You are a wonderful poet, cutting through some of the poetical garbage most (me) of us write! This was wonderful, and the haiku was lovely.

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    1. Hey Kat! How are you? Thanks for reading and I’m so pleased you enjoyed it. I’m surprised I can remember any of those kids as I can’t remember what I did yesterday! But I think they all made an impression on me, one way or another. I have to confess, that the ones I couldn’t remember, my husband could!

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  12. Wow, I don’t think I could remember my high school classmates let alone my elementary ones. I really like how your story grows from familiarity through the struggles of change and unpredictability…and then back again to that constant love of soul mate and poetry. Just beautiful.

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