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Monday, February 29, 2016

On the Slick, Black Rock at Monterey Haibun (May 2002)

In the gray fog of dawn, on the rocks at Monterey, I thought of the woman I left, with all the blood and messy entanglements of heartbreak. I also thought about the woman with whom I’d recently fallen in love.  When this newly-found romance tried to bloom, pangs of guilt kept my joy confined. Lost in this misty, damp morning, the fog enveloped me, forgave me, encouraged me. Then and there, on the slick black rock, I decided to start a new chapter, the best chapter, of my life.

The view through the bars
might appear discouraging;
it was never locked.

34 comments:

  1. The brevity is your bailiwick; clarity & story line captivating, capped with a killer haiku; always amazes me strongly the haikus shine.

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  2. I really liked how your description of the coast of Monterey reflected your mood so well. Those rocks can really tear you up.

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    1. Thanks, it's hard to capture that grandeur, but I tried.

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  3. I love the ending note, filled with hope and joy of starting a new chapter of your life ~ That haiku is filled with wisdom - it was never locked ~

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  4. Anonymous5:24 PM

    "it was never locked" what a powerful line. Enjoyed your haibun!

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    1. Thanks, I've had that insight before: we lock ourselves in without realizing it.

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  5. I love the thought of finding yourself and unlock the doors in fog. Marvelous haiku.

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    1. Thanks, it was in the fog that I found clarity.

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  6. So much said with so few words. Love it.

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  7. I think sometimes one really appreciates, in retrospect, the new chapter.....having learned from the mistakes of earlier chapters.

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    1. Oh, yes. This was not just a new chapter - it was a whole new book.

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  8. You've got a complete story in this, with scene and emotion wonderfully done.

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    1. Thanks, Rommy - coming from you (whose work I admire so much), your approbation is gold.

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  9. That's brilliant. Love it.

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  10. Love the moody you've painted with your words, Buddah. New chapters were written for such moments!

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    1. Thanks, it was a simple and transforming moment for me.

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  11. Anonymous2:04 PM

    The entanglements of heartbreak can feel overwhelming, but they are just a portion of a chapter.

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    1. Yes, you've got to go through rain to get the rainbow.

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  12. It's a novel – in so few lines. And the closing haiku is philosophy (and I love it).

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  13. Monterey sets the mood well. Often, we hold the key to our self-imposed prison!

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    1. Thanks, and yes: as Sly Stone said "Don't you know that you are free? Well, at least in your mind if you want to be!"

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  14. the slippery rocks, the imagined confinement... wonderful prose and haiku!

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  15. Gayle Walters Rose7:00 PM

    The fog and rocks mirror your torn feelings. I liked the decision that you came to...sometimes it's difficult but following your heart is always best. Loved the wisdom in your haiku.

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  16. Concisely written, sad, but with hope found in a fabulous haiku!

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  17. I grew up on the Monterey bay, so this one has a special connection for me. Elegant and insightful, Mosk ~

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  18. Free as Love..
    Human
    Lives when
    Love iS Free..

    All else
    fails
    but Love..:)

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