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Simply Haiku: A Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry
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Autumn 2006, vol 4 no 3
HAIBUN
Nònni *
Adelaide B. Shaw
A box of photos saved from my parents' house. In one photo, an
old couple stands close together. The man has a thick white mustache
and a bald head. The woman has white hair pulled tightly into a bun, an
ample bosom, and wide hips. Stiff and formal in the black and white
picture, the stern faces give a lie to what I know.
afternoon rocking-
the odors of food
and warm flesh
They fed us, scolded us, hugged us. Italian immigrants. Few
English words understood, and even fewer spoken. Never mind.
hand and hand-
from the tobacco shop
to the ice cream store
Within a few months of each other they are gone. Too young to
understand, too old to forget.
relatives gather-
another party with tears
and stories
* Nònni: grandparents
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Adelaide B. Shaw has been writing haiku for over 30 years and still feels the need for
study. Her haiku and other Japanese related poetry have appeared in
Heron's Nest, Modern Haiku, Frogpond, Mayfly, Acorn, bottle rockets and others. She
lives in Scarsdale with her husband of 45 years, has three children and six
grandchildren. She also writes short stories, some of which have been published in
literary journals.
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Copyright 2006: Simply Haiku
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