I’ve started gathering my grandmothers on my fingers. Ba was first to claim her place as right-hand woman. The signet ring’s a little worn but sharpened almost to a blade’s edge. Her wit used to have the same bite if you weren’t careful. She’d slash you with her words and have you bursting with laughter all in a matter of seconds. Something of a frail bulldozer, unstoppable at times, but even her initials grew faded past the point of a stranger’s recognition.
Granny Kitty is a new addition. I don’t know how she’d fair with the idea of taking up residence on a middle finger but she wasn’t one to back down when the blood began to rise. ‘Up like a light’ my mother says. That was the Irish in her, and the feminist who brought the shields to defend her granddaughters going to university. Independent, clever, funny, tenacious, but most of all loving.
The dandelions
and the daffodils grow still.
Even without Spring.
It’s a free-for-all at the dVerse Poets Pub this week and this I haven’t written a Haibun for a while I thought I’d include two of the people who’ve had the biggest impact on the woman I’ve become and two people I’ve unfortunately lost of the last couple of years.
Oh I like this! The two grandmothers – so much hope and strength in this haibun. I’d like to think my grandmother played a major role in the me that is now. Good write! The haiku is beyond excellent.
Thank you. Grandmother’s can be some of the most important people in making us.
I know mine were! Of course we all lived together in a big old house so I was blessed with having one set of grandparents always around.
I truly enjoyed learning about your grandmothers through the first parts of your haibun. I love the pure simplicity of your haiku!
Thank you. I reworked the haiku a few times, I wasn’t entirely sure if it would go with the prose.
It did! Good work.
Your grandmothers sound like strong women. You clearly received much more than rings for your fingers from them. Receive peace when you think of their lives. Wonderful haiku!
Thank you. They were very certainly strong women and I like that to think that I take a lot from them both. 🙂
🥇
This is some really effective storytelling. Immediately hooking and holding the reader. Very nice!
Thank you. 🙂
This is wonderful, Carol. I love your narrative of the grandmothers.
Thank you. I’m glad it’s been well received.
Stunning write!
Thank you, I’m glad you think so.
How captivating!…love that slashing with words most.
Thank you.
As I understand it each grandmother gave you a ring of theirs for you to wear. That would be a nice remembrance of them.
It is. It’s a way to keep them close.
This is a beautiful write to your grandmothers….the prose and the haiku. I feel as if I’ve been allowed to peek a bit into a family diary through your words. Beautifully written! Thank you!
Thank you Lillian, I love that idea of peaking inside a family diary.
Your grandmothers sound like remarkable people. The haibun is lovely. I like the “missing” and the love and the sweet humor. The haiku is lovely, the spring flowers still growing.
I love the tender way you introduce us to the grandmothers. Beautiful write.
Just amazing! Beautifully written.