Welcome to the Poets Pub. I’m Kim from Writing in North Norfolk, your host for Haibun Monday this week.

One of my all-time favourite poets and writers is Dylan Thomas, the notorious Welsh poet who died in New York on 9th November 1953. I fell in love (or in awe) with his play for radio, ‘Under Milk Wood’, when I studied it for my ‘A’-levels, and not only listened to it many times but also saw it performed by an all-Welsh cast, and went on to teach it myself – we had such fun with that one.

Among his many awesome poems, I recently stumbled across one I haven’t read in ages, which reminded me of the sense of wonder of which all human beings are capable, but many just lose in the humdrum of life.

Being But Men

Being but men, we walked into the trees
Afraid, letting our syllables be soft
For fear of waking the rooks,
For fear of coming
Noiselessly into a world of wings and cries.

If we were children we might climb,
Catch the rooks sleeping, and break no twig,
And, after the soft ascent,
Thrust out our heads above the branches
To wonder at the unfailing stars.

Out of confusion, as the way is,
And the wonder, that man knows,
Out of the chaos would come bliss.

That, then, is loveliness, we said,
Children in wonder watching the stars,
Is the aim and the end.

Being but men, we walked into the trees.

Dylan Thomas

This week, I would like you to write about a time when you last watched stars, a storm, the sea, an animal, or something else in nature that left you with a sense of wonder or awe. Aim to write no more than three tight paragraphs, followed by a traditional haiku that includes reference to a season.

Here’s a quick reminder that Open Link Night is live this Thursday 26th November – I look forward to seeing you there!

If you are new, here’s how to join in:

• Write a haibun in response to the challenge.
• Remember to include a link back to the dVerse Poets Pub from your blog.
• Enter your name and a link directly to your haibun by clicking Mr Linky below, and check the little box to accept the use/privacy policy.
• You will find links to other poets and more will join so check back later to read their haibun.
• Read and comment on other poets’ work – we all come here to have our poems read.
• Comment and participate in our discussion below, if you like.  We are a friendly bunch of poets.