As searing temperatures in “New York’s backyard” momentarily taper off, an almost Autumnal chill pervades the air. It’s almost as if the fierce golden glow of the sun yields to the smooth silver reflection of the moon. What a fortuitous time, then, to take some inspiration from that argental substance. Good afternoon, Poets! Frank Tassone, here, hosting another Haibun Monday, where we blend prose and poetry to fashion that Basho delight known as haibun! Today, let’s talk about silver!

A gleaming gray metal, silver is the runner-up to gold, with a distinctiveness all its own. From the kryptonite of werewolves, to that second-place Olympic medal, the element known by the ancient Romans as Argentum continues to appeal.

There is also another context in which silver is used. Honestly, this is the one most personal, for me, this year: the silver anniversary.

Twenty-five years ago, on July 21^st, Mira and I got married on a sultry afternoon. This past July 21^st, we dined at one of our all-inclusive resort’s fine dining restaurants, during the first day of our well-needed beach getaway. Yesterday, we celebrated our Silver Anniversary with our family, hosting a celebratory lunch at the family’s favorite Portuguese restaurant.

Well, that’s my contemporary connection to silver, but what do other haijin have to say?

Joanne Morcom

Silver Threads Among the Gold

After an afternoon of shopping I notice a seniors’ discount on one of my receipts.  Seniors’ discount? What’s next—someone offering to help me cross the street?  I crumple the receipt in my pale, blue-veined hand. Then I smile.

falling leaves

the box of hair dye

unopened

Courtesy of CHO 19.1

Michael Dylan Welch

Ginkaku-ji ( 銀閣寺 )

Tall hedges hide the temple’s sanctuary from the outside world as you snake your way in, buy your ticket, just 500 yen, then round the corner to see not the silver pavilion itself but the sand garden. Sand, and yet more sand, white, heaped up in a perfectly symmetrical Fuji cone, the raised sand-sea at its side raked to nanometer precision. Here the tourists jostle, some taking photos, others wondering where the path will take them. Just round the garden, folks.

So you follow it. The mosses, the moonbridge, the koi hiding in the shallow shadows, the stone lanterns each with a heap of coins, the leaves of every maple electric red, shutters clicking, tourists shuffling along, in, around, along, and out again, through the gate in that hedge and there, a taxi’s horn.

missing the ghost
of the tea ceremony –
silver pavilion

 Courtesy of CHO 12.3

Whether commemorating the Lone Ranger’s famous steed, the hue of a particular fox, or the face of a full moon, let’s write about silver!

New to haibun? The form consists of one to a few paragraphs of prose—usually written in the present tense—that evoke an experience and are often non-fictional/autobiographical. They may be preceded or followed by one or more haiku—nature-based, using a seasonal image—that complement without directly repeating what the prose stated.

New to dVerse? Here is what you do:

• Write a haibun that alludes to silver.
• Post it on your personal site/blog.
• Include a link back to dVerse in your post.
• Copy your link onto the Mr. Linky.
• Remember to click the small checkbox about data protection.
• Read and comment on some of your fellow poets’ work.
• Like and leave a comment below if you choose to do so.
• Have fun!