Walking through the thicket, the woman stops a moment to admire wild daisies. It is mid-day and the sun is commanding nature to acquiesce to her splendid rays. Birds perched in the shade of their home are silent as they embrace their afternoon siesta except for a few chirps from fledglings resisting their nap. And then, the concert begins…from tree to tree sopranos tell their story while another group sing the refrain…piercing sounds mesmerize and finally the last of the fledglings give in to their lullaby.

spellbound
cicadas take centre stage
nature listens

The woman crouches slowly, taking a picture of her subjects; she smiles at the effect the soft wind has on the flowers. It appears the daisies are waving and smiling with their golden centres boasting towards the sun. And then, she freezes…

blue butterfly
perpetual trace
on her cheek

blue butterfly
on tender petals
wings unfold

perpetual trace
sounds of summer
of her youth

on her cheek
fluttering wings,
still caress

©Tournesol’17/04/29

At Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, our host and mentor, Chèvrefeuille gives us a spiritual meme where we can choose among four photographs for our inspiration. They are A young mountain monk, Laughter, Time Flies and Tranquility.  The image of a clock depicting how time flies is what inspired my haibun/troibun but more than just time flies…how a split second experience can imprint forever in my mind.  The blue butterfly visited me from April to November, 2015 following the death of my mother December 2014.  I have never seen such a constant presence as this beauty before or after.  I know, deep down, she was helping me in my grief. 

And now the memory of my experience with the blue butterfly brings me such joy…

I feel such laughter in my heart, imagining the daisies also chortling…like the monks in the photo our host has given us.  By the time I had completed the troiku(a new form of haiku created also by Chèvrefeuille), I felt my whole being washed with a sense of tranquilty. So, I suppose I was influenced by all four photos and left with a lingering sense of wellbeing.

Perhaps I was also the young monk from the mountain observing the memories of my youth…my mother and the blue butterfly.