bittersweet season
a collection of autumn haibun (october 2024)
tenth moon, second day, 2024
i went out for a walk this chilly autumn morn to rest my mind. i noticed more and more leaves are turning orange now.
on a dry maple leaf
penning all the things
i’m letting go
i learned a lot during our crisis. it made me realize what really mattered and what really don’t. it made me realize who will be there in my time of need and who won’t. it also made my path a little bit clearer.
tenth moon, fifth day, 2024
exhausted. i thought we were safe from the danger of getting evicted, but the people came in yesterday unexpectedly to change the locks. sigh... when will this nightmare end? we’re currently staying with my grandparents on the other side of the street. we were only able to bring a limited number of supplies with us, and we got thirty days to pay for the rent before all the possessions we left get taken away. i’m very tired. i went out for a walk and sat by the bridge to clear my mind. i just wanted to take a breather specially there’s very little to no quiet space in my grandparent’s apartment. it’s a full house. here, i’m just with the wind. the wind was blowing gently here and there. i almost fell asleep.
waking up
with a red dogwood leaf
on my lap
i immediately stood up to check the bridge. i just thought it might be beautiful there with all the leaves falling. it turns out, i was right...
autumn breeze
sweeps a wave of leaves
off the bridge
tenth moon, eight day, 2024
two days ago, i was sitting on a bench by the bridge, worrying about the future again. this year has just been rough. it’s exhausting. it’s problems after problems after problems after problems... it doesn’t end. thinking about all these made me feel the bitter side of autumn.
bluing autumn
the coldness of shadows
creeps in
yesterday, i was taking a breather outside my grandparent's apartment. we managed to get financial help from families and friends, and we were able to pay for the rent. i am just very thankful we are not alone and that we were able to get our beloved home back. i missed it dearly.
red maple leaves
wherever the wind goes
i go
spotted some daisies on the corner of one apartment. it's so beautiful specially with the dappled light casted by the towering pine trees.
nippon daisies
bees gather
even in the harshest wind
today, under the bridge, after taking photos for my comic. on my way up a slope, i saw a lady standing very close to a tree with eight trunks. i wasn't sure what she was doing at first as i can barely see half of her. so, i went up to say hi. i kind of scared her a little bit. i mean i would be scared too if i was hugging a tree and some random person appeared out of nowhere in a bushy area. i find it quite funny now to be honest.
but yes, she told me she was indeed hugging the tree. she told me how trees in general have healing factors. i immediately agreed and told her that's the reason why i love spending time in nature so much. i've read it somewhere. the Japanese even have a term for it. it's "forest bathing" i believe. shinrin-yoku. it was stated in a book that trees really do produce some pheromones that contribute to these "healing powers." it calms the mind, the body, and the soul. it's a very good mindful activity that i would recommend to everyone.
the lady then proceeded to tell me that the tree she was hugging was a “mother “tree. she pointed out its multiple trunks. it probably has been here for a long, long while.
the sound of cascades
she hugs the mother tree
in silence
it was a very nice, very random, and unexpected interaction. i told her the way i “hug” trees. i don’t really hug them, i place my left palm on their trunks, close my eyes, feel the roughness of their barks, then utter the Japanese phrase, “ichigo ichie.” as i said the other day, it means everything happens only once. in this context, i use it as a thank you for all the unique and beautiful things i saw today.
tenth moon, twelfth day, 2024
today, under the bridge, taking a break after a hectic week.
on the riverbed
the shadows
of floating leaves
tenth moon, fourteenth day, 2024
sitting on the railing of a bridge under the grey overcast sky.
sleepy
like the decaying leaves
on the riverbed
tenth moon, sixteenth day, 2024
eating a sandwich on a bench, feeling stressed out.
peanut butter and jelly
trying to see
the sweet side of autumn
it was the best sandwich i ever ate. nothing special about it. it’s just a normal pb&j i made before i went out for a walk. it’s just that this week, this month, this year has been so exhausting that every time i get to eat, i savor every single bite, no matter what food it is. i am just very thankful i can eat.
when i was about to leave the bridge, a soft gust of wind blew through the catalpa leaves.
catalpa leaves
whispering me
to stay
it's been a while now since the last time i spent alone with the moon. i was gazing at it in my room not too long ago. i wore my glasses so i can see it crystal clear.
gazing at the moon
my hot cocoa
fogs up my glasses
tenth moon, seventeenth day, 2024
i went to this one street that has maple trees along the pathways to see if the colors of the leaves has changed. they did! they’re mostly orange and red now. i worried that i might have missed it but it turned out i came in at just the right time. it’s always beautiful there at this time of the year.
leaf blower
dust and red maple leaves
in rays of morning light
tenth moon, nineteenth day, 2024
some trees are fully red now. specially the maples, the smaller ones. they’re so red, like fire. i can’t stop looking at them. they’re so beautiful. i stood under one just gazing at its leaves.
like a moth
to a flame
red maples
tenth moon, twenty-first day, 2024
i went out for a walk, taking a breather after a hectic weekend. the weather was lovely today. there was a slight chill mixed with the warmth of the sun. trees are colorful now.
lover blue jays
flutters down
over the morning moon
sitting on the railing of a bridge, facing downstream, eating my mayonnaise sandwich. i was trying not to think about anything. i was just enjoying the food, enjoying the sound of water, enjoying the warmth of the sun, the slight chill of the autumn breeze, and the sight of the colorful trees along the stream.
the sound of cascades
colors of autumn
ripples downstream
tenth moon, twenty-third day, 2024
i went to the banks of the brook today to take some pictures for my comic. i figured it would be the perfect day to do that since the scene i am currently working on happened around this time of the year. what i didn’t know was that this day was going to be more than perfect. the weather was nice, really, really nice. the sky was blue, and golden leaves were falling everywhere. it was breathtaking, especially at the brook. i have no words for it. i can’t figure out how to express the intense feeling i was experiencing. it’s frustrating. all i can say simply is that it was beautiful.
on a riverbank
wishing for the falling of leaves
to last
this made me relive the very first time i saw it back in 2020. it was the day i fell in love with it. even now, i still am.
tenth moon, twenty-fourth day, 2024
gazing at the blue morning sky out my window. colorful autumn trees and evergreens filled the lower half.
while drinking hot cocoa:
cirrus clouds
faraway leaves fluttering
like butterflies
tenth moon, twenty-fifth day, 2024
feeling a little bit overwhelmed today so i went out for a walk to clear my mind. i put my phone in silence since every time it rang, problems appeared. i didn’t want any of that right now. i just wanted to rest and enjoy the beautiful autumn day. i sat on the banks again and gazed at the stream adorned with golden leaves.
golden maple trees
about to let go
the weight of this world
tenth moon, twenty-sixth day, 2024
the wind was blowing again today. what i found amazing was that it always blew at the right time and at the right moment. it always does. today it blew really hard as i was entering the bridge. it caused thousands of golden leaves to fall towards the stream. it was mesmerizing. leaves everywhere! in the sky, on the bridge, on the surface of the waters, and even on the riverbed. i quickly ran down the slope and sat on the edge of the bank to enjoy more of it.
howling wind
a thousand leaves
fall into the stream
tenth moon, twenty-ninth day, 2024
sat on my favorite spot again by the little waterfall beneath the bridge. there was always sunlight there these past couple of days. it was enough to cover my whole body. it was perfect. it was like a spotlight just for me. it felt good. it kept me warm as i gazed at the beautiful autumn scenery downstream.
here again
till the last leaf
falls
the falling leaves were beautiful... but i can’t help but feel sad that a lot of trees are starting to become bare very quickly. just last week, they were very colorful and fluffy and happy... now there’s patches of sky in every treetop. oh, how i wish the colors of autumn would stay forever... but you know what...? gazing at the half bare treetops made me feel a little bit refreshed for some reason. it made me remember the vastness of the blue winter sky. it made me remember that in order to feel the openness, you have to be willing to let go of things just like the beautiful trees of autumn.
half bare trees
the sky is starting
to open up
tenth moon, thirtieth day, 2024
while sitting on the edge of the banks, gazing downstream.
over the stream
half of the falling leaves
are a flock of birds
the sound of the little waterfall beside me was loud, but i was hearing this one bird singing somewhere up the treetops. i didn’t know what bird it was. i didn’t see it as well. i wanted to identify it with my bird app but i was completely sure that the app wouldn’t be able to hear it.
sound of cascades
it stopped singing
the nameless bird
tenth moon, thirty-first day, 2024
it seemed like the world wanted to slow me down today. everything was gentle. the sunlight, the temperature, the wind... even the leaves were taking their time hovering in the air...
seven maple leaves
falling slowly
spinning gently
sadly, today i saw a dead little bird on a path where i saw the dead squirrel a few months ago. i felt so sorry for the little one... specially since today was such a beautiful day to spread your wings and soar high into the blue sky... but that's life... it's cruel and unfair. i picked up the bird and laid it down on the grass next to me. i grabbed a maple leaf full of frost and covered the little bird with it.
little bird
sleeping tight
under a frosted leaf
under a golden maple tree, a young squirrel was eating some samaras without a care in the world. i even tried waving at it and throwing peanuts at it but it was too busy doing its own thing.
young squirrel
in his own world
of golden leaves
about the author
Thomas is the creator of a wish that bloomed in fall. he is also a haiku poet, origamist, and a squirrel whisperer. he loves spending time in nature and writing poems about the little things in life.
a wish that bloomed in fall
a heartwarming slice-of-life story about Emma, a girl who meets a cute little squirrel named Cinnamon, who will inspire her to pursue her dream of becoming a comic artist. you can read it here!
“Yet, even amidst the hatred and carnage, life is still worth living. It is possible for wonderful encounters and beautiful things to exist.”
- Hayao Miyazaki