Winter Haibun

[Magpie]

In winter when the temperature drops low enough, the canal begins to form its first delicate veil of wafer thin ice. Pockets of air cling to the underside and bid farewell to the light that slowly fades as ice grows thicker and swirling feathered patterns deliciously arc and sweep across the whole of its surface. Sometimes it can happen over night and as a bonus the ice is topped off with a fine layer of frost that scintillates brightly in the low early morning sun; a complete transformation seemingly at odds with the rest of nature in a deep slumber.

atop
frozen canal -
crutches

Then the inevitable begins to happen. At first the occasional stone, some small pebbles, the results of inquisitive minds testing how thick the ice is. Small pebbles become large pebbles become small rocks become large rocks. Until, the floodgates open and to every passer by the temptation to throw something onto the frozen canal becomes irresistible. Twigs snapped from branches, branches snapped from trees, trees uprooted, strewn across the icy surface. Green plastic bottles, multi coloured plastic bags, fluorescent shoes, shopping trolleys, school uniforms, toasters, lingerie, a fondue set, his and hers matching dressing gowns, a cuddly toy. Every conceivable piece of bizarre junk that you can possibly imagine congregates on the frozen wastes until the hideous transformation is complete and the gift of a beautiful frozen canal becomes an eyesore.

on the canal
skating -
funeral mourners

Silently everyone suffers, trying to convince themselves that they were not the worst offenders. Silently everyone prays for the thaw to come and sink the mayhem to the bottom where it can mingle with all the previous decades worth of junk and swap stories of what it was like, "Up there!! Up there in that beautiful golden light."

daffodils don't see
the carnage when snow drops
and crocuses bloom