From far away I hear that cherry-blooms are on their way. The way their sheer pinkness blends with a perfect blue sky reminds me of everything is beautiful and for just a short while I can forget the way bullets pierce human flesh. Here in Stockholm we still have another month until their fireworks of pink overwhelms us, until after its brief explosion the dead petals flushes into the gutter, blending with used condoms and cigarette butts.
shy ballerina —
in her pink tulle tiptoes
sacre de printemps
Today Frank hosts dVerse Haibun Monday, and the theme is Cherry Blossom as they have started to bloom in some places, and soon their pinkness will spread even to our far north.
March 25, 2024
Björn Rudbergs writings 
We both wrote about distance to cherry blossoms. I like the opening line and the haiku especially. Your use of metaphor paints a grim scene of the world’s reality, that all beautiful things must come to an end. Contrasted with the innocence of “shy ballerina—
in her pink tulle tiptoes”
Thank you… I am really reminded of a ballerina’s tutu when I see cherry blossom.
I enjoyed the blast of Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’, Björn, the way you welcome cherry blossom ‘from far away, and the use of colour. Such a shame about the used condoms and cigarette butts. As a child, I was a shy ballerina…
Thank you so much, the bloom is so brief…
The stark contrast really hits home. Impressive.
It is wonderful even in darkest of times.
Nice one Björn. Lots of contrasts
much♡love
As it should be I think
A melodious blend of transient beauty and human sorrow, Bjorn. I love how your haiku complements your poetic prose so eloquently!
I was happy with the haiku… those cherry flowers are like young ballerinas
A very lovely haiku. There is something to ponder about in your Haibun
Thank you so much, and sadly it is so much going on.
You’re welcome. The way things are, we can’t separate ourselves from the world situations
Well, a little burst of color in the garbage isn’t all bad… 🙂✌🏼🫶🏼
In the end everything is garbage….
Great use of contrast and a beautiful haiku. They really are like little ballerinas!
Thank you, exactly what I thought…
You’ll get them before we do! Nicely done… Petals to cover the garbage… for a little while.
The one piece by Stravinsky I cannot stand 😉
I have always loved that music… but taste is different.
Indeed. I did see a ballet which was lovely. The music by itself, however, just doesn’t work for me 🙂
Oh, this is great even with the dark twist.
“shy ballerina — in her pink tulle tiptoes” is just an awesome image, Björn!
Thank you, I liked the thought of the cherry bloom as a little ballerina.
The wait hones the outcome, no?
We wait forever up here on the Canadian border in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Land of the Fur-bearing Lake Trout & the bilingual stop sign.
But eventually…aaaahhh
Exactly…. aaaaahhh… it will come
Every climatic zone has its first flowers. To be honest, I prefer the tiny speedwell, the stitchwort and violets to ornamental cherry. Keep looking, there’ll be some little beauties in the grass 🙂
Indeed, for me the first and most beautyful little flower is the liverworth and I have already seen the first little flower.
I don’t know a liverwort flower. The plant I know is flat-leafed and green, somewhere between lichen and seaweed .
The floder is a wonderful blue
Your haibun and the depiction of the cherry blossoms reminds me of a quote from an anime movie “The speed of cherry blossoms falling is 5cm per second.” That’s how ephemeral they are 😄
They fall with the grace of a dancer.
Feels like the world is going nuts! I keep waiting for it all to calm down. I’m hopeful.
Pat
It feels hard to wait right now…
Wow. A dark spring. I like how you keep it real in this haibun.
Dark, but still with some cherry in bloom we may briefly forget.
Keeping it real allows us to fully appreciate the beauty of the bloom.
Yes.. and maybe without darkness we would appreciate the beauty less.
Wow… that unexpected ending was kinda a downer! Very gritty! ❤
~David
The blooming is brief and afterwards the petals are just like any trash.
I love how you take to the height of spring, the beauty of the blossom, but also ground it in our awful mundanity, a blunt contrast that makes me steer away from the awful and desire more of the blossom.