monocrome

· by · in dVerse, haibun. ·

…in a state of waiting i could not care if anything i did would mean a thing, unobserved the sky, the trees and wind carried on on living while i focused on producing white noise to speed up the passing of time to obliterate the memories of what i did and didn’t do to freeze that time when all was perfect and though i don’t want time to end with my ultimate passing the knowledge of everything that cannot be reversed drags me on through a landscape of monocrome mondays with chores i do on autopilot and though i don’t know where my journey ends there is comfort in the sound of time passing one second at a time…

waiting unobserved
 trees and wind 
obliterate the memories 
where my journey ends
one second at a time

unobserved
trees and wind
the journey ends

Back from a break into writing, Lisa hosts the dVerse Haibun with the burning haibun. I am sure we all have these moments when passing of time is the most comforting part of living.

Jan 7, 2025

20 responses to “monocrome”

  3. I agree that we all have moments when the passing of time is comforting – I can’t wait for January and ‘monochrome Mondays’ to be over, although we have green snowdrop shoots in the garden, which are a sign that spring is on the way.

  5. There is such a poignant and pulsing rhythm to this haibun, Bjorn!

    I especially resonate with; “and though I don’t want time to end with my ultimate passing the knowledge of everything that cannot be reversed.” 💙💙

  7. doing chores on autopilot is never good my mind drifts away to other places I have read about when autopilot is engaged.

  8. You go where angels fear to tread my friend! I struggled so much with Burning Haibun, and in the end left it by the roadside, and here I see stream of consciousness would have been worth an attempt, so very well done for hitting the gas pedal and just doing it. You really pulled it off, finding meaning and message,..the passing of time, yes, but the passing of knowledge…real philosophy there,

  9. Bjorn, I read through this a few times. I imagine a giant clock on the wall, ticking dependably; and very much like the idea as it ticks forward, that at the tail end disappears. How much time is wasted on ruminating the past. You capture it so well in your burning haibun.

  10. Monotones, white noise, disappearing ~~ ultimate escapes from realities we would rather forget …. your burning haibun is an excellent write.

  11. The haiku is equal part haunting and beautiful, but what I truly love is how that first section continues without punctuation. It caused me to read faster and faster, almost like life passes the older we get.

  12. This piece is a little sad. I interpreted it as the past (both good and bad) getting to you and you seeing your present in monochrome, hoping the clock ticks. There could be a positive interpretation which I didn’t notice. All in all, it’s a great piece of writing.

  13. This sounds so desolate. Imagine being all alone and watching time crawl by…gives me the shivers. Excellent writing, Björn and the lack of punctuation makes it punchier.

  15. A tour de force of a burning haibun, Björn. I know what you mean when you say, “there is comfort in the sound of time passing one second at a time …”

  16. This challenge has produced some stunning interior questioning and none better than yours here Björn – as we age I find it impossible not to reflect on the past and yes – to have some regrets – whatever that Parisian chanteuse says…

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