Margaret Chula

Imprints

Sun warming my back, I step through
fermented plums squashed on the driveway.
Gate to the horse pasture wide open.
Dried hay withered to the color of my hair.
A profusion of plums clustered on branches.
My mouth circles the pit, releasing
the fruit’s succulent juices.
I should learn how to make jam, I think,
as I form a carrying pouch in my white shirt.
With every step of my Birkenstocks,
a trail of plum prints.

red dragon tattoo
faded from the sun
her hennaed hair

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About the Author

Margaret Chula has been writing haiku, haibun, and tanka for over forty years. One Leaf Detaches (haiku) was awarded a Touchstone Distinguished Book Award in 2019. Her new haibun memoir, Firefly Lanterns: Twelve Years in Kyoto, received a NYC 2022 Big Book Award in Multicultural Nonfiction. Maggie lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.

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