Mona Bedi
Traces of Us
There is a trunk full of old books in my attic. Today, I took it out with the intention of decluttering. Opening the old rusted tin trunk is a task in itself. Inside are my children’s school books, some old magazines, and a few of my novels. I carefully take them out and dust them. Lying there beneath the layers of dust is a brown leather-bound diary. It has Dad’s name embossed on it. Time has left its mark—the cover is peeling all over, and the slot for a pen now lies empty. I open the diary and turn the yellowed pages. On one dog-eared page is a faded picture of us three sisters, with the word Love scribbled in Dad’s handwriting.
still clinging
to the old house
wild clematis
About the Author
Mona Bedi is a medical doctor in Delhi, India. She has published two books of poetry, they you and me and dancing moonlight, and her haiku and senryu have been published in Failed Haiku, Haiku in Action, The Haiku Dialogue, cold moon journal, tsuri-doro, and many others. She lives with her husband, two children, and a dog.
A relatable and beautiful haibun.
There is a line from the movie, “Finding Forrester” An unexpected gift at an unexpected time. Your dad’s diary feels as such.
Hello Mona,
I had to smile a little at your opening ‘with the intention of decluttering’. I think we can all agree we begin with that intention but discover such treasures that bind us forever to what we once labeled ‘clutter’. That was a Treasure and I agree with Tom’s reference above. A lovely haibun to read and remember. Karina