Joanna Ashwell
Despatches
It was unexpected. You’ll have a job for life working for them. However, priorities change and so does government funding.
with extra care I wrap a flower against the storm
They take too long to achieve and don’t fit into the designated time slots or target figures. So there it is—a dyslexia specialist no longer needed. Troublesome fluff to be swept away. I remember the day we had to face our learners, telling them after this term we would close. Tears from all. The loss of our jobs and the loss of their support.
drainage new weeds proliferate in bursts of sunshine
What to do in a world of pressure and targets. A chance to regroup and think again. Complete new studies to another horizon. A stop-gap of employment in an unexpected sector.
whispers float behind the footsteps of falling leaves
About the Author
Joanna Ashwell, a writer from the north-east of England, is a member of various societies for haiku and tanka. She enjoys reading and writing haiku, tanka, haibun, cherita, and other related forms.
Thank you for this piece, Joanna – you have given me pause for thought as I struggle to deal with a government’s wilful blindness. I feel a haibun gestating! Perhaps writing it will help me to strategise more effectively.