Sandi Pray
5 o’clock
He’s gone now. But I know what he’d be thinking. Where had he gone wrong? Why wasn’t his latest scheme working? What happened to his sure thing? Why had his horse, his dog failed to place? He’d studied the track programs, the stock market trends endlessly and statistically evaluated all his chances. An engineer mind. . . he was brilliant and unlucky.
He always wore a trench coat with big pockets and I couldn’t wait for him to come home. Each night I’d reach into his left pocket and pull out a Hershey Bar. . . just for me.
A loner, a dreamer, a gambler, a drinker. . . he depended on his 5 o’clock somewhere scotch on the rocks. But if there was a storm he’d be outside walking with coat tails flying. He loved storms.
I disappointed him. I was wild. . . preferring to climb trees, wear flowers in my hair, read fairy tales and save animals. But what he didn’t know was that. . . save for a few characteristics. . . I’d grow to be pretty much the quirky dreamer, weather loving, 5 o’clock somewhere loner he taught me to be.
tropical storm an egret flies against the wind
About the Author
Sandi Pray is a retired high school library media specialist living a quiet life in the wilds of the North Carolina mountains and river wetlands of North Florida. Her haiku, haiga, and tanka have been published widely. She is a past haiga editor for A Hundred Gourds and is currently tankart editor for Skylark Tanka Journal.
Congratulations. I cannot believe this is your first ever haibun that has been published? Wow, great start!
Is Skylark Tanka Journal back then?
If so I’ll have to let our Call of the Page poets know!
warmest regards,
Alan Summers
Thank you, Alan! I just got lucky. Alas, Skylark is no more. This was an older bio.
Peace to you ☮️
I got really excited for a while, as Call of the Page tanka and tanka story writers really really really miss Skylark!
Alan
Thanks so much, Alan 🙏
No – Skylark is no more 😔
Such a loss, but it had a great run!
Alan
Wonderful Sandi
you should do a novel, memoir, or collection, so touching and full of love.
Congratulations
Thank you, my friend. This was something that just poured out of me. I usually can barely come up with a few words.
Well done indeed!!! Full of real insights and emotion. BRAVO!
Thanks, Mike! A weak moment, for sure!
Do you want the “Face” you used as the catalyst for the work? What is this type of literary work called and what does the term mean?
Absolutely, Sharon! Thanks to you #17 really spoke to me. This haibun (sensory prose with a haiku) just flowed from me.
Sandi, what a beautiful Haibun. It really touched me.
Simply superb!! Tempo is great & so is texture of text that evolves ending with stunning 3 lines. Marvelous haibun Sandy, you have that knack of spellbinding us 😊
Thank you so much, Jyoti. Your words mean the world to me 🙏
I’m am honored, Shalini. So glad you could feel my words 🙏