David J. Kelly
Unanswered
I jolt out of sleep, in the middle of the night, without any discernible cue. The predictable quietness of the house is somehow full of menace. I strain to the limits of perception. Discover only the whisper of fabric. Traces of my own breath and breathing. What has flicked consciousness from “off” to “on”? Perhaps I’m injured. Without focus or clarity, I launch into a body scan.
sounding off—
the dull resonance
of rheumatism
Once, I awoke to the echoes of vivid dreams. Now, all that registers is confusion. I stop. Try to clear my head. Seek clarity. But my cerebral galumphings simply upturn tidy piles of resolved problems. Steadily, mental order is replaced by chaos. Without the wit to wonder at the way ahead, I trip and stumble through a landscape littered with despair.
a guiding light
at the edge of reason
sky-washed dawn
About the Author
David J. Kelly is a retired ecologist based in the Gloucestershire countryside (UK). He has a passion for haibun, which he believes offers a bridge between Eastern and Western writing. David is senryu editor of cattails, a member of the Oxford Haiku Group, and a member of the Pepperpots Haibun Group.