The Lighter Side of JzB

Here you will find photos, poetry, and possibly some light-hearted foolishness. For the Heavier Side
of JzB
see my other blog,
Retirement Blues. (There be dragons!)

I claim copyright and reserve all rights for my original material of every type and genre.


Every day visits*
From Moose, Goose, and Orb Weaver
All seized by Haiku


"Why moose and goose?" you may ask. Back on 2/04/13 Pirate wrote a haiku with an elk in it, and I responded with
one with a moose and then included him every day. A few days later in comments Mystic asked "Where's the goose?"
So I started including her with this post on 2/07. A week later on the 14th, Mark Readfern
asked for and received a spider. The rest is history.

*Well, most days, anyway. Grant me a bit of poetic license.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Carpe Diem Special #133



From Paloma:

For today, we return to our featured poet, Fuyuko Tomita. Here is a wonderful tanka I think we can all relate to:

さんさんとそそぐ朝日の文机に遺す未完の歌ぞ淋しき

Sansan to/ sosogu asahi no/fuzukue ni/ nokosu mikan no/ uta zo samishiki

How lonely I would be
left behind on my desk
an unfinished poem
in the glorious morning sun  

© Fuyuko Tomita 


~~::~~ 


I do have an unfinished poem haunting me, but that is not likely to be resolved any time soon.  And that is not what this poem makes me think of.  Instead it's the idea of loneliness itself.

My mother-in-law passed away in January two years ago.  She spent the last few months of her life in a nursing home.  It was not a happy place.   My lovely wife made a round trip of about 150 miles almost every other day to see her, and check on her situation and care.   There were many people there living out their last days who never had a visitor.  


she sits on her bed
nurses coming and going
making duty rounds

one more sunday afternoon
 nobody comes to visit

~~::~~

My other thought was of a loveless marriage.  Ever have one of those?  I did once.  It is the most exquisite agony.


the worst loneliness
feeling left out and ignored
when you’re with someone

in the cold hard marriage bed
two people with their backs turned
 


~~:~~

8 comments:

  1. The first situation is such a sad one that too many seniors are experiencing. The second one I experienced, but thankfully, the two of us worked through our problems. Well, done on both.

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  2. The first is so real. But being a child to one who neither knew one or even remembered you were there if you left the room and returned, visits can be heartrending. Excellent take x two.

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    Replies
    1. A dear friend of ours, who was only in his 70's had such horrible dementia he didn't know his wife and couldn't find his way to the bathroom. He had been a brilliant guy and a wonderful musician. it was so cruel.

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  4. Oh, JzB - these moved me so deeply.
    Thank you for sharing these with us --
    Namaste --

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  5. Very beautiful and heartfelt tanka...visiting my mom for the past six years with her dementia was more for me, I think. And stopping by to say hello to other residents too became a ritual. A loveless marriage can hurt more than loneliness for sure...we see it in restaurants when a couple just eat...never lifting their heads to speak to each other.

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  6. You've captured two different kinds of loneliness and they are both heart-rending. Wonderful work.

    Your blog isn't letting me comment with my blog so mine is at...
    https://debispoems.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/168/

    ReplyDelete

This is a fun blog. Light-hearted banter is welcome. Snark is not. If you want to fight, find my other blog.

Play nice, and we'll all have fun.

I like to return visit, when I can - but I need to find you. If you have multiple blogs, please leave a direct link to the appropriate post.

Cheers!
JzB