Preface to my 4th book

Tentative preface to my forthcoming book, Despite my health condition (STROKE), I have labored to compile my 4th book,

STOPS ALONG THE WAY:

HAIBUNIC ANECDOTES AND TRAVEL DIARIES

Victor P. Gendrano

These diaries or short anecdotes are interspersed with poems, generally haiku and tanka, although I use other forms as well. I subtitled this as haibunic anecdotes for lack of a better term eschewing the use of haibun so as not to transgress the sensibilities of haibun purists. Some call this by the way as prose poems. 

Sometimes I even add pictures to them similar to the haiga form. In my long life‘s journey, here are the many stops and varied observations I made along the way which I diligently wrote immediately after or close to their occurrences, akin to the present-day journaling. These are records of my life experiences, observations and reactionsto what I see and feel in my travels, whether just walking in my backyard, nearby park, or going to places far from home. News items too were significant sources of my autobiographical writings.

Their arrangement is purely arbitrary and not chronological; the table of contents and title index will hopefully help the reader easily navigate the volume.

Notice to my readers:

The reason I have not posted here for a while is I had a stroke and up to now, cannot walk without a walker or a wheelchair. My speech is still garbled and am  immobile, but I am looking for slow recovery through the help of God. I'll see you soon...

ICY WINTER DAY

ICY WINTER DAY, a haibun

I experienced winter for the first time in my life in the early sixties when I was studying for my master's degree at Syracuse University in New York.

I eagerly anticipated its arrival having been born in a tropical place. My friends from the same and neighboring countries had a wild celebration of sorts with the first flurry of snow. We gathered in the yard behind our apartments and together jumped with outstretched hands trying to catch the white feathery stuff which melted gradually on our hands. Of course that was only the first half of the story as we later experienced real winter in the succeeding days.

One morning, I knew that it would be slippery that day when I started walking to school. Across the street I saw a car move unsteadily upwards on an incline only to roll down every time it climbed upwards. So on my way to school I was extra careful navigating the sidewalk with other students. Then it happened. 

In front, a few paces ahead of me, a white American student suddenly slipped and fell down on the icy walkway. Without thinking of anything but to help, I rushed to her and offered my hand to aid her up. She started to take it, but immediately withdrew her hand when she saw the brown skin of mine. Surprised, I reluctantly left the scene and did not look back even after I heard a thud again.

icy winter day 

she disdains my brown hand

trying to help her get up

as I turn to leave

she falls down again