Haibun
I loved the Inn At Weston where I grew up. This small country inn was the center of our small Vermont town. There was a pool, no land, just a colonial white clapboard building. As Weston’s history began in the late 1700s I believe that this building was quite old. Today it is gone. Another place has been named The Inn At Weston. I learned that it had burned to the ground sometime in the 70s or 80s. For me it was devastating. It felt as if a part of my life had been destroyed, eliminated. I had worked there from the time that I was 13 until I was nearly 19 during the summer months. One summer when I was 16 and it was about 10 AM, I ran up to Jack’s bedroom that doubled as the office very excited about my flight with Bruce. I burst into the bedroom so excited, for I had just flown a plane in between the Green Mountains and over the Inn. Jack and Hugh were in bed together. I knew Jack was gay, although I am not sure that this was a term of parlance in 1962. I was not embarrassed – I just shared my story and excitement then I left. We were family. Jack was like a dad to me. I truly loved him. Because of that love my reaction was simply one of happiness for him.
fireworks danger and excitement – festival time
Shared with gratitude with the wonderful poets at dVerse OpenLinkNight
noh where 
smiles…i like your reaction…and i think often our relationship with them plays into that…and as a child, we know no different until we are taught…the sadness over losing the home…i feel that for my grandmothers house…the flood that took it…
ha, i like your closing verse…it accentuates the happiness…
C Hung, you crack me up…hahaha
Thank you Brian. Glad I can make you smile. Hey as always I appreciate your comments. I am so sorry about your grandmother’s house. Those things that remind us of the love in our lives are hard to lose.
The haibun is such a fun form to work with. And good for you–acceptance is what it’s all about.
Thank you Victoria.
Nice reminiscence. I think you were ahead of your time with acceptance….despite some of the difficult times you had as a child, you obviously learned somehow the ‘important things.’
Oh ahead of my time … nah, I had been so horrifically rejected by my parents and way over criticized that something in me just couldn’t criticize others. I knew how painful it was. I still do not take well to overt and unhealthy family criticism today. And I have discovered recently that my daughter appears to have that gene within. Anyway, the LGBT community is one that I have been blessed to be very close to. I would NOT enjoy a life without the LGBT community in my life. Thanks.
It is a good thing you did not take on the characteristics of your parents, but instead worked to overcome their characteristics and BE the opposite kind of person. Not easy to accomplish usually, but it seems to have happened with you quite naturally. I do commend that. I do believe that we fight against some of our parents’ (negative) characteristics for a lifetime though….in some ways. Those examples were deeply ingrained.
I love your haibun and memoir together .. it’s a real inspiration, and the one-line haiku is a masterpiece that contrasts so well to the prose. I need to write more haibun
WEll, Bjorn … that could be the nicest thing that anyone has ever said about anything that I have written! Wow, thank you. So very much.
Lovely haibun ~ I love how open minded you were then and how that place meant to you ~ I too feel sad when old buildings are burned down and its like a part of you dies or fades away too ~
Thank you Grace. I just never thought about closing my mind, I would have fewer choices and I would know so much less. About the building. So, lets say this happened in 1979 that would have made me 33 and very much NOT fully formed or matured emotionally. So, yes, it was really painful. Today it would not affect me that way. Thank you for sharing. I really appreciate your thoughts.
I love how naturally accepting and open-hearted you were, even so young. Loved this write.
Hey kid – (((hugs))) cause I know that you need them … this too shall pass. Love ya!
nice… i like that your reaction was just relaxed and i can imagine how hard it must’ve been to lose that place…cool on the flight…
Claudia, I had forgotten all about that 16 year old flight until I wrote this. Which reminds me of some other flights I need to write about next.
Thanks for your comment in my blog on the bird poems. Yes, you caught the essence of the cardinal poem….and your suggestion was a good idea. Thank you for the thought you put into your response.
Mary, when I was a young adult approaching middle age I guess that I was about (1984) 38, I had a passion for learning about all things spiritual. I pretty much studied most all spiritual disciplines. I was truly fascinated by “healing.” I began to study shamanic healing and practice a number of techniques. In the mid 80s – through the mid 90s I did a ton of professional work along with volunteer work with those who had HIV/AIDS. I also did shamanic healing work with those who were unable to die but needed to do so. Their lives had been so filled with trauma that they could not pass over. I did soul retrieval with them. One thing that I learned is that ritual is healing. Actually that is one of the reasons for its existence. And within the practice of a ritual it must not just be spiritual/emotional but physical too. To share something very personal, I had to give up a deep emotional attachment. I knew that I must. It was killing me. So, I asked for what I should do. It entailed taking my emotions and burying them by a marshy place. Now my feeling were very precious. So to be more effective (I collect stones and loose pearls – or I did) I buried some pearls when I buried the emotions. Email me if you want to talk about it. Thank you.
I understand this concept, Liz. It does make sense that it cannot be only spiritual / emotional, but must also have a physical component. Burying the pearls themselves makes a lot of sense. Now if only I will remember this the next time there is a situation or relationship (or anything) I need to rid myself of. I did lose someone I thought was a friend a couple years ago. It still eats at me occasionally; so perhaps I will bury something in the field next to my home!
It’s interesting if one never knew the term “gay” or “homosexual” and taught that it is somehow “wrong”, one would not care except for the happiness of a loved one. Lovely captured moment with this post and haibun. 🙂
My friend – man my age is really showing! Thanks for reming me of SPAM – which is where you and others were.
Yes, you are quite right in what you say. Hugs!
I think your blog ate my last comment because I wasn’t logged into wordpress earlier.
I love the post and haibun. 🙂 Now that I read again, I will say also that there’s great feeling of family here; no secrets, nothing to hide. It’s just beautiful.
I also miss that family – ah well Ravenblack, I have always created family wherever I have gone. That is until I met David who is my family and has been for – well since 1979. Thanks my friend.