Slayley Lane

This is a haibun - a Japanese form of combined prose and haiku.

Slayley Lane

I always dreaded this part of the route. The bottom of the valley had been flooded after heavy rain, and the cold squelching in my muddy shoes had not yet subsided. The track, sloping steeply and one tractor wide, was uneven with rocks and stones of varying size and shape. Enough to trip anyone, let alone someone trying to run and breathing in heavy, heart-pounding gulps. To get to the top without walking was the Holy Grail. This day I failed. But as my heartbeat slowed I heard only beauty – the wind fluttering in the trees that lined this bucolic avenue, some birds, and a horse whinnying. 

                                                                           The prizes we seek

                                                                           Manacle our weary minds

                                                                           Blanket our senses

Tim Fellows 2020