For Kim’s prompt for Haibun Monday. Although she asks for a limit of three tight paragraphs, I have revered to the original form created by Basho – one brief and to the point paragraph along with a seasonal haiku to close instead of the long haibun with much despcription.
January
The Christmas tree is put away for another year. Darkness covers the earth in early afternoon. Cold settles about the house like a snowy shawl. It seems dull without the lit Christmas tree. We sip slow simmered bean soup for dinner.
feral cats gather –
they mass together for warmth –
feeding them is joy
snowy yard
kanzen sakura 
Jan 07, 2019 @ 15:57:42
I love how you bring in the warmth with that bean soup… otherwise January is a lot like a wet grey shawl
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:00:59
cats and kittens can make the environment cozy and warm. The bean soup helps.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:03:45
Hi Jane! Thank you for reading! Miss you
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:06:57
And I miss you.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:03:57
You have used the form well. I like the movement from outer cold to interior warmth and joy.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:05:19
Thank you!
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:10:03
Warmth despite the cold – love the contrast.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:12:19
Thank you!
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:17:51
You are welcome
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:20:02
I like how you bring the feral cats into the sheltering warmth. Winter is hard on wild things.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:20:57
Yes it is. Poor things.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:30:34
😦
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:23:33
i miss the twinkling lights once the tree is down. feral cats are beautiful creatures
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:30:37
The scene is so well encapsulated in your short paragraph, Toni. I love the simile ‘Cold settles about the house like a snowy shawl’ and the feeding of the feral cats. My tree is also down. I like slow simmered bean soup – I made cheese and potato pie this evening – comfort food!
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:44:45
I haven’t got around to putting away the tree yet, but I love the imagery in this. You’ve packed a lot of punch into that one paragraph.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:54:16
“darkness covers the earth” it does seem that way doesn’t it
Jan 07, 2019 @ 17:50:12
Yes it does
Jan 07, 2019 @ 16:58:49
I can imagine how the Christmas tree adds brightness and color to the room. I also liked the joy in feeding the feral cats.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 18:16:10
Love the warmth in the snowy cold winter with that soup and feeding the cats.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 18:27:17
If I had, or knew a feral cat, I would name it Errol. I like your point that snow on the house seems onerous and plain without the holiday decor.
Jan 07, 2019 @ 18:42:10
I’m still chuckling at Glenn’s Errol feral! I so agree that everything seems rather bland when the tree and lights are put away. Well written!
Jan 07, 2019 @ 19:34:28
Great Haibun! I agree… less is more! Beautiful Photo… Snowy home for the cats!
Jan 07, 2019 @ 20:50:02
feral cats and bean soup. We had cats that would curl around each other on the coldest of nights – the little one so happy being snuggled with his “hero”. But come warmer days, he was ignored (poor little guy). As for bean soup… turkey and white bean soup was eaten for DAYS after Christmas… 🙂
Jan 07, 2019 @ 21:00:09
We are great lovers of smoked ham hock and bean soup. I share with my mother-in-law. I also make up a recipe of yeasty butter rolls. So good!
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Jan 07, 2019 @ 23:45:28
It is the time for bean soup, with the bone from the Christmas ham… YUMMMM!
The home can be grey and eoolen this time if year…
Jan 07, 2019 @ 23:45:56
*woolen
Jan 08, 2019 @ 06:45:44
Brief but you encompass all and more a winter day signifies.
Jan 08, 2019 @ 08:01:03
The ferals should be made stars. This is a start in that direction! 😉
Jan 08, 2019 @ 16:20:23
They are already stars. Their official moniker is : The Skitter Muffins
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Jan 08, 2019 @ 10:24:16
Toni- you capture the moment in a beautiful sparse way. I love that you care for the feral cats.
Jan 08, 2019 @ 11:22:10
Wonderful winter haibun, Toni…warms my heart.
Jan 08, 2019 @ 15:16:32
Bean soup for comfort. Lovely. I am happy you feed the cats. They must be dreaming of spring.
Jan 08, 2019 @ 15:17:33
I think they dream of more food!
Jan 08, 2019 @ 15:30:25
The image of bean soup and snowy shawl is beautiful and warms my heart! Such a gorgeous haibun, Toni! ❤️
Jan 08, 2019 @ 15:39:00
Thank you !
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Jan 08, 2019 @ 19:28:56
You bring much into this with your expertise in writing a concise haibun. The gloominess of winter, the emptiness without the tree, the warmth of the bean soup and another layer of “joy” in feeding the feral cats. Love it, Toni.
Jan 08, 2019 @ 20:03:29
This really warmed my heart. Lovely written.
Jan 08, 2019 @ 23:35:59
There’s something to be cherished — this feeding and sharing — even when the festivities are over. A lovely haibun! 🙂
Jan 09, 2019 @ 08:39:21
And i worry about the feral cats in my summer garden!!
Jan 09, 2019 @ 10:57:11
Warm soup in winter…bears hibernate, and maybe we do too, once the Christmas tree is put away. Love this.
Jan 13, 2019 @ 18:01:16
Love the warmth of community found in a colony of cats huddling together and the we who are sipping slow simmered soup.
Jan 14, 2019 @ 16:12:02
Love you for thinking of the feral cats. Mom generally kept several families and generations of them on the farm. After we stopped raising pigs she used one of the smaller hog houses for a cat house, getting them out of the cold and snowy Nebraska weather. I.e. I love your Haibun, it reminds me of a lot. Thank you.
..
Jan 14, 2019 @ 16:31:31
Bless your mother for her kindness to these creatures. I was always taught to show kindness to animals, the old Bible verse, what you do to the least of these…thank you for sharing about your mother. She seemed to be a rare kind of person.