A haibun
Jerusalem is unseasonably cold this month.
March is ostensibly a spring month, right? And Israel is a Middle Eastern desert country. It should not be as cold as it is right now. Nevertheless, in the past two weeks, the temperature in Jerusalem has ranged from 5° C (41° F) – 17° C (62.6° F).
Many are unaware that the temperatures indoors in Jerusalem tend to be lower than outside because the city’s buildings are constructed of or faced with a pale limestone, known as Jerusalem stone. This was instituted as law during the British Mandate for Palestine period, before Israel became a sovereign state, but the law was never changed.
Of course, during the warmer months, this is lovely because our apartment is generally cool – quite a relief when we come home, drenched in sweat from walking up and down the hills of Jerusalem through the searing heat.
But today? Well, it’s late March, but I’m still wearing my turtleneck and sweater, with my back and shoulders draped in a fleece blanket… And every so often, I pass my cold hands over the portable radiator directly to my left.
Jerusalem stone
golden glow beneath the sun
belies cold within
Go Dog Go Cafe’s Haibun Wednesday
- This week’s prompt is to write a haibun about the weather while writing in the present.
- From Poetry.org:
- In How to Haiku, Bruce Ross writes, “If a haiku is an insight into a moment of experience, a haibun is the story or narrative of how one came to have that experience.”
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱 
I am sorry it’s cold, David, but Jerusalem stone is calcified sunshine to me.
Air hugs,
D
💜 Dolly 💜 ~ not just to you!
It is colder here – snow predicted for tomorrow! Still you have my sympathies! (btw the haibun is informative)
🧡 Muri 🧡
That sounds cold. We are getting cold temps too. So it’s easy to imagine cold lingers everywhere. xo
💛 Selma 💛
I hope it warms up soon, David! SW Florida has very changeable weather. I adjust fairly easily, so Robert is the one fiddling with the thermostat. 🙂 The Jerusalem stone is beautiful.
💞 Cheryl 💞 ~ how is Robert doing?
Thanks for asking, David ❤ The next step is the optician. After getting his glasses, he will be able to see 20/20! He is doing very well with readers and is able to drive again.
hooray!
so well done David. I KNOW… i freeze in my house too with jackets and sleep in my coat but it’s so warm outside right now. 💖🌻
💙🧥 Cindy 🧥💙
burrrrr 💖🌻🙏
Thank you for sharing about what buildings are made of in Jerusalem. I had no idea. The poem fits the story perfectly.
I always enjoy a lesson with a haibun. I always enjoy a haibun. I always enjoy your poetry. Thanks for the great blog post David.
🙏🏻😊 Lauren 🙏🏻😊
David, this time our spring is as warm as summer. 😓
🌞 Punam 🌞
I just learned something new, thanks. 🙂 And it’s still snowing here in Wisconsin, hah!
❄️ Sarah ❄️ ~ we had hail today!
At least you bear the brunt only in winter, David. Here, in India, it’s too cold inside in winter, too hot inside in summer. Somehow, spring didn’t show up this year. It’s straight to summer. 🙂
🥵 Terveen 🥵
brilliant – connecting the weather to history plus a poetic haiku. I like it.
😌 Barbara 😌
Excellent haibun, David. I wondered what your temperatures were like. Here in Michigan, our spring is cold and rainy. Kind of like a third winter. 😂☔️
🥶 Colleen 🥶
When I lived in Arizona, it was the same way. The houses were built to keep the heat out… in the winter I froze. We have rain today and it’s about 45 F. so I know what you mean. ❤