Dennis Owen Frohlich

Tag: Haibun

  • Haibun 2: Operation

    The following haibun was first published in Issue #106, December 31, 2024, of Failed Haiku:

    The nurse asks, “Do you have any metal in your body that wasn’t present at birth?”

    Which is an odd question.

    Those last five words don’t seem necessary. They imply that it’s possible for metal to be present in the body at birth or even before birth. Those five words further assert that, while metal in the body present after birth might complicate certain medical procedures or surgeries, metal present in the body at birth or before birth might be benign or even beneficial.

    cyborg baby

    suckling

    power cords

  • Haibun 1: The Birth of Venus

    The following haibun was first published in Issue #106, December 31, 2024, of Failed Haiku:

    My elementary school library, second grade: A group of boys were giggling in the corner, hunched over a book. The librarian came over and snatched it away. I caught a glimpse of the cover as she put it on the cart: the swirled, amber form of the planet Venus.

    While I loved the library and the wonders contained within books, I’d never known the library to contain something so subversive, so dangerous. What could be within that book that made her take it away?

    The next week, after the book was reshelved and forgotten, I found it. The book discussed Venus’ formation, climate, geology, and the mythology behind the name. Toward the front was a full-page image of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” Now I knew what was so enchanting: I had never seen such curves before.

    The novelty of the painting, though, was quickly replaced by the stunning, full-color photographs of the second planet from the sun. Such colors, such windswept clouds, such quiet elegance, the planet framed by black, starry space. That book engendered a fascination with the planets that continues to this day.

    “Remove From Circulation”

    mining banned book lists

    for treasure