Haiga 732 Children haiku 1

Haiku by John Bird (Australia). Artwork by myself.
I thoroughly enjoyed making snowman haiga series. As you have noticed by now, I make haiga in different styles each time. This is because I value the poetic content of each haiku. I try to find suitable style that is fitting to the content. Some people tell me that though style differs, there is always "essencial me" in every one of them. Probably so, and that is a good thing.

Now that the snowman series is over for now, I would like to start a new series, haiga about child, children, kids. I mentioned this on twitter and have received a few response. I will work on them, but meanwhile, I shall post a few of works I have done before.

Inspired by this haiku, I wrote the following story:

On a cold, but sunny winter day, while taking a walk, I spotted a boy sitting on a bench. He caught my eyes because he was bare-footed, and they were rested on the belly of a dog. I sat besides him and asked:
“What happened? Not wise to walk around bare-footed on the day like this"
The boy kept bending his head, saying nothing.
“You’re lucky to be with a faithful friend” said I, rubbing gently the side of the dog.
“John hit me with a broom…” the boy mumbled.
“John?”
“Yeah, my brother. He’s mean, bullies me all the time.”
“And hit you with a broom?”
“Right, real hard, and he doesn’t stop so I fled.”
We were silent for moments.
I took off my shoes and then my socks.
“Here, put them on” I offered him my socks.
“Wow, thanks. Sure you don’t mind?”
“No. I still have my shoes”
Just as I said so, something hit my head. Splash! That statled me and the boy. I touched my head and felt something waterly on my fingers. It was the bird’s dropping. I took out handkerchief and cleaned my head and finger, and said to the boy:
“Here we are, two mierable souls siting on a bench in a winter park” said I, smiling.
“That’s what we are all right” said the boy, smiling back.