When my husband died, I had to face a life that was strange to me. I was 66 years old, and had been married for 40 years. My husband and I had shared everything. When he was gone, I felt so helpless and vulnerable, and my life was a scary, unknown place. My house was dark and quiet at night, and I was alone. I constantly wished I could talk to him. I felt like I was thrown into a swift-flowing river, getting pushed downstream, fighting for breath and not knowing what was ahead, wanting to stop but unable to. And then the river would come to a brink, and the whole world plummeted down with the waterfall, and I fell and fell, faster and faster until I had to let go. I had to let go of any semblance of control, of any understanding. I had to just close my eyes and fall.

waterfall plummets
wild and powerful, crashing
into the unknown

Copyright ©2025 Lisa paul

Mish at d’Verse’s Haibun Monday asks us to create a haibun that focuses on “the fall” or “falling.”

Choose one of the following themes for inspiration.

• The Falling of Leaves
• Falling in Love
• Falling Down (oops)
• The Fall of Society
• Falling of Fruit or Nuts
• A Waterfall
• A Downfall or Decline
• A Free Fall Experience

Your haibun should consist of one to a few tight paragraphs of non-fiction / autobiographical prose usually written in present tense, followed by a nature-based, seasonal haiku. The haiku is a whisper or another layer, perhaps deepening the meaning of the prose. You are welcome to use any of my images included in this prompt.

Haibun: “The Fall of the Leaf”