#Haiku Happenings #1 (10/23/19): Jules’ latest #haibun for my current #haikai challenge!

I slithered into my jacket. I was still warm enough to inspect one of the outbuildings on my old farmstead. I had hoped to find some more information about the family I bought the place from without having to dither in town while the gossips mithered. The more I found out about the town my uncle lived in the more I found they thrived on derision. Always cowering in corners, or the shadow of the church tower, waiting to scour any good mood I might have. “It’s mostly true…” and maybe they did believe the death of a young boy was a hunting accident. Or that the young girl that had lived in my house committed suicide. Did her mother died of a broken heart. Did the old man lost his senses. I’d found some evidence perhaps the truth hadn’t been fully considered. And I had yet to find anyone I could talk to about my suspicions.

The folks in this community might have thought that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t broadcasting everything I found to the local paper? They could scope every page – but I wasn’t going to reveal any treasures they had years to find. I was going to take my time to fix up this once abandoned that others thought was haunted.

The roses were still flowering in the far corner of what could have been an herb garden, most of the other plants that were there had long withered away. I found a coiled rope at the base of a pole that might have been used to tie up a scarecrow. Best stow it in a dry far corner of the barn.

I hadn’t expected to find several scarecrow stacked and leaning with their brittle seed sack faces almost faded. They were dry and in good shape. I might even use them if I found the need. But first I was going to check every pocket. The old man, his daughter and maybe the wife too seemed to like to tuck secrets in odd places…

stuffed golden straw there
into any manner of
clothes… fare to scare crows

©JP/dh
— Read on julesinflashyfiction.wordpress.com/2019/10/22/pg-10-21-9-safekeeping-kakashi-aooga-franks-haikai-mlmm-wordle/