I was born the third child on the third day, the third Walter in the line of familial redundancy. Not a junior, not a numeral, and after my father’s funeral, the last Walter standing. No three-star General commanding multitudes of minions. Just a man with a penchant for poetry, be they tercets or haiku, I am true to the test of three.
A third birthday was ushered in by the death of three, rocking my world at an early age. Holly, Valens and Richardson – mother’s sons all, taking the fall in a stormy Iowa sky. I don’t remember if I cried, but the music died all the same. Later the same year we saw the first of three Walter’s perish and a cherished name was diminished by one, survived by two “sons”. Three seems to be my number, lucky or not, but it’s gotten me this far in the line of three.
The trinity guides
and provides me a purpose,
three steps onward
© Walter J. Wojtanik – 2020
THROUGH THE EYES OF A POET'S HEART 
I like your sets of three! Most interesting!! your Haibun is perfect!
Dwight
Thanks, Dwight. Finding my poet legs again after a hiatus.
Great to have you back!
Beautiful and heartbreaking descriptions.
Appreciate that, Lucy! We reach into our souls and write what we feel. I guess those sentiments are well founded.
Three thumbs up, walter
I have to hand it to you (for that third thumb!) Thanks for the comment and support. Much appreciated.
And three parts to your haibun, I like it! ✨
Like I said, lucky or not, three seems to be my number. I find I tend to write my Haibun in three parts. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Three is a magic number for you, Walt! And there’s nothing wrong with writing tercets and haiku, I’m all for it. Being the third Walter and the last Walter standing is something to write about too.
Thanks Kim. Always value your uplifting and positive reinforcement here. I am third. And the last in this grouping. 😉
I enjoyed reading this.
I enjoyed reading this.
I enjoyed reading this.
Well done, Walter. Well done. Well done indeed.
Ron, Ron, Ron. What can I say? I’m glad you enjoyed it. There’s much history in this piece, a great bit of reminiscence. Thank you.
I think we always keep a piece of our namesake. (K)
Exactly. We are a bit of everyone that has come before. There was a fourth Walter (Wladislaw) who would have been my great-great grandfather back in Poland. So there is a tradition in that as well.
I really like the tradition of passing names along. Both my daughters have family names.
There is something special about the number three. Feels balanced to me. Grieving at a very young age is definitely life changing, even though we are not aware. I was very drawn to this line…”I don’t remember if I cried, but the music died all the same.” I enjoyed the layers of this haibun, from the theme of three to deeper stories of loss that lay deeper within the lines.
Nice to see you, Walter. 🙂
oops, please ignore the first “deeper”…..haven’t had my tea yet
No problem, Mish! It just pushes it deeper than deep! 😉 I raise my cup and join you for that first sip.