#Haibun – A Bishop’s Walk

“My hair may turn white as frost before I return from those fabled places – or maybe I won’t return at all.”, ” … I felt three thousand miles rushing through my heart, the whole world only a dream.“

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), Narrow Road to the Interior 

Take a lonely path
Beyond the arch, his refuge
The grand post brings hope

The bishop’s robes glide across the cobbled stones dragging a layer of snow as he leisurely walks across the courtyard. He takes enjoyment in basking in the simple pleasures of the oil lamps’ warm glow that give the cathedral an inviting presence during a cold winter evening. He just got back from a prayerful hike in the mountains behind the cathedral, one of his favorite, pleasurable avocations. He can’t wait to perform a few hymns on the organ listening to the melodies echo in the ideal room acoustics of the main hall before he leaves for his journey in the deep north. It helps keep him young at heart despite all the white hair brought about from the hardships he has faced this past year.

In response to:

• Helene Vaillant’s Photo Prompt: What do you see?
• Fandango’s Word of the Day: post
• Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt: leisure
• Word of the Day Challenge: enjoyment
• Cactus Haiku’s Haibun Road: 5th/6th paragraph of Basho in Oku no Hosomichi which I think is the 7th and 9th page.
• A Carmelite’s Tale: Bring the Essentials
• Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday # 129: #synonymsonly Hobby and Play
• Victor Hugo’s novel: Les Miserables

Bishop’s classic song to Jean Valjean in movie “Les Miserables”

Britain’s boy band “Collabro” sings brilliantly!