A Tale of the Lost Leather Wrist Bag

A Tale of the Lost Leather Wrist Bag

The air was a white, pearlescent haze as I walked upon the street cobblestones along some quaint shops in a New England village. A small leather bag hanged from my right wrist and in it were my credit cards, driver’s license, passport, and some dollar bills. I felt uncomfortable with the small bag as it was not the shoulder bag I usually carry around.

After walking a while, I sought refuge in a furniture store where I could rest my aching feet. It was then when I noticed that my little leather bag was no longer around my wrist. Suddenly I felt a whirlwind of panic — I have lost the objects of my identity!  In the midst of my bewilderment, a kind, middle-aged lady approached me and I told her my plight.  With a sweet, soothing voice she said, “My dear, everything can be replaced”.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes. It was all a dream.   

The leather wrist bag flashed in my mind and immediately I was smacked with a shock of recognition: it was the exact same bag my father had given me to hold my passport, plane ticket and three single dollar bills when I left home decades ago to pursue graduate studies in a foreign land.

All I owned when I embarked on the plane were three single dollar bills, a few clothes in a small suitcase, and my name.

In a faraway land, God has faithfully provided for me through the promise of each new day, especially through difficult circumstances, across the landscapes of the seasons and the years.

In this life I can easily misplace so many worldly “things” which can be replaced. What I cannot lose is the essence of who I am as a child of God. Though the seedling has grown into a strong, tall tree which blossoms every spring, I am that same young lady who left everything behind, flew towards the stars, crossed oceans and mountains, to pursue a dream.

D. G. Vachal © 2024

Image by Kanenori @ Pixabay

Love Haiku 10:12

Love Haiku 10:12

10

Where are you my love
long ago our last goodbye
lilacs bloom again


11

After i lost you
i searched through endless forests
silent are the pines


12

in our lost garden
flutters a butterfly white
awaiting the dawn

D. G. Vachal © 2024

Teach Me to Number My Days

Teach Me to Number My Days

Teach me to number my days
the way You number
the hairs on my head,
the way You are mindful
of petals and sparrows
as they fall with the leaves
in the mist of autumn rain —

was it only this morning
when my hair was in pigtails,
as I dressed my dolls
in pink dresses,
dreamt of a fairytale prince 
upon a white stallion
awaiting to take me to a castle
hidden in emerald forests —

towards noon
when I felt butterflies 
fluttering in clandestine chambers 
of my youthful heart,
I met my first love
and time was suspended,
drowned in ivory clouds
and endless blue oceans —

i can still feel the afternoon warmth
when the children came
and their laughter mingled
with the melody of songbirds,
the hum of restless cicadas —

at sunset my love and I
rowed the silent rivers,
built a bonfire upon the sand,
held each other’s hand
for warmth —

and now at twilight
wrapped in the lavender glow,
i treasure the dwindling vestiges
of tender moments,
the faint beloved
song that will remain
when evening falls.

O teach me to number my days.

D. G. Vachal @ 2024

Image by Liuksena @ Pixabay

Love Haiku 7:9

Love Haiku 7:9

7

my forgotten love
at dawn the light of your smile
your voice calls my name

8

once upon a time
our laughter rustled the leaves
autumn glow splendor

9

another springtime
blossoms in the lost meadow
where first i found you


D. G. Vachal © 2024

Image by Erika Varga

Towards April Twilight

Towards April Twilight

orchestra of colors:
magenta and tangerine
lemon and ruby
set the sky in flames 

barefoot I walk 
on moist grass
thickened
by afternoon rains 

coagulated winter numbness
dissipates
with the air’s whisper
of impending warmth 

memories swept by autumn winds
reborn in tender green branches
resplendent
in the fading glow of the setting sun 

the heart’s joy and yearning
awaken once again
towards April twilight.

D. G. Vachal © 2024

Image by FeroBanjo @pixabay