Then and Now: haibun of Lynn Edge

Description

“Much of my work is autobiographical, and more recently it includes family stories. I begin with an actual experience, then perhaps add or delete details to make a story more interesting or understandable. My first attempt at fictional haibun was ‘Year of the Farrier,’ written in third person. Fiction has been challenging because my family and readers expect autobiographical content. Even though ‘Farrier’ represents a departure from my usual style, it retains a distinct western flair.”

— Lynn Edge

Undefeated

summer heat
my parents worry
about polio

One of Daddy’s legs was shorter than the other, but I never imagined how this affected him growing up. I was a teenager when he revealed his hardships: “The other boys bullied me because they knew I couldn’t catch them, but I hid in the bushes or around a corner, caught them by surprise, then beat ‘em up. During the Depression, I searched for a job. The bosses would look me up and down, and say, ’No, we can’t use you,’ even though I could outwork most men. The government saved me with a scholarship to barber school.”
Daddy cut hair, banked his money, and bought land on the Texas Coast. During my early childhood, I barely knew him as he left at sunrise and came home after dark.

handmade boots
he orders ostrich skin
in two different sizes

ISBN: 978-1-958408-67-4
Pages: 90
Size: 6″ x 9″
Binding: perfect softbound
Year Published: 2025