Haibun: Lines of Vulnerability

a black whippet in a winter jacket looking over his shoulder at a tidal burn
WW2 defences crumbling and sinking into tidal sands

World War Two defences along our coast are tilting and sinking into tidal sands. Blocks of cement filled with local stone were here to stop tanks arriving via ship and water. After the war, these lines were left here, just in case. Today, some are used to rest towels of swimmers and surfers. Others become picnic tables or a shelter from the wind. When you touch them with your hand you feel the vibration of wind and waves, the pulse of the earth in the local stone. There is a lot to be grateful for when we remember all those who helped us live in peace.

how soon
a stream flows out
to sea

© Xenia Tran

close up of a black whippet in a winter jacket sniffing paw prints in the sand

Wishing you all a happy Monday and a peaceful new week,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #185: Change

Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Fragile

Author: whippetwisdom

The stories, poems and photographs on this blog are the original creative work of Xenia Tran. Inspired by life in the Scottish Highlands and in awe of nature she gives voice to the wisdom of her adopted and fostered whippets.

19 thoughts on “Haibun: Lines of Vulnerability”

  1. Those remnants of the defenses of the past are truly interesting bits of our history. Thanks for the reminder of our wartime defenses. May they remain a reminder of the sacrifices of the many who gave some or all of the greatest measure of their devotion.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear John. It is always humbling to spend time in their presence and pause to remember all who gave their lives so we could be free. These defences are dotted all along our coast and are part of the landscape, even when the sands are constantly shifting.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Cathy 💚 Some of them are sinking into the sands and others, that had been swallowed by the sands, are being exposed again, as everything is constantly shifting. I think they will remain part of the landscape, especially those that are closer to the dunes. A happy Monday to you too and much love from our house to yours 🤗💕🐕 xxx

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  5. I was a bit of a military history buff (especially WWII and Vietnam) years ago so this post really resonated with me. And the verse…oh my…you can’t get much more beautiful and distilled-down-to-the-very-essence than this. It’s magical, and so profound in its brevity. I hope your week is going well, Xenia. 🙂

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