The Shun Cup is reaching its climax!

The Shun Cup ends tomorrow!!
Is there anyone who hasn't submitted their poem yet?
Now is the time!

I have something I really want to do, and while I'm not sure if it's a senryu or a haiku, I'd like to compose one poem and write a short-short story.

Original: Waiting for the first Obon with a spirit horse made of mandarin oranges

As soon as I got back to my parents' house, my dad started making a spirit horse out of mandarin oranges, and I wondered what was going on.
I gave a vague answer to my mom's question.
"Well... I thought it might look... photogenic."

Is that the first thing you do when you get home? Mom laughed while preparing lunch.
At my parents' house, Mom does the cooking, cleaning, and laundry, so I don't have to do anything. That's exactly why I have to do this.

That snowman on the day of the heavy snow was Grandpa. He has that kind of ability. This time it's the first Obon. I want Grandpa to come back.
I don't usually care about religion, but this time I'm putting some effort into it.

I didn't want to see Grandpa bedridden, so I got a job at a company far from my hometown.
There were so many times Grandpa made me happy and helped me, but I never said thank you.

I remembered the time I ran away from home after fighting with my dad. It was during summer vacation for a week, right in the middle of my rebellious middle school phase.
Grandpa let me in right away and welcomed me without asking any questions.

Grandma was making a spirit horse and invited me, saying, "Want to make one together?"
I asked, "Why are they made of eggplant and cucumber?"
Grandma said, "I wonder why... Maybe any summer vegetable is fine." She also brought some cherry tomatoes she had been growing. It looked cute with the red color added.

Grandpa joked, "Hmm. If Obon were in winter, I wonder if there would be mandarin oranges too. Ah, it would be easier for me to find my way back if it were a mandarin orange I grew myself..."
I replied, "What are you talking about, decades from now! You're perfectly healthy, Grandpa; you just got a speeding ticket the other day, didn't you?"

After I heard that Grandpa had passed away,
I kept the mandarin orange in the freezer.
It was hard to keep it for half a year, and it got a little rotten, but
it has to be this one!!
Grandpa might not remember, but if he could come back using this mandarin orange as a landmark...
If I could just say thank you once...

The day I made up with my dad.
It seems Grandpa had told my dad to come pick me up.
Apparently, Grandpa and Grandma had noticed that I had fought with my dad.

"I was wrong... I'm sorry."
I couldn't be honest with my dad when he said that.
"H-hmpf!!"

Grandpa spoke up immediately.
"A grown man is apologizing honestly. If you don't forgive him now, you'll lose the chance to do so."
I reluctantly said, "Yeah, okay. I forgive you."

"Thank you for creating the opportunity for me to make up with my dad,
thank you," I said to Grandpa. "Don't worry, Grandpa is always on your side. I knew you wanted to forgive your dad honestly and that you
had been wanting to say thank you for a long time." "Eh?"

When I realized it, I seemed to have been asleep.
When did I fall asleep??
I remember my middle school days.
Wait? Did I say thank you to Grandpa that day??
I hadn't said thank you since that day.

I wonder if it means I was able to meet Grandpa in my dream and say thank you.
I wish I could have said thank you more properly.

At the entrance, the spirit horse made of a mandarin orange, eggplant, cucumber, and cherry tomato were lined up together happily.

You have to say 'I'm sorry' and 'thank you' when you have the chance.
Ever since I wrote a short-short for the Polar Bear Cup, I've been wanting to try the Obon one too!
Man, my half-year-old ambition has finally been fulfilled!

By the way, the episode about the grandfather who got a ticket for speeding was actually about my own grandfather...

Everyone, let's try doing the things we've been thinking about doing!