A Little Whirl with Stanley
Posted by magicalmysticalteacher
The first line of each haiku or senryu is taken from “The Layers” by Stanley Kunitz.
When I look behind
at the fork I did not take,
I cannot drive on.
~~ ~~ ~~
Toward the horizon
I behold a manic light
hewn from seven stars.
~~ ~~ ~~
My true affections
lie smothered in desert sand—
I cannot find them.
~~ ~~ ~~
I have made myself
forlorn with desire for one
who contemns me sore.
~~ ~~ ~~
I roamed through wreckage
where two opposites did clash,
ending their affair.
~~ ~~ ~~
Though I lack the art
to fuse red wax with birdsong,
still I am content.
© 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Poetry Pantry #126
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 85
When I look behind
at the fork I did not take,
I cannot drive on.
~~ ~~ ~~
Toward the horizon
I behold a manic light
hewn from seven stars.
~~ ~~ ~~
My true affections
lie smothered in desert sand—
I cannot find them.
~~ ~~ ~~
I have made myself
forlorn with desire for one
who contemns me sore.
~~ ~~ ~~
I roamed through wreckage
where two opposites did clash,
ending their affair.
~~ ~~ ~~
Though I lack the art
to fuse red wax with birdsong,
still I am content.
© 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Poetry Pantry #126
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 85
Posted on December 2, 2012, in Stanley Kunitz, The Poetry Pantry, The Sunday Whirl and tagged haiku, senryu. Bookmark the permalink. 28 Comments.
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Nicely done. They were a tricky group of words this week.
I loved the 2nd last one … that’s my favorite for 2day 🙂
wow… pretty bleak until the last haiku’s red ray of hope.
Sometimes life is bleak. There’s just no getting around it. But somewhere there is always a sliver of hope.
Yes, sometimes life is bleak… full of ups and downs. I enjoyed these, the last one though is the sliver of hope. 🙂
I am visiting from Poetry Pantry. Hope I will see you ‘around’ today. So many good and thought-provoking Haiku today. My favorite would be the one about affections buried in sand., second favorite the ‘car wreck’ one. Yikes, that is an extreme ending to an affair! Good work all around.
Nice… I especially like the first and last one.
Under stars, sand, wax
It’s an art to be content
Plus share it with us.
optimistic conclusion.loved it.as before, there are such wonderful images in your stanzas.
Oooh to “fuse red wax with birdsong” wow!!
My true affections
lie smothered in desert sand—
I cannot find them.
I really enjoyed reading these. The above is my favorite. Interesting to use another author’s writing to begin your poems.
The last one especially spoke to me this week. Beautiful work.
Each is poignant poetry. love
I enjoyed the suspense in this poem. So much sadness but with a final tinge of peace. Thank goodness for that. (And I love a poet who can send me to the dictionary- contemn)
I always love your groupings of haiku – my fave this time is the red wax and birdsong set. Brilliant.
My goodness! Each one a gem, you’ve outdone yourself today. I cannot choose a favorite from the group. They all speak of something essential, elemental. One of my fav reads today.
I agree with the comment above. Each of your haiku is a reeal gem!
Well done! I like them all, but the first one really resonates with me today!
Each one of them is mesmerizing…Great job!
The one that jumped out at me …
“I have made myself
forlorn with desire for one
who contemns me sore.”
A little string of worry beads for those days when you need to be reminded of contentment step by step. Polished!
Teacher, you have taught me me a new word today.
I will not CONTEMN
Those addled souls who have scant
Vocabulary.
I haven’t done a Sunday Wordle since October. In fact, in the press of other things, I forgot about it Maybe I can get to this tomorrow – a little vignette is brewing . . .
Cheers!
JzB
I suggest you do as my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Pearl Shirley, warned me long ago: “You’d better get on the stick before the stick gets on you.” I expect to see your Wordle poem(s) sometime Monday! 🙂
When I look behind
at the fork I did not take,
I cannot drive on
So much for that feeling of conscience and regret. Sincerity in a person stops him to reflect on what should have been done. Rightly said MMT!
Hank
Though I lack the art
to fuse red wax with birdsong,
still I am content.
What a conclusion……a gem
My favorite today – the first one, though all of them are gems..
myrandrspace.blogspot.com
short and sweet ~
As always, you do so much so succinctly and I’m with the rest, in awe of anyone who can use contemn properly … an unusual word choice and not just anyone can work with it – congrats!
http://thepoet-tree-house.blogspot.ca/2012/12/ecstasy-driven.html