A Little Whirl with Stanley

Dec 2

Posted by

85
 
 

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
 

Posted on December 2, 2012, in Stanley Kunitz, The Poetry Pantry, The Sunday Whirl and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink. 28 Comments.

  1. J Cosmo Newbery | December 2, 2012 at 5:51 am

    Nicely done. They were a tricky group of words this week.

    Reply
  2. Green Speck | December 2, 2012 at 6:03 am

    I loved the 2nd last one … that’s my favorite for 2day 🙂

    Reply
  3. laura hegfield | December 2, 2012 at 6:51 am

    wow… pretty bleak until the last haiku’s red ray of hope.

    Reply
    • magicalmysticalteacher | December 2, 2012 at 7:07 am

      Sometimes life is bleak. There’s just no getting around it. But somewhere there is always a sliver of hope.

      Reply
  4. Daydreamertoo | December 2, 2012 at 7:24 am

    Yes, sometimes life is bleak… full of ups and downs. I enjoyed these, the last one though is the sliver of hope. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Mary | December 2, 2012 at 7:37 am

    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.

    Reply
  6. Laurie Kolp | December 2, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Nice… I especially like the first and last one.

    Reply
  7. aelfbee | December 2, 2012 at 9:43 am

    Under stars, sand, wax
    It’s an art to be content
    Plus share it with us.

    Reply
  8. Abin | December 2, 2012 at 10:02 am

    optimistic conclusion.loved it.as before, there are such wonderful images in your stanzas.

    Reply
  9. drpkp | December 2, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Oooh to “fuse red wax with birdsong” wow!!

    Reply
  10. Myrna | December 2, 2012 at 10:36 am

    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.

    Reply
  11. brenda w | December 2, 2012 at 10:46 am

    The last one especially spoke to me this week. Beautiful work.

    Reply
  12. Brenda Bishop Blakey | December 2, 2012 at 11:36 am

    Each is poignant poetry. love

    Reply
  13. WabiSabi | December 2, 2012 at 11:55 am

    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)

    Reply
  14. Sherry Marr | December 2, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    I always love your groupings of haiku – my fave this time is the red wax and birdsong set. Brilliant.

    Reply
  15. kimnelsonwrites | December 2, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    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.

    Reply
  16. Marian Veverka | December 2, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    I agree with the comment above. Each of your haiku is a reeal gem!

    Reply
  17. Karen | December 2, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    Well done! I like them all, but the first one really resonates with me today!

    Reply
  18. panchali | December 2, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Each one of them is mesmerizing…Great job!

    Reply
  19. Serena | December 2, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    The one that jumped out at me …

    “I have made myself
    forlorn with desire for one
    who contemns me sore.”

    Reply
  20. Susan | December 2, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    A little string of worry beads for those days when you need to be reminded of contentment step by step. Polished!

    Reply
  21. JazzBumpa | December 2, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    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

    Reply
    • magicalmysticalteacher | December 3, 2012 at 1:48 am

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  22. kaykuala | December 2, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    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

    Reply
  23. enjoywriting | December 3, 2012 at 5:18 am

    Though I lack the art
    to fuse red wax with birdsong,
    still I am content.

    What a conclusion……a gem

    Reply
  24. vidyatiru | December 3, 2012 at 10:35 am

    My favorite today – the first one, though all of them are gems..
    myrandrspace.blogspot.com

    Reply
  26. seingraham | December 3, 2012 at 7:54 pm

    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

    Reply

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