Whirling with Abraham
This week’s words: barrier, detail, diamond, pleat, power, strap, swing, suspend, tough, unit, waterfall, zip
The first line of each 5-7-5 snippet is taken from various poems in Robert Bly‘s The Night Abraham Called to the Stars.
~~ 1 ~~
thrown into the fire
an old leather strap curling
then crumbling to ash
~~ 2 ~~
By the widow’s door
a tough old crow is lurking—
dare she let him in?
~~ 3 ~~
crack in the ceiling
loose thread in the plaid skirt’s pleat
things falling apart
~~ 4 ~~
So many forces
try to zip us in their bags
and whisk us away.
~~ 5 ~~
a strawberry patch
planted by the waterfall—
feast for the ravens
~~ 6 ~~
Eight thousand tulips
power the old Dutch windmill
with their heady scent.
~~ 7 ~~
around the orchard
erecting a barrier
against blossom thieves
~~ 8 ~~
The knees of the wind
swing this way and that, knocking
down bush and blossom.
~~ 9 ~~
some fiddle music
to suspend between two stars
while the fiddler rests
~~ 10 ~~
The house of sorrow
has not a single diamond,
only lumps of coal.
~~ 11 ~~
a single black hair
perfect in every detail
in the dead man’s nose
~~ 12 ~~
It’s too late to move
to Unit Number Seven—
someone stole the door.
© 2014 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #196
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 155
Posted on April 6, 2014, in 5-7-5, Poetry Pantry, The Sunday Whirl and tagged barrier, detail, diamond, pleat, power, strap, suspend, swing, tough, unit, waterfall, zip. Bookmark the permalink. 34 Comments.
Magical Mystical Teacher 
What fun you had with the words once again. I loved the analogy with diamonds and coal. Diamonds may be a luxury but coal will keep you warm.
Coal will keep you warm, but only if you burn it. If you hoard it, however, too bad for you! 😉
wonderful use.. love your haiku stories.. and those pesky crows need to be kept away from the tulips..
Always trust a crow to do the unexpected—and the unwanted!
Indeed, I am hoping those blossom thieves can be deterred. Some lovely and thought-provoking haiku this week.
Thanks, Mary. There’s nothing more reprehensible than a blossom thief! 😉
These were so good. It was hard to choose a favorite, but I settled in on number 10.
Glad you found them all worth reading!
I agree..too hard to choose the best..they were all so good and really pulled me into the breathless confusion and sense that all is not well.. the final verse is sobering however..and an image that will linger..not lucky number seven for all..
One person’s lucky number is another person’s doom, I guess! 😉
indeed..god is in seven..so it’s told..
Really? I never heard that before. Do you know where the saying comes from?
This is really something! All the words very nicely done haiku style Great write MMT!
Hank
I’m glad you added that word “style,” Hank, because most of these little pieces are definitely not haiku, just “haiku style.” Thanks for your enthusiastic comment!
I think it comes up in Hebrew numerology..man being referred to in the fifth..the devil six and god seven..beyond that my theology fails me
Ah! Another Sunday morning whirl through the mind of MMT. As always, a ride to remember! Thank you for these diamonds!
Don’t forget the coal! 😉
Don’t know what this says about me, but I loved number eleven. 🙂 I always enjoy your wordles. Another great set.
I rather like the dead man’s nose myself, so I don’t know what that says about ME! 😉
Each haiku a solid story… expanding in the window of my mind.
I like them all.
I think some of them only hint at stories, which, after all, is what those little wisps called haiku or senryu are meant to do!
You created such wnderful images, MMT. My favorites are # 3,6, 8. 10. 12….Very well written Haiku. 🙂
Your favorites were almost all of them! Thanks for your visit, Panchali!
On Sun, Apr 6, 2014 at 10:40 AM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
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12 gems i must say…….hmm….. that blossom thief lurking by the widow’s door is intent on another theft…..
Never trust anyone—or anything—lurking by a widow’s door! 😉
On Sun, Apr 6, 2014 at 11:12 AM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
>
A beautiful bouquet of haiku.
I most love the tough old crow – yes! she should let him in for company. And the feast for the ravens. The knees of the wind is a very cool concept……knocking things about. Loved these, as always! Did you do that pilgrim book yet?
No book yet. Thanks for nudging me!
On Sun, Apr 6, 2014 at 12:22 PM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
>
I love this; very creative.
You paint wonderful pictures with your poetry, my favourite is number twelve.
Ah, you know Unit Number Seven, then! 😉
On Sun, Apr 6, 2014 at 2:43 PM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
>
Of course, it’s a magical number, that’s why someone stole the door.
I love them all, but the sadness of number four resonates.
Wonderful as always 🙂