Grotesqueries: Take Two
Each grotesquerie begins with a phrase purloined from One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, the Colombian novelist who died 17 April 2014.
~~ 1 ~~
Bottom of the pot—
why are the lobsters keening
about their karma?
~~ 2 ~~
Nights in the courtyard—
seven tattered people snore
underneath the limes.
~~ 3 ~~
The rear of the house—
are there any hollyhocks
wedded to the yard?
~~ 4 ~~
secrets of the moth
revealed in graphic detail—
the old druid sings
~~ 5 ~~
adobe houses
at the altitude of geese
Marc Chagall at work
~~ 6 ~~
faded velvet vest
not mine but the general’s
stained with soup and wine
~~ 7 ~~
tree in the courtyard
becoming alabaster
at the prophet’s word
~~ 8 ~~
where the gypsy girl
sews chaos to confusion
with a fraying thread
~~ 9 ~~
looking for the bag
to carry home a loaf of bread
and a pound of bones
~~ 10 ~~
fermented cane juice
served in blue plastic bottles—
champagne for the poor
~~ 11 ~~
Upset by the news
of the latest disaster,
she made friends of gnats.
~~ 12 ~~
When she could not sleep,
she would force herself to read
from Leviticus.
© 2014 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #202
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 161
Posted on May 18, 2014, in 5-7-5, Gabriel García Márquez, Poetry Pantry, The Sunday Whirl and tagged alabaster, altitude, any, bread, chaos, disaster, force, graphic, mine, people, plastic, why. Bookmark the permalink. 29 Comments.
Magical Mystical Teacher 
Now this is a chilling portrayal of a “disaster force”
“champagne for the poor” – how true. Quite a diverse bunch this week!
I tend to pick a favorite based on personal experience and the Hollyhock piece struck me as ours used to spring up everywhere in the garden revealing their promiscuity.
The General’s vest seems to have a story behind it! Lovely set MMT!
Hank
I can picture that gypsy girl sewing and fixing up the chaos..an eclectic blast magical!
oh heck… reading leviticus is probably not what i would do in a sleepless night – for me it would be the psalms… and i love chagall – so you can guess my fav one..smiles
Reading Leviticus would put me right back to sleep! 😉
On Sun, May 18, 2014 at 4:43 AM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
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I am with Claudia about Leviticus. I would choose a Gospel. And champagne for the poor…seems all have to find a way to treat themselves. Bread and bones in a bag – a vivid picture. A variety today!
9 and 12 are my favourites
wonderfulll!!!!!
Love the Chagall!!!!! Dead on. Then I got to Levi there at the end. Totally lost it. I bow, Teacher.
Are you still laughing?
Had to read the series to my husband–specifically to give him the impact of that last word. So. Yep.
Really amazing haikus, excellent tribute to Gabriel García Márquez!
I especially love the hollyhocks, my grandma’s flower, and “the old druid sings”. A great batch this sunny Sunday!
nice set…
Oh so many good one.. The second one with the seven snoring people caught my attention for sure..
7 and 9 smiled to me…:)
These are fantastic! I especially love #1 and #8.
I wanted to pick a favorite, but each was better than the last! Good job!
Picking favorites can lead to headaches. Better, I suppose, just to enjoy the whole thing, Thanks for stopping by!
On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 5:38 AM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
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Amazing!
# 8 & # 12 are my favorites! Leviticus would make me drift off.
Each is simply wonderful but numbers 5 and 2 are especially lovely.
Number 6. Delightfully imaginative.
All so clever. My favourite is Levicitus. Most people have never read him , just know his famous anti homosexual line which could keep a homosexual awake all night I would have thought ripping out the pages from the bible in the motel:)
You’d be in good company. Apparently Thomas Jefferson ripped out certain pages of the Bible he found offensive!
On Tue, May 20, 2014 at 7:11 AM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
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crikey, you can write. these are all fantastic, a wonderful sequence. thanks for sharing.
And thank you for stopping by with words of cheer! 😉
On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 5:09 PM, Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:
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