Whirling with Donald Hall

 
This week’s words: race, silky, lanky, whiskey, puddle, pain, mouth, isolate, murky, breath, marsh, razor, befuddled

 
The first line of each haiku or senryu is taken from Donald Hall’s “Stump.”

 
~~ 1 ~~
 
I am used to it—
the hangovers each morning,
whisky on his breath.
 
~~ 2 ~~
 
white blossoms that last
barely a day in this heat
but weeks in a dream
 
~~ 3 ~~
 
where the warm water
gathers into a puddle—
marsh in the making
 
~~ 4 ~~
 
The shade of old summers
is drawn to isolate me
from inner weather.
 
~~ 5 ~~
 
Every afternoon
murky ways lie before me—
befuddled am I.
 
~~ 6 ~~
 
In the gray winter
pain joins my race to the end—
no one wins this one.
 
~~ 7 ~~
 
scraping the stiff snows
with a dull straight-edge razor
unbearding winter
 
~~ 8 ~~
 
The little garden
silky with cobwebs at dusk—
Jesus comes to pray.
 
~~ 9 ~~
 
By night a bare trunk,
gaunt and lanky as Lincoln,
leans against the stars.

 
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
 
More Poetry Pantry #176
 
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 135