Category Archives: Poets & Storytellers United
Haibun: Imagine
Imagine that you can go back in time to when you first loved the sound of rain in the night, or when you first identified the singing of the thrush. I know what you’re thinking: I’ll always be stuck in the here-and-now. But you don’t have to be. Imagine!
In the autumn woods
a tree stump becomes a throne
for an aging queen.
Imprecations
Fingers framed by light,
clutching an old rosary
carved of human bone,
she mutters imprecations
in lizardspeak and owltongue.
Tanka © 2020 by Magical Mystical Teacher
What Is the Price?
What is the price of a bucket of rice
Found in the market at dawn?
If you don’t pay it—how shall I say it?—
You will be sad when it’s gone.
What is the cost of a salad that’s tossed,
And dressed, and ready to eat?
You think it tastes good? Then I think you should
Crunch it along with your meat.
How much will you pay for a bale of hay
To feed to your sheep and goats?
Remember, my dear, as winter draws near,
That horses are fond of oats.
The price that you pay, I think I should say,
Is what something’s worth to you;
So open your purse, things could be much worse,
And pay for your Starbucks brew!
Poem © 2020 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Six Things to Ponder
Autumn afternoon—
a shaman with sagging breasts
consults the oak trees.
Freight trains rumble by
before and after midnight—
I lose hours of sleep.
Why would I follow
an overcrowded pathway
when the margins call?
ten dozen swallows
swooping over the rooftops—
antics at twilight
I draw close to you,
but you turn your back to me—
autumn solitude.
Autumn afternoon—
how can I prune the roses
with dull secateurs?
Haiku © 2020 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Whirligig #287
More Writers’ Pantry #41 at Poets and Storytellers United
Pilgrimage
Beyond the courtyard of this house in Wellton, Arizona lies impenetrable darkness.
autumn pilgrimage—
walking away from the light
and into darkness
Haiku and photo © by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
More Weekly Scribblings #39 at Poets and Storytellers United
Haibun: Bathing the Turtle
Sheltered by a stand of willows, I watch a young boy giving his pet turtle a scrub in the pond. Obviously this turtle’s well cared for, and no disease will carry it away. Such empathy! I fight the urge to cry out, “What a great kid!” If only I had some flowers to leave to show my appreciation for this boy’s tenderness. But I must go. Thankful for this little diversion from the day’s bad news, I turn toward home. It’s a long walk. If I’m lucky, I’ll get there before dark.
All my bitter tears
vanish in a single note
from the blackbird’s throat.
Ditty on the Cusp of October
Tenth Month comes, and none too soon;
Ninth Month shrivels like a prune.
Of the “-ber months” I can say:
Oct’s the best in every way!
Poem © by Magical Mystical Teacher
We Strained the Honey
We strained the honey, it flows like light
On our bread’s darkness; we take a bite,
Lost in the glorious mystery
Of wilding sweetness that sets us free.
How precious to set aside our shrugs
Of unbelief and squash them like bugs!
Minds that are closed can open anew;
Eat of our bread now—we break it for you.
Poem © 2020 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Whirligig #285
More Writers’ Pantry #39 at Poets and Storytellers United
Briefly
Colorful autumn leaves in California’s Inyo National Forest will soon be dashed to the ground by snow.
clear blue autumn sky—
great joy, albeit briefly,
before the first snow
Haiku and photo © by Magical Mystical Teacher
More SkyWatch Friday
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
More Weekly Scribblings #38 at Poets and Storytellers United
