Blog Archives
Five Haiku with Bitter Tea
1.
how to bridge the gap
between the cricket’s chirpings—
summer conundrum
2.
No wonder she frets:
Her belly is full of husks
instead of sweet corn.
3.
the sound of ruin
roaring through the village streets—
rampaging waters
4.
Broken violins
play sonatas in my dreams—
winter’s brittle notes.
5.
I’m keeping your note:
one hundred words of protest
against summer’s heat.
Haiku © 2021 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Whirligig #327
More Writers’ Pantry #79 at Poets and Storytellers United
More The Whirligig #327
More Writers’ Pantry #79 at Poets and Storytellers United
Four Haiku
at the water’s edge
the saved wait to be baptized—
old-time religion
shadows by the bridge
sculpted from hollowed-out light—
great blue heron’s cry
feet follow cinders
leading to the temple gate
a place of great grace
fingers framed by light
clutching an old rosary
carved of human bone
Haiku © 2020 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Whirligig #281
More Writers’ Pantry #35 at Poets and Storytellers United
Walk
Robert J. Moody Demonstration Garden, Yuma, Arizona
A small wooden bridge—
first, we walk through the shadows,
then into the light.
Haiku and photo © 2017 by Magical Mystical Teacher
First Whirl of February
The first line of each breath-of-a-poem is taken from phrases found in A Year in the World by Frances Mayes.
~~ 1 ~~
their morning coffee—
spring, summer, fall, and winter
taking it with cream
~~ 2 ~~
on the balcony
sharing an afternoon drink
fragrant vin rosé
~~ 3 ~~
on an envelope
one thin line of poetry
trailing to the edge
~~ 4 ~~
clutching photographs
faded ones from long ago
in her tight right hand
~~ 5 ~~
a votive candle
casting a shadowy spell
in the holy place
~~ 6 ~~
through the spice bazaar
following an old woman
laden with saffron
~~ 7 ~~
open till midnight—
a sign taped to the window
restoring our hope
~~ 8 ~~
on a lamp table
two little stacks of spare change
enough for bus fare
~~ 9 ~~
from her only son
a letter written with flair—
loops and flourishes
~~ 10 ~~
a heap of rubble
where the freeway bridge once stood—
earthquake aftermath
© 2016 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 236
Bridging
A footbridge, Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix, Arizona
bridging the morning
with broken bits of moonbeam
splinters of the sun
Text and photo © 2015 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Wednesday Waters #16
More Carpe Diem: “Basho’s ‘Bridge of Morning'”
Fishing Tales
~~ 1 ~~
seven fishing boats
rocking imperceptibly
in a gentle swell
~~ 2 ~~
fishing line tangles
twice around the willow limb—
Elijah returns
~~ 3 ~~
fishing through the mess
in the middle desk drawer—
pages torn from Psalms
~~ 4 ~~
fishing from the bridge
with a stolen rod and reel—
Egypt lies downstream
~~ 5 ~~
how her heart aches
fishing for compliments
that never come
~~ 6 ~~
deep-water fishing—
nothing God says in mercy
keeps Jonah on land
~~ 7 ~~
sharp prongs of lightning—
a fleet of fishing trawlers
limping back to shore
~~ 8 ~~
fishing boots with holes—
watching prophets weave and sway
limping round puddles
~~ 9 ~~
guts bloody the sink
from this morning’s fishing trip
to Lake Galilee
© 2014 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #198
More Carpe Diem: “Fishing”
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 157
