Blog Archives
Not on Any Map
not on any map
the road across the desert
stretches on for years
~~ ~~ ~~
they travel by car
their destination unknown
fleeing disaster
~~ ~~ ~~
a set of footprints
swept away by whipping wind
and the ocean’s surf
~~ ~~ ~~
near a wooden door
stands a wooden rocking horse
and a lonely child
~~ ~~ ~~
morning glory seeds
tucked into an envelope—
their hidden blossoms
~~ ~~ ~~
a tentative smile
after six weeks of sorrow
in the cancer ward
~~ ~~ ~~
hanging new curtains
to defy the brilliant light
of a summer’s day
~~ ~~ ~~
blackbird in the oak—
the greatness of his wingspan
as he starts to fly
~~ ~~ ~~
hapless refugee
her sense of wonder stolen
by a border guard
Haiku © 2018 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Sunday’s Whirligig #166
More Poetry Pantry #407 at Poets United
Tokens of the Way

~~ 1 ~~
Rocking in her chair,
the wizened grandmother
dreams of growing tall.
~~ 2 ~~
each Sunday morning
stirring the pancake batter
with a wooden spoon
~~ 3 ~~
Halfway to nowhere,
while longing to be somewhere,
she loses her map.
~~ 4 ~~
needing words of grace
to sustain her famished soul—
bread is not enough
~~ 5 ~~
on a rock alone
daughter of the sea lion
fending off suitors
~~ 6 ~~
sipping from the glass
while slapping at mosquitoes—
sloshes of whisky
~~ 7 ~~
the seams of her dress
unthreading in the brilliance
from a thousand suns
~~ 8 ~~
crisp October air—
she hikes the mountain pathway
breathing clouds of frost
~~ 9 ~~
shattered glass and thorns—
beneath her feet these tokens
of the way to come
Haiku © 2015 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #274
More Sunday’s Whirligig #29
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