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The Kill
The stump of a tooth was tethered to stars.
At five till midnight three men puffed cigars.
One of them lathered his whiskery chin,
Using a brush soaked in whisky and gin.
One plowed through the soil, one raised a harpoon,
Hurling it carefully right at the moon.
The moon with a sigh crashed into the sea;
Monstrous waves followed and splintered the quay.
Once he’d accomplished this feat of great skill,
The harpooner bragged of making a kill,
A kill so complete the moon shines no more,
Except when wild women dance on the shore.
More The Whirligig #301
More Writers’ Pantry #48 at Poets and Storytellers United
Macro Monday 2: Star
Sometimes it’s helpful to have a star to light the way.
Photo © by Magical Mystical Teacher
December 29th will be the last issue of Macro Monday 2, due to waning participation.
To share your macro shot, click on the Mister Linky icon below:
Blue Monday: Stars
Detail of a patriotic wreath for sale in a New Mexico gift shop
Photo © 2017 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Star
Detail from a wall hanging in a Yuma County, Arizona church
a trail of bright light
high above the birthing place—
star of Bethlehem
Haiku and photo © 2016 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Blue Monday
More Ruby Tuesday Too
More Our World Tuesday
More Haiku Horizons: “Trail”
Songs
A dry wash in Apache County, Arizona
“I hear America singing,” Walt Whitman wrote, “the varied carols I hear.”
I too hear singing, but instead of songs coming from throats of carpenters, masons or boatmen, I hear the songs of sky and star and stone. The songs of weeds and wind and wild things. The songs of crow and cricket and cottonwood. All these songs come from the high desert, and like the Siren songs that seduced Odysseus and his companions, I cannot ignore them.
I hear them as I help a student proofread her essay. I hear them while I confer with a parent about his son’s behavior. I hear them while I am grading papers.
At day’s end, I slip into comfortable clothing and walk into the nearby wilderness. The stones and weeds and dust greet me with rejoicing. They knew I would come.
three stones confer with the wind—
my house is too small
Revised haibun © 2016 and photo © 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #323 at Poets United
Story
Christmas tree decorations in a church in Arizona
the other story
about a star no one sees
and no one follows
Haiku © 2015 and photo © 2014 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Daybreak
Glass lamp shaped as a star, hanging from a courtyard tree at daybreak, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México
Chiyo-Ni’s haiku about lark song inspires me to write a new haiku:
Two or three
sing all night
larks
~~ ~~ ~~
one lark in the night
one star just before daybreak
singing with one tongue
Haiku in bold and photo © 2015 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More SkyWatch Friday
More Carpe Diem: “Inspired by Chiyo-Ni”
Graces
Bugambilia (bougainvillea), Los Algodones, Baja California Norte, México
If you have no star,
then wish upon a petal—
scarecrows understand,
for underneath their straw hats
they grow the seasons’ graces.
Tanka © 2015 and photo © 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Carpe Diem: “Straw Hat”
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
Adoration
Spring sunrise, Sonoran Desert, Southern Arizona
at first light of day
bowing before the mountains
in adoration
while a dozen cactus wrens
sweep away leftover stars
Text and photo © 2015 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More SkyWatch Friday
More Haiku Horizons: “Sweep”
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
More Carpe Diem: “Kala Ramesh’s ‘Morning Prayers'”
Enough
Christmas tree decorations in a church in Arizona
One star is enough
to keep my feet from stumbling
on the long way home.
Text and photo © 2014 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Ruby Tuesday Too
More Carpe Diem: “Stars”
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
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