Whirling with Richard Wright

 
The first line of each haiku or senryu is taken from Haiku: This Other World by Richard Wright.
 
This week’s whirling words are: wayward, falling, frenzy, attack, sublime, strange, settle, rough, channel, ball, robust, life

 
 

An empty seashore—
not even wayward children
picking up stray shells.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Droning autumn rain,
falling since seven a.m.—
will it never cease?
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Faint sounds of a flute—
a frenzy of emotions
rising within me.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
A white butterfly
positioning for attack—
sunflower shudders.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Is it possible
for sublime conversations
to spawn violence?
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
In an April fog
three strange women are walking—
one begins to chant.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
The first day of spring,
wind roaring down from the north—
where will it settle?
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Just enough of moon
to smooth off the rough edges
of one splintered bone.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Which is more distant?
The channel through the mountains
or the ocean strand?
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
The scarecrow shudders
as a ball of mud hurtles
toward his straw-filled cheeks.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Pen me a letter,
robust, rich, and bristling with
Anglo-Saxon words.
 
~~ ~~ ~~
 
Walking home alone,
the life I lived unraveled
strand by strand by strand.

 
© 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher
 
 
More The Poetry Pantry #108
 
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 67
 
More Carpe Diem: “Inspired by Richard Wright”