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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
New Ways
~~ 1 ~~
bitter memory—
the night he broke her left arm
with a baseball bat
~~ 2 ~~
how an egret stands
on one leg, then the other
at the water’s edge
~~ 3 ~~
father of the bride
taking out his handkerchief
to dab at his eyes
~~ 4 ~~
first month of the year—
trying to find a new way
though she keeps stumbling
~~ 5 ~~
building a new nest—
the mice in the dead man’s shoes
tying up loose ends
~~ 6 ~~
smashing the last plate
in her mother’s collection
to vent her anger
~~ 7 ~~
ordinary rope
tying loose ends together
in a sacred knot
~~ 8 ~~
a brown serape
pulled tight across his shoulders—
old man shivering
~~ 9 ~~
first weeks of the year—
in her trembling hands a rope
to steady her way
~~ 10 ~~
old men playing chess
on a chilly afternoon
fumbling every move
~~ 11 ~~
trying to sort out
the logic of a young crow
that spurns fresh road kill
~~ 12 ~~
with trembling fingers
she tries to untie the wind
tangled in the oak
Haiku © 2016 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry
More Sunday’s Whirligig #42
Clothing
This bitter-cold night
women in blue rebozos
slip on cobblestones.
~~ ~~ ~~
They manipulate
their battered straw sombreros—
lettuce harvesters.
~~ ~~ ~~
a brown serape
pulled tight across his shoulders—
old man shivering
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Three Word Wednesday: “Bitter, Manipulate, Tight”
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