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Six Ways of Blackbird

A cactus wren made of wood, mounted on particle board used to cover a window, Ajo, Arizona
~~ 1 ~~
late winter morning—
blackbird surveys his domain
from a chimney top
~~ 2 ~~
In weakness and woe
a weary pilgrim wanders,
blackbird at her side.
~~ 3 ~~
Blackbird on the wing
hears the hapless harlot’s cry
as her night begins.
~~ 4 ~~
A blackbird ignores
the blasts and blights of fortune
as she builds her nest.
~~ 5 ~~
a trickle of blood
from the blackbird’s open beak—
early morning crash
~~ 6 ~~
a curse and a cry—
and the blackbird disappears
for another year
Haiku © 2017 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Macro Monday 2
More Sunday’s Whirligig #102
More Poetry Pantry #344 at Poets United
Woe

“Bones” of a dead saguaro cactus, Maricopa County, Sonoran Desert, Southern Arizona
Seven tales of woe—
even the saguaro knows
at least one of them.
Haiku and photo © 2016 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More SkyWatch Friday
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
More Carpe Diem’s Summer Retreat 2016: “One with Nature”
Pains and Pleasures

Each breath-of-a-poem begins with a line taken from The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle.
~~ 1 ~~
shaded by mangos
two old men going for broke
telling more tall tales
~~ 2 ~~
fragrant white flowers—
a glint of midday sunlight
sharpening their scent
~~ 3 ~~
hands of the women
lifted in ecstatic praise
to the rising sun
~~ 4 ~~
deep in the forest
where mossy old trees sway—
a whiff of danger
~~ 5 ~~
the ears of a horse
disappearing at sundown—
midwinter madness
~~ 6 ~~
a hat on a stick—
one look and ravenous crows
flee to the next field
~~ 7 ~~
on hidden beaches
the fierce and oppressive hush
of desolation
~~ 8 ~~
the darting of bats
bears witness to succulent
insects in the air
~~ 9 ~~
protected by words
that keep every woe at bay—
two praying women
~~ 10 ~~
chocolate and coffee—
our guilty Sunday pleasures
an hour before Mass
Poems © 2016 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry
More Sunday’s Whirligig #43