Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion
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Haiku
Ryan wrote: “A ghostly skiff . . .”The boat transported
rubies, pearls, and green, dark-eyed
Orion slave girls.
In the bow she mournsmany lost things, nights dancing
among Saturn’s rings
Wow, Ryan! What images! I think that’s great writing. How in the world to follow it?
They reached an ancient,ghostly pier. The underworld
had gathered to hear.
Gust-scattered ash leavesstruck the window, urging him
to run after her.
M wrote: "They reached an ancient,ghostly pier. The underworld
had gathered to hear."
Thanks, M :)
In ghostly script, carved
on the pier - “2020,
the devil woz ‘ere.”
Al wrote: "I wrote this yesterday, oddly, trying to get back into the groove of writing haiku. I haven't written it for a long time. If the leaves settle
into place, comfortable,
then we are autumn."
Lovely, Al :)
The brick path led himto laughter of an evening
he had forgotten.
Their paths meet beneatha lilac moon. Eyes linger
long, night ends too soon.
Through leaves the moon shonelike a wave-strewn piece of eight
in a reef’s shallows.
M wrote: "Through leaves the moon shonelike a wave-strewn piece of eight
in a reef’s shallows."
I love this, M.
Milky Way above,churning waves shatter the moon—
slivers of morning.
Thank you, Ryan!The embroidered sails
she unfurls, their spun-gold sheen,
seem sewn from her curls.
In all the seas, fromwest to east, no jewels outshine
her tresses released.
Her crew were loyal,her ship’s mice always on hand
to offer advice.
Well-dressed pirate miceare very rare, the hot noon
sun soon makes them bare.
“We’re well dressed, Malcolm,”muttered Clyde. Earl sneezed: “That means
an in-law has died.”
His trousers, once tight,now were loose; nor did he have
such a big caboose.
Overhead, a flockof geese; below them, a train
trailing three cabeese.
Steam train, thundering into morning. Dream train, a
new day is dawning.
Melba drained her thirdflagon, then slew the scaly,
steam-breathing dragon.
She spoke of gold trays,rubied delights, noon-parched days,
and unfaithful knights.
Sheathed by day, noon’s suntoo hot. In darkness cloaked, he
used his lance a lot.
Soon many damselswere in distress. Lance rode free,
for none would confess.
His glory ends, onefatal slip—you just can’t joust
with a snapped lance tip.
Tired of lance, of sword,of fray, he moved back to France
and ran a café.
Thank you! By the way, I liked the poem you posted in October (“He who fights monsters”). I read it right after you posted it, and I had intended to comment but got distracted.
Demure, not the sortto lecture, she leafed through books
on architecture.
A page from one oldtome tore free, a seed which spawned
her family tree.
Hers was a volumesoaked with such sin, it could have
no ISBN.
Hers was a storyfor the ages—knights, maidens,
dragons and mages.
Mae preferred not knightbut farmer: free of chain mail,
buckles, and armor.
Long, winter days passspinning yarn; warm summer nights
on hay in the barn.
Creak of porch floorboardsRid the serene summer morn
in my rocking chair
Nice, CJ!The shadows lengthened
like spilled wine, foretold the night
of the wild grapevine.
Thank you, Alex! I’ve revised it to tighten it up.
Fingers pick out tunescold river smoothing through rocks
bluegrass tumbling down.
She sang of ghost towns’haunted saloons’ pianos
playing antique tunes.
Walk dizzinglybetween life and death; a call
of noises beckon.
Wow that was dark and from a pretty dark origin too. (I've gotten sick recently but I am staying positive. My dreaded "test" is Saturday!).
The dust on Main Streetsoftly stirs, lost memories
grate like rusty spurs.
Beautiful haiku, Tamara (#8275).Take care of yourself, CJ!
Ryan, you know how to write ’em! As usual, you’ve come up with a word sketch as graphic as if it were in charcoal or oils.
Turned posts, board sidewalks:midday heats the sagging walls,
a well choked with reeds.
Old panes: nothing stalks
the evening’s streets but shadows
of blown tumbleweeds.
Thank you M. I appreciate it and I will!Also great haikus, you guys!
The sere stalks stand still,a sill now silted with dust
are shadows no more.
Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company!
Books mentioned in this topic
Mugging the Muse (other topics)The Raj Quartet (other topics)
Marcovaldo (other topics)
Invisible Cities (other topics)
Confessions of a Taoist on Wall Street (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
David Payne (other topics)Thomas Merton (other topics)
Robert Payne (other topics)
Barbara Gowdy (other topics)
David K. Reynolds (other topics)
earth-bound hearse, who once boldly
trekked the universe.