The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    A Gorgeous Friday Afternoon at the Haikulodeon

    By MrSmith1 on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 1:51pm |

     

    Here's this week's heap of haikus:
     
     
     
    She smiled at me and
    for one brief moment we both
    felt the world was safe.
     
     
    -----------------------------------
     
     
     
    She used her giggle
    to attract young men, and her
    savvy to keep them.
     
     
     
    -----------------------------------
     
     
     
    His corduroy pants,
    swished as he walked up Broadway.
    How ... unfortunate.
     
     
     
    -----------------------------------------
     
     
     
    Never be afraid
    of mistakes, be mindful of
    not learning lessons.

    (Inspired by my 22 year old grand-niece, Jessica)
     
     
     
    ------------------------------------
     
     
     
    When I sit and read;
    a pitcher of lemonade
    slowly disappears.
     
     
     
    ------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    tanka haiku: Why do you suppose
    we have physical limits?
    To teach us patience.

    (Also, to give us something
    that we can complain about.)
     
     
     
    ---------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
     Talking out loud while
    watching 'La Boheme' is rude.
    "Sotto voce, jerk!"
     
     
     
    -----------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    He yawns, then stretches ...
    Wonders why it’s so quiet …
    Awake at sunrise.
     
     
    -------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    We shall persevere
    and rise again tomorrow
    to tend our gardens.
     
     
     
    ------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    Repudiate all
    reasons that keep us fighting.
    Let us heal our hearts.
     
     
    -----------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    tanka haiku: There's no growth from pain.
    Growth comes from a willingness
    to endure the pain

    as the cost of each lesson.
    Otherwise, it's just suffering.
     
     
     
    ------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
     I walked through a field
    to get to the main road, and
    lost all track of time.
     
     
     
    -------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    tanka haiku: Are you old enough
    to recall when 'seasonal
    veggies' meant lettuce?

    Time and circumstances change;
    Those that don't adapt, will wilt.
     
     
     
    -------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    On overcast days,
    laughter bounces off the clouds,
    and so, I smile twice.
     
     
     
    My friend Jim's response:
     
    Second bounce laughter
    sometimes full of joy, other times
    full of one’s own tears
     
     
    My response to Jim:
     
    Dark clouds may loom on
    the horizon, but they are
    full of one's own tears.
     
     
    Jim's response:
     
    Sappy respond-ku 3:

    Tears of sorrow scrub
    dark clouds snow angel wing pure,
    sunshine's rainbow shine.
     
     
    My response:

    Even more sappy respond-ku 4:
     

    Sunlight's rainbows shine
    on lollipops and puppies;
    sorrow melts away.
     
     
     
    ---------------------------------------------
     
     
     
     Alone, how are you?
    Do you enjoy solitude,
    or pine for others?
     
     
     
    ----------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    double haiku:
     
    I tried to explain;
    I'm not afraid, my mind turns
    strangers into friends.

    By that, I mean my
    mind sorts through what's new to find
    what is familiar.
     
     
     
    --------------------------------------------------
     
     
     Life has no meaning.
    It is bleak and pointless. When
    will Godot get here?
     

    Happy, (if you want to call it that), would-have-been 107th birthday this past week to playwright Samuel Beckett.
     
     
     
    --------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    Glowings in the sky;
    Aurora Borealis ...
    Sounds quite magical.
     
     
     
    --------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
    tanka haiku: I've reached a point where
    my friend's happiness evokes
    such joy that I weep.

    Why is that I wonder ... Our
    connections breed empathy.
     
     
     
    ------------------------------------------------------
     
     
    Triple haiku:

    Outta Coffee ... D'OH!
    Scrounging through kitchen drawers.
    Looking for tea bags.

    But tea is a sad
    substitute for my Java ...
    I crave Maxwell House.

    And so, resigned, I
    put on pants ... and socks ... and shoes
    and walk to Starbucks.
     
     
    ---------------------------------
     
     
    The world is quite mad.
     
     
     
    --------------------------------------------------------
     
     
    And finally ...
     
     
    a tanka haiku and triple haiku:
     
     

    We must stop. We must.
    We must stop fighting. We must.
    If we don't, we're done.

    America, you must meld;
    Let diff'rent thoughts co-exist.

     

    By that, I don't mean
    surrender or accept what's
    unacceptable.

     

    I mean, no-one should
    die because they disagree
    with the way you think.

     

    We must live with our
    neighbors*, not be driven
    to madness by them.

     

    * I wasn't sure whether the word should be neighbors or politics.

    Feel free to use whichever word you think fits better.

     

    --------------------------------------

     

    And Remember, April is Spondylitis Awareness Month. 

    There are 2.7 million Americans with some form of Spondylitis. 

     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Comments

    I am dying of cabin fever up here, 70 miles? from the border of our northern neighbor.

    The blizzard (2nd this week) just stopped. We have complete snow cover and winds approaching 25 MPH?

    Anyway your delightful poetry really touched me today, for some reason.

    We shall persevere

    And rise again tomorrow

    To tend our gardens.

     

    I hereby render unto Smith the Dayly Voltaire Award for this here Dagblog site, given to all of him from all of me!

    Your poetry is always delightful Mr. Smith, but it really got to me today.

    And I do pine for others at times!


    by Richard Day on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 3:52pm

    Thanks DD.   And the Voltaire reference segues nicely to the finale of the musical Candide, (one of my favorite musicals): Make Our Garden Grow


    by MrSmith1 on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 4:21pm

    ANY QUESTIONS? HAHAHAHA

    Oh how delightful!


    by Richard Day on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 4:57pm

    Waiting for Bardot.

    She said she would be right out.

    Gitanes, donc je suis.


    by moat on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 1:51pm

     

    Oh my dear, Brigitte ...

    you inspired rhapsodies,

    where has our youth gone?

     

     


    by MrSmith1 on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 2:14pm