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

    By MrSmith1 on Fri, 04/11/2014 - 4:16pm |

     

     

     

     

     


    Here's this week's heap of haikus:


    (Sorry for so many repeats, but I'm still having some vision problems.  Hopefully, by next week, the blurriness will have totally cleared up.)
     

     


    A lonely bus stop
    on a Monday afternoon
    I count the taxis.

    ---

    You must cover stops
    to start the music,  take your
    piccolo and blow.

    ---

    He hesitated,
    needing to sharpen his edge.
    Time was almost gone.

    ---

    She wore gingham and
    polka dot dresses, which made
    her seem cartoon-ish.

    ---

    tanka haiku: A third floor walk-up
    in a poor neighborhood, with
    a backyard garden.

    There, for him, it all began
    and, for her, it all ended.

    ---

    Oh Sunday morning ...
    Why have you arrived? I can't
    find my shirt and pants.

    ---

    Our hearts are widest
    when we put aside our thoughts
    and let ourselves feel.

    ---

    tanka haiku:

    My neighbor's daughter
    has a lemonade stand which
    offers free cookies.

        A lousy biz'ness model?
        Sure ... but then, so is Facebook.


    ---

     Sometimes in my dreams,
    I meet you in Times Square and
    we are "us" again.

    ---

    He's considered dull;
    just muddling through Life ... yet
    his heart slays dragons.


    ---

    Now is not the time?!
    Now is ALWAYS the time!!  It's
    the tense we're stuck in.

    ---

     
    We seldom notice
    the slow erosion of Life.
    we prefer dreaming.
     

    ---

    When you discover
    you have reliable friends,
    fruit falls from the trees.

    ---
    Whether at War or
    fighting a Chronic Disease,
    Courage will rise up.
     
    ---

    To impress the girl,
    the young man sent the small stone
    skimming 'cross the lake.

    ---

    The arc of your life,
    will pierce many souls, sewing
    tapestries of hope.

    ---


     tanka haiku: There is a moment
    that will happen in each Life;
    When the hands of your
       
    father's watch are laid claim to
    by your son.  Age bows to youth.

    ---


    My serious cat
    stalks its prey, then it pounces ...
    on the ball of yarn.


    ---

     
     Somewhere in the deep
    recesses of my brain, sleep
    forgotten haikus.
     

    ---

    By the garden fence,
    a quiet blue hydrangea,
    contemplates escape.

    ---

    Sitting in a church,
    wondering how I got here ...
    ( I mean, Ohio. )

    ----

     Hailing a taxi,
    her scarf fluttered in the breeze,
    God, I wish she'd stay.


    ---
     
     
     Laughter's a rainstorm,
    that washes away our gloom,
    and cleans Life's sidewalks.

    ---


    In the corner of
    my garden, by the brick wall,
    purple asters bloom.

    ---
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Comments

    I hope your vision soon returns.   Thank you for this. 


    by trkingmomoe on Fri, 04/11/2014 - 9:42pm

    Old men and eye drops;
    As if we need more proof our
    aim ain't what it was.


    by MrSmith1 on Sat, 04/12/2014 - 5:43pm

    Don't tilt the head back.

    Lay down under the dropper.

    Use both hands to aim.


    by moat on Sat, 04/12/2014 - 9:48pm

    That's how this old man does it. smiley


    by moat on Sat, 04/12/2014 - 9:50pm

    Thanks for the tip, moat.  I'm afraid tilting my head back has not been an option for me for 25 years.  (My neck and spine are fused from Ankylosing Spondylitis.)  Add in my blindness in one eye, which took away my depth perception, and it just becomes comical that my face often gets the majority of my eyedrop medicine.  :-)


    by MrSmith1 on Sun, 04/13/2014 - 12:11am

    I knew all of that;

    And yet I forgot it too.

    May your eye be well.

     

    I like how you went from bus stops to wind instruments in the last exchange. Some kind of next thing keeps whispering to me.


    by moat on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 9:53pm

     

    Things appear better.
    it may be just illusion,
    but I'm buying it.

     

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    Tanka haiku:

    For long term illness,
    Life on a biologic,
    Is no miracle.

    It's a reminder of what
    might have been, And that's enough.

     

    ----

     

    For me, the biologic drug, Remicade, allowed me to continue to work and live a reasonable life without too much inconvenience. (Of course, I am extremely stubborn, so my concept of reasonable may be a bit skewed, but never mind that. LOL)

    I was already completely fused for more than a decade when the opportunity to go on Remicade first came along in 2001.  It was, at the time, only approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis, but some doctors had begun prescribing it off-label for Spondylitis.


    My rheumy was one of those docs and wrote a letter of medical necessity to my health insurance, and because I had tried so many other drugs without any positive results, I was approved.  I knew the risks, but I was desperate to find something that would bring my disease activity under control.  And it did.  Remicade was the first and, so far, only treatment I've used that brought the level of inflammation in my body down to less than 1.   Previously, my SED rate hovered around 65, so that's quite a signigicant drop.  The fact I went so long on this drug without and major side effects until now is remarkable.


    I just wish I didn't have to make the Hobson's choice of continuing to take the Remicade versus having to deal with the serious side effects, which my body now seems to be experiencing...  Quality of Life issues. (Sigh)  Well, hopefully my visit with my Rheumy tomorrow will help with some perspective
    .

     

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    by MrSmith1 on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 1:59pm