Two Tiny Hours Out of a Life
wet leaves cover the ground
i wish they would
cover me
beneath twisted vines
a forgotten key
home from college
my room inhabited by spiders
the sounds of their weaving
in my mind
dark with chills
the moonlight reflects
off your necklace
yet to be given
gray bank of clouds
blanketing all
•
underneath grandma's stitches
with room enough
for the family dog
warm butterflies float
in and out with the fabric
summer breeze
floats the sheets
like my spirit
from my favorite swing
i watch the tomatoes grow
the sound of chain link
like my mother's cries
as i step out into my life alone
a single rose
in the palm of a child
•
ticket to the moon
but not back
hope
like far flung stars
my friends, scattered
his number still in my phone book
i hang up
after the third ring
once, twice, three times you loved
her
i lean back in my chair
as cherry blossoms
fall
sleeping farmer
tilting the rocking chair—too far
•
memory of her pear blossom heart
resting in my palm
gently my fingers close
gentle carpet giggles
as she scoots towards her mother
tv shuts off
and silence
is awkward
missed opportunity
where would we be?
her "i love you"
can't hide the desire
for the life she left
glancing through the albums
she points to that face
•
holding me
as a baby
grandpa
a piece of confetti
once landed on the cake
eleven lonely candles
wishing for
her parents to smile
car doors slam
she looks out the window to the snow
not picked today
again
moonlight illuminates the orphanage
a water drop
dripping from the gargoyle's nose
•
so still
i can almost hear
the snow melt
from old jeans and shirts
the stars on my quilt
like the triangle flag
held my grandma
warm
a single leaf
waves from the naked tree
fallen bow—as i stand
naked before the stag
cherry blossoms at dusk
fog seeps through
and the sunshine becomes haze
• • •
About our Kasen-Renga...
We all decided to be on facebook at 10:00 on the first Sunday of break. It took us two full hours to do the project, and doing it online was an interesting idea. People revised haiku on their own before sending a new message (most of the time), so it removed some of the pressure of someone sitting next to you and watching you think through your options. In that way, I think it afforded us some more freedom. Like I said in class, I enjoyed seeing the different directions people took the flow of the kasen-renga based on the differences in our surroundings. We are constantly influenced by where we are, and being physically separated and simultaneously working on the same project gave the haiku a different feel and drive than they would have if we had been in the same room. Katie C.