More Lines for a June Heat Wave

Blame Dave.

*

Buzzing at the panes
a thumb-sized bee.
Coaxed into a cup, freed.

*

I dream of waking
among strangers,
a cat's bell round my neck

*

Morning
like an empty cup --
just add humidity.

*

Our office dilemma:
the AC fixed
or free Coolattas.

*

Dusted with
mustard powder --
my pollinated car.

*

Our landlords work in the yard
wearing Speedos.
They're Greek.

*

:-)

Comments

[Dave]

Hey, I'm honored! My favorite lines are "Dusted/ with mustard powder," but the dream of being a belled cat owned by people you don't know is the most, uh, thought-provoking. I'm trying not to picture the last one.

[Roberta]

I love the last one, it made me laugh. Enjoy your heat wave, we're in it for the rest of the summer here in Texas.

[Leslee]

Dave: Thanks. I liked those lines, too. I should have spent more time on the others, but alas... Actually, I didn't say I was a *cat* or owned by anyone!

Roberta: Oh good, I was afraid nobody would find it amusing. Ugh, enjoy your summer!

[Lorianne]

Laughed out loud at the last stanza. And I can sadly relate to the penultimate one: yesterday, I could see clouds of pollen wafting in the minimal breeze.

At least this morning it was cooler...

[Dave]

So dreaming about wearing a cat's bell without actually being a cat is supposed to reassure us that you are normal? :)

[Pica]

These are great, Leslee!!

[Lorianne]

Who said anything about normal, Dave? Geez, you'd think that being a poet & all, you'd be able to read... ;-)

Of course, I initially misread it as walking (not waking) among strangers, which means something entirely different.

[joanna]

I dreamed of waking with a cat around my neck. Oh, I did wake with a cat around my neck. Oh well!

I like the imagery in the first one very much and I enjoyed the sounds of "dust" and "mustard" in the later poem. Tomorrow, we'll be enjoying the recipe in the previous post.

[beth]

Wonderful, Leslee, I loved these!

[Leslee]

Dave: I have never once claimed to be normal. :-)

Lorianne: Yes, it was lovely today, though the mustard dust is still flying. At least my allergies aren't as bad as when the tree pollens were in force (this is apparently grass pollen, or so the weather reports say). And yes, walking among strangers is an entirely different thing, cat bell or no.

Joanna: Ha! Now that would have my allergies really going. Hope you enjoy the bean salad.

Pica and Beth: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them.

[tim]

Oh, I love haiku!

I read a book, The Haiku Year by Michael Stipe, Douglas Martin, Grant Lee Phillips, and Tom Gilroy a few years back:

http://www.amazon.com/Haiku-Year-Michael-Stipe/dp/1932360166/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213238975&sr=8-1

The book was all fine & good, but what it led to was better: with 5 others I wrote and exchanged a haiku a day, for 100 days...it was very cool. Interesting how the mind begins to look for a-poem-a-day when you've assigned yourself the task...some of them great, some meh...all of it wonderful for one's heart. After the 100 days, the others dropped out but I kept going, and completed a whole year--a transcendent experience in every way!

[tim]

ps

and if you'd like to do this, or others who read this post, I'd be happy to do it with anyone---exchange a haiku a day with each other for X period of time--a month, 100 days, 3 or 6 months, a year....I'd do it again in a heartbeat with any or all who are so inclined. this (below) may be inspiring....

http://www.haikuyear.com/foreword.html

[joanna]

Tim, I would love to try the haiku a day project. Let me know when and how (well, not how to write a haiku , but. . .)

[Leslee]

Wow, Tim, that's amazing. A whole year of doing haiku. I will consider it... (I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the upcoming move and with work.) Since Joanna is interested. Anyone have time to set up a quick free Blogger or Wordpress site with multiple author capability for posting?

[joanna]

I'll do it. I'm unmoving. It's a good feeling. If you want to participate, email me at joannamary at comcast dot net.

[tim]

I'd commit to 100 days, for sure, then see what happened next...

[mb]

Wonderful, Leslee. Yes, I laughed at the last one! Was intrigued by the cat bell image. And I remember mornings that felt distinctly like a humidity-filled cup, though I didn't have the words for it 'til now.

Must've been the mustard powder that had me misreading your above comment as "apparently gas pollen..." Eek!

[Leslee]

Thanks, MB! Hopefully when things settle down again I can have some more fun with haiku. :-)