marlene mountain
one-line haiku sequence
may-june 1984

 

one line sequences together and alone

    

    of cold of heat

cold spell waiting for my letter to get there
   chill bumps a woman singing to women

a cold rain another resolve not to explain myself
   mid beethoven i snap off the radio

no thought faded flowers of spring
   wishbone breaks off short

yet another decision to make the heat
   dusk an old uneasy feeling

 

    of heat of cool

     alone no scraps for the hens the heat
evening cool a glimpse of the neighbor's hilled beans

the heat today's meal exactly like yesterday's
     another bill paid evening cool

first not understanding now misunderstood the heat

      still full of anger evening cool

     just to hang on to what i have the heat
just to hang on to what i have evening cool

 

    memorial night

not enough if any tombs for the unknown witches
      the old religion 9000000 burned

    the heat

yet another someone chooses to be offended by my art
    after him as an afterthought he adds or her

newsletter/priestess of the goddess asks for money
    next woman in line no coupons no off-brands

 

    of nights

a hot night bessie's 'empty bed blues'
alone knowing which towel is mine

a cool breeze two keys on my key chain
quarter moon from breast to breast

you leave early the short night of the long day
wet looking at nothing

 

    child support

40./wk -: 7da = 5.7142857/da -: 24hr = 0.2380952/hr
when it comes

 

    haunted

people walking on legs without even knowing it
is this long stretch to my toes the last one

 

    deep down night

not here to know who i am when you're not here
    a/part missing yet complete

midnight way after midnight i want to spread my leg
   
light off unable to turn off

anne murray's sensual song excited by her or by you
   my desk a lesbian poster my bed your picture

 

    neverending day

against me society's taught her to be
      she's not listening

he's done in 2 minutes her baby a bastard *
     still she turns her head

* bastard, a patriarchal concept

 

    patchy fog

if she says we come into money let's fix our chins
      stock market down cheering

'let's not talk about men let's talk about our accomplishments'
      sonia maybe i'll vote after all

'white-boned demon' slowly she grates into my heart *
      unsatisfied yet not that empty womb ache

this world? surprised there aren't more crazies
      unable to tell mother who i am

*jian ging (madam mao)

Wind Chimes #14 1984



 




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