marlene mountain
one-line linked haiku
2001

 

marlene mountain     jeanne jorgensen

one-line linked haiku       january 2-19 2001

still snowed in

still snowed in the weathercasters denigration of nature continues
hurrah!. a Chinook Arch in the west
with no trust in calendars a fresh notebook on 'january 2nd 100001 ada'
milking time  each cow knows her own stall
japanese noodle shop two men in western hats brawl out into the rain
first dandelions . . . bouquet for Mama

drive in the country  near the darkened farmhouse a coyote howls
property taxes due chickadees in the old spruce
her hollow-eyed stare  young vagrant begging for change alongside Sears
sound of the salt truck then the scraper the silence
included in her vase  peonies and lilacs from Grandmother's garden
worn down by alzheimer's the significant other
who is to say  near death visions the real thing . . . hallucinations?
his daddy's cronies a rerun of the country
twenty years later  he admits sexually molesting his sister
out early a killer for good behavior a pothead jailed
child races across the field  a yellow balloon rises higher and higher
i'll rush to mt rushmore if reagan's mug's to be chiseled

old people in the mountains they prefer to speak like each other
twin boys  fraternal thank heaven
patches of snow remain breakthrough medicines only on the horizon
flag absolutely still  first lightning in the west
strict constructionist literalist interpretation of myths a long 'hisstory'
working on genealogy  for the sake of us all
trashed by the family the artist's bits and pieces that look unartistic
warm . . . the curves of her woman's body
hills that i love full of trees that i love i've barely scratched the surface
orange tabby snuggles close  the last of his litter
an intimate game of dominos with the computer its 'blast!' on losing
such a joy  receiving her letter

in the middle of the night  a sudden banging at the front door
thursday's 'australian open' on live tv wednesday
today's verdict: 10 years in jail for 'euthanizing' his disabled daughter
wrapped up in old blankets and odd poems
up and over  the toddler climbs out of his crib  loses his diaper
i leave home with my mist return with the world's

notes: 2j in winter an arc of clear blue sky that foretells warm weather
3m) merlin stone's term: after the development of agriculture