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Gertie, I’m Sorry

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Maybe it’s merely imagination –
many the writer is starting to sound
profounder, more angled straight to the heart
the crux of matter at the tips of tongues
blinders on to purple prose . . . is a rose . . .

The etiquette of intricate ponder
rounding sharp corners to confront the glimpse
some grammar no stammer add syntax then wax
hi! to haiku, or some form of the day
sonnets – not enough of those . . . is a rose . . .

Perhaps trees are out of season these days
wan starlight has lost its thrall of yore
lovers still in moonbeams kiss,  same old hats
hymns to almighty odes to psalms to gods
to these themes, you’d turn up your nose? . . . a rose.

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

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Squash flowers in bloom
pick, shake them a bit or else
bumblebees in fridge

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

Lost Foot

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Pentametrically challenged as I am
I try to avoid them – iambs that is
Pesky critters, miss one and poof you’re done
Look! See? There goes a crazy one now!

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

Haiku For Dread

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Death’s silence hangs there
wakes us both from life’s sound sleep
neither of three breaths

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

For Colette

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She’d fallen down her entire life
at 32 feet per second each second
that’s a long-long way to fall

The planet simply came out from under her
gravity did the rest
though she did her best

Over time she fell faster and farther
but not harder
she’d only land once

A dervish spin with a devilish grin
in endless free-fall
in the pull of gravity
the larger body wins

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

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Time is doubling pace
I fall down float in its wake
let go the tow line

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

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Wind circles my heart
puffs full my spirit’s mainsail
sorrowing billows

© Carlos Chagall, 2103

Haiku For Specious Present

Heartbeats slow the pulse
till the hummingbird wings still
to float timelessly

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

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Syllables stretch far
while meaning exceeds lifetimes
pages turn to dust

Digital knowledge
electromagnetic pulse
mankind starts anew

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

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I am tired with alphabet words
aren’t you?

The C word, the D word, the F word, the H word, the J word,
the K word, the L word, the N word, the Q word, the S word,
etcetera, etcetera

my word!

I apologize if I offended anyone by leaving out their offending word

Here’s the plan:
assemble everyone in the U.S.
Yankee Stadium is too small,
so maybe we rent the Grand Canyon for a day.
(I know people who know people
from the Hualapai Tribal Nation and the Havasupai Tribe
so this is a non-issue, as they say)

We set up microphones and Marshall Amps
all along the bottom of the Inner Gorge
everyone gets a turn to shout out their words

from A to Z
crank the volume up to 10 and get it all out
once and for all

ALL THE HATE WORDS!
let them ring out and echo there
from the 3 billion year old Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the Gorge
to the 300 million year old Kaibab Limestone there at the rim
rattle the fossils in the strata

declare how insignificant we are

After this day, while we cannot officially disallow the use of the words,
we can agree not to be offended any longer
by any of it

We will then adjourn to the banks of the Colorado River
where we will have the largest tailgating party
in the history of the world

pot luck – the theme is grandma’s recipes
served up family style

we will randomly select musicians from each nationality, ethnicity, and religion,
and have a battle of the bands into the wee hours

we will dance like nobody’s watching
conga lines visible from space

folk tales around the campfires
face painting for the kids

inter-caravan conjugal visits between consenting adults are optional
but encouraged

in the morning we will proceed back to the world
a rejuvenated and deeply bonded people

the world won’t know what hit ’em

we will NOT rest on our laurels
but will begin planning
our international event immediately
I’m thinking a desert maybe is an appropriate venue

at the end of my four years
we will be ready for the aliens
which, in my mind, is our real threat

My name is Carlos Chagall, and I approve this post.

© Carlos Chagall, 2013

Please see here for Here’s What I’ll Do If I Am Elected – Part I