Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Harvesting Haibuns #8


Hope

                      Running for and from hope simultaneously, it’s the journey that holds and gifts the
                      greatest impact. No matter whether we receive a shiny new toy or a lump of coal,
                      Santa remains the same.

Cold evening walks
Searching for peace of mind and spirit
Finding Discipline


Peace

                      Thunder angrily surfs along the wicked waves of wind, an amateur who never fails
                      to wipe out against the power lines. Freshly-brewed Barry’s tea steams steadily at 
                      the lack of attention it’s receiving—understandable, is it not? Our eyelids nod as
                      if in agreement and soon there’s nothing more to do but dream of the incredible.

Divine serenity
Something unharnessed and swift
Elusive and sweet
B.A.M.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Conversations #11: Perspectives, Part 3


“How’s it goin’?”
“Eh, seen better days.”
“Hah, I feel ya.”
“Where you headed?”
“Virginia, Suffolk. You?”
“Ah. I’m headed all the way down to Florida.”
“Damn, really? Man, you’re lucky. Haha.”
“Not any luckier than the next man; I have a court date there tomorrow.”
“Ohhh…Anything serious?”
“Robbed a bank.”
“WHAAAAA—“
“Shhh! Keep it down kid.”
“Woahh…uhh…why?”
“Why’d I rob it?”
“Yeah.”
“Needed the money.”
“But, I mean…you don’t have a job or nothing?”
“I was a janitor at my kid’s elementary school.”
“Maaan. And you got caught?”
“Nah, turned myself in.”
Really? After you got away with it and everything??”
“Yep. Put my little girl on a plane to Ecuador with about a million dollars waiting for her with her grandma.”
“Why Ecuador?”
“Well, I’m Ecuadorian…almost all my family is down there to look after her, and that million will carry her ‘till she’s old enough to go to college.”
“Wow…that’s some plan, man. But, hold up; why didn’t you go with her?”
“I knew I wouldn’t make it through the airport. So I laid low and took care of a few loose ends.”
“…By loose ends…”
“What was your name, again?”
“Oh, uh, Damien.”
“Chuck. Nice to meet you, kid.”
“Yeah, you too man. So…why’d you tell me all this?”
“Well, I might not be talkin’ to anyone for a long time; figured I might as well get it all out while I still have the chance…and you don’t look like a snitch.”
“What? Me? Nah, man, nah, I’m cool.”
“Good.”
“Uhh…So you’ll get less time for turning yourself in?”
“Exactly. I didn’t have anything to lose anyway.”
“What you mean?”
“I was about to get laid off by the school. The bank was threatening to foreclose our little bungalow. No money, no house, no car, no food…pretty soon, jail starts looking real good, you know?”
“Damn…so that’s why you sent her away.”
“Yeah. She’ll be alright without me for a few years.”
“Ahh, right, so how lo—“
“Isn’t this your stop?”
“Oh…yeah, my bad. Take it easy pal, and good luck.”
“Look out for yourself, kid.”
B.A.M.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Harvesting Haibuns #7


Emerald Sea

                         Speeding down the country road, we sit in silence and stare on in shock as
                         the Emerald Sea cascades around us. It remains calm, and yet it gently
                         threatens to envelop us at the slightest mishap.

Following Moses
Blind from any danger
The warmth of peace


Precious

                        Opening the door hesitantly, I peer inside, and I am indeed alone. I sigh
                        deeply between pants; finally, peace at last. Sauntering over to my rightful
                        seat, I relish the space and begin to think optimistically of the day ahead.
                        Before I’m halfway finished, however, I feel an ominous frost start to seep
                        into my bones. A chill creeps its way up my spine, and I know my troubles
                        have caught up with me.

As we sit in class
Endless thoughts plague my conscience
And then, we are free
B.A.M.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Conversations #10: Perspectives, Part 2


“You know what I hate the most Damien?”
“Nah, what?”
“Girls.”
“Girls?”
“Yep.”
“…”
“What?”
“Ray, I see you trying to get with a girl every single day. What the heck are you talkin’ about man??”
“I mean, yeah, I’ll be hitting on girls all day every day! Hahah. I just meant, I can’t deal with that dating and relationship crap.”
“Ahhhh. Yeah bro, I feel you on that one. The dating game is bs.”
“See? Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. I’ll never deal with that crap.”
“Never? Don’t you wanna get married and have a family and everything?”
“Eh, I’ll adopt. Hah!”
“Forreal though??”
“Eh, I dunno man. I just really don’t wanna go—“
“AWWW, COME ON!! THAT WAS HOLDING REF!! #&@%&!!!”
“—worth it.”
“What?? Couldn’t hear you; the fool with the face paint was goin’ crazy.”
“Ohh. I just said I don’t really wanna go through all that again, it’s just not worth it.”
“Ohh. Ray, don’t tell me you’re gonna let one female get to you like that. Come on homie.”
“I don’t know man. We’ll see what happens.”
“Alright look down there for a second. See all those cheerleaders down there, with their short skirts and 40 pounds of makeup?”
“Yeah?”
“How many of ‘em do you think want to be with a good dude?”
“Probably all of them.”
“Exactly. Now, out all those—there’re like 30 down there— how many do you think are gonna last past graduation?”
“How many relationships?”
“Yeah.”
“Uhhh…I dunno, probably like two or three? Haha.”
“Hah, exactlyyy my dude! That’s what I’m sayin’. And why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re just stupid.”
“Well, yeah, some of ‘em. But really though, these girls just be expecting too much. And not just cheerleaders, but all girls our age. “
 “Man, tell me about it.”
“Like, dang, we’re only human! You know what I mean?”
“Yeah man exa—“
“A SACK?? WHAT THE HELL!!! COME ON RUTHESSNOFER!! GET YOUR S*** TOGETHER!!!”
“—dudes are better.”
“What?!?”
“What?? I just said ‘exactly. I used to think girls were more chill, but dudes are better.”
“OH. Man, we gotta move.”
“Nahh, come on dude, I’m too lazy.”
“Hah, you bum. Aiight then. So you really wouldn’t wanna do the whole family thing?”
“Nah, I mean, I wanna have kids though, but not really a wife.”
“Man, that’s crazy my dude.”
“Yeah, well…Okay, so I think about it like this. I’d rather have a best friend to chill with my whole life—just chilling, smoking, goin’ out, maybe find a place to rent in NYC together (pause)—and all that— just living our lives, basically—than be held down by a girl that’s always asking me where I am, what I’m doin’, who I’m with, blah blah blah.”
“Ahh, aiight. I can kinda see where you’re coming from.”
“Yeah man. Like, who really wants that? I just wanna chill man. Get a good job as a Physical Therapist or maybe teaching physical therapy or something, get a nice middle-sized house, couple cars, couple dogs—“
“Hahaha! You and your pets mann. You gonna have like a whole zoo, huh?”
“Haha, nahh. Just a couple dogs, a snake probably…maybe a something weird, like a ferret!”
“A ferret? What even is that?
“I’ll show you when we get back to the suite.”
“Aiight then.”
“But yeah, man. I Just wanna live a normal, middle-class kinda life. Oh, and eventually open that—“
“TOOUUCHHHHDOWWWNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!”
“SHUT UP YOU FAT PIECE OF—“
“WOAH, woah, Damien, chill man, chill. It’s all good.”
“Nah man! This guy—!”
“YOU WANNA GO BRAH?? HUH?? DO YA???”
“Yo, CHILL OUT man! Dame, let’s be out.”
“I’ll whup his ass. You don’t think I can?”
“I know you can, but you already got suspended once.”
“I don’t care, man. It’s dudes like these that—”
“YEAH, YOU BETTER RUN AWAY.”
“—get on their knees more.”
“Yeah, he’s definitely gay, dude. At least we got outta there—yo, let’s sit down there.”
“What? Gay?? Why you think he was gay?”
“’Cause he was making out with some dude whenever he wasn’t shouting. You didn’t see ‘em?”
“Ohhhh.”
B.A.M.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Harvesting Haibuns #6


Almost Home

                          There are few things sweeter than the feeling of not only knowing, but 
                          being able to reach out and feel the warmth of salvation after untold ages
                          in the desert. Feelings like this can change a man.

No justice given
But warmth and happiness abound
Finally, almost


Reminisce

                         All it takes is a smell, a taste, a touch, a sound, or an environment to send
                         us all back to the times which were cruel, the times which were happy, or 
                         the times that wore a well-made mask.

Awareness aids
In unveiling reality
And unraveling the past
 B.A.M.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Conversations #9: Let It All Out


Ray: “Yo Vinicious, hook me up with my usual?”
Theo: “Same here.”
Mac: “Uhhh, yeah, why not. I was gonna switch it up today, but that’s cool.”
Vinny: “Alright guys, no problem. Be ready in about 15.”
Theo: “Sounds good pal.”
Ray: “It’s pretty packed today, huh?”
Mac: “Yeah, it’s weird, it’s never this packed.”
Theo: “Yo, so do you really think Vinny likes Ang?”
Ray: “Of course!”
Mac: “You can’t tell?”
Theo: “I dunno. I mean, we’ve known him for over a year now; why wouldn’t he just tell us? We see him like four times a week!”
Mac: “He’s probably just shy about it. He isn’t the most outgoing guy out there.”
Ray: “We probably help him out if he just told us, though.”
Mac: “You think Ang would give him a chance?”
Ray: “Only if you told her to! Haha.”
Mac: “Hah, you keep saying that.”
Ray: “It’s true, man!”
Theo: “Ahhh, I don’t know guys. I miss the good old days, when we could tell each other anything and not even think about it.”
Mac: “Like when we were kids?”
Theo: “Yeah, exactly.”
Ray: “Dude, I remember those days.”
Theo: “When drama was fighting over a crayon, man.”
Mac & Ray: “Haha.”
Mac: “Yeah, those were good times. I remember telling my first girlfriend ever that I liked her the first day of 2nd grade.”
Ray: “Yeahh Mac! Pimpin’ even back then! Hahaha.”
Mac: “Hah, nahh.”
Theo: “So what’d she say?”
Mac: “Who? Oh. I think…she giggled a little, and then I think we started holding hands that afternoon.”
Ray: “Danggg, second base in one day!”
Mac: “What?? Hahaha, you’re crazy dude.”
Theo: “Hah, hey, he had to start somewhere.”
Ray: “Haha…but yeah, what do you guys think happened to those days? I miss stuff like that, man.”
Mac: “You know, me too. I don’t really know, but it was so much easier back then. Everyone just said what they were thinking about, and then by lunchtime we were laughing and playing around again. Man, I really miss those days.”
Ray: “Thanks a lot Theo! Jerk! Haha.”
Theo: “Hahaha. I don’t know guys. It’s probably something to do with this whole “don’t judge me” crap that’s been going around now.”
Ray: “Ahh, yeah, I can see that.”
Mac: “Yeah, I hear it like literally at least three times a day.”
Ray: “Yeah, and it’s mostly all girls who say it, too.”
Theo: “Exactly!”
Mac: “Actually, yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever heard another dude say it before. Not seriously, anyway.”
Theo: “And the really stupid thing is that it’s literally impossible not to judge. We were talking about it Philosophy with Mama.”
Ray: “Is her last name really Mama?”
Theo: “Yeah man. Haha, she’s awesome.”
Mac: “But yeah, that’s a good point. You pretty much automatically judge everything you see or hear.”
Theo: “Or taste, touch, or smell. ‘Mmm, that smells delicious! Bleh, this feels slimy!’ and so on.”
Ray: “Ahh yo, that reminds me! I never told you guys.”
Mac: “Told us that?”
Theo: “Yeah, what’s up?”
Ray: “Alright, so last week I was talking to this girl. Pretty hot. Haha. Anyway—“
Theo: “Who was it??”
Ray: “I don’t remember her name, but I know she’s a Criminal Justice Major, and she lives in Orion—“
Mac: “A freshman Ray? Really?”
Ray: “Dammit, let me finish my story! So, like I was saying, we were talking, and she mentions that she blacked out last night—or, the night before, I mean—and tells me that when she woke up, she was on Silverbridge, totally naked, with a snapping turtle and an inflatable shark!”
Theo: “Like, on the actual bridge??”
Ray: “Yeah! That’s what I’m saying!!”
Theo: “How’d she know it was snapping??”
Ray: “Hah, well—“
Mac: “Yo, we should probably lower it down a little; people are starting to stare—”
Ray: “—and that’s how she found out!”
Theo: “Holy flip…”
Ray: “Exactly. Can’t believe I forgot to tell you guys!”
Theo: “So what’d you say back??”
Ray: “I didn’t know what to say! Haha. I just stared at her.”
Mac: “Hah, smooth Ray, smooth.”
Ray: “Haha, yeah, yeah, I know. But then—and this is what reminded me—she just puts her hands on her hips and goes ‘Hey, don’t judge me!’”
Theo: “Hahahaha.”
Ray: “I know! I just looked at her like ‘Trick, who isn’t gonna judge you if you tell them that??”
Mac: “Annnd, right on cue!”
Vinny: “Here you go guys; deep dishes all around. One meat lovers, one vegetarian, one Hawaiian—and a Sprite on the house.”
Theo: “Yes! Vinny, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
Mac: “Thanks bud.”
Ray: “Yeah Vin, thanks for the hookup man. We’ll see if we can do the same for you and Ang.”
Vinny: “…...What???”
B.A.M.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Harvesting Haibuns #5


Takeover

                       We stare at the clock, always meaning to do well but hardly ever succeeding.
                       At least, one of us means well. The other tears and scratches, lulls and 
                       entices, angers and annoys until the other can do nothing else but finally 
                       submit to the energy. Just one more…wait, I didn’t see this…what time is it?

Demons or the Devil
My thoughts are rarely my own
A constant excuse


The Stranger

                       Being strange to myself and yet being comfortable to others seems to be my
                       destiny and my desire. Is it just for health, or is something more sinister
                       lurking behind my wishes? It’s an intricate cobweb of self-doubt and lies
                       that I’d have to traverse to find the heart, and I think I’ll find other things
                       to do.

An outcast
Unwelcome in two homes
Embraced by the world

B.A.M.