Monday, May 22, 2017

Haibun


                                                      THE DINNER PARTY      

1. Getting Ready

 Mrs. Fraser is getting ready for dinner. A party of twelve. Very special (as always), designed to impress Mr. Fraser's colleagues and their wives.

 A black velvet dress clings to her slim figure. Diamond earrings and necklace.  Silver hair, coiffed in an up-do only her hairdresser can accomplish. She's almost ready.

From a dresser drawer, hidden in her silk lingerie, Mrs. Fraser takes out a silver flask and swallows long and slowly.  The liquid fires up her throat and her nerve.

                                                        a lone walker–
                                                        the night blooming jasmine
                                                        cast in shadow

 2. The Dinner

 Crystal glasses, English china, Belgian lace. A table set for royalty. Mrs. Fraser longingly gazes out the window. A summer night cries out for a barbeque, not caviar and squab; beer not Verve Clicquot.

 On her right is Mrs. Henry.

 Your grandson?  Precocious is he? Toilet trained in one week you say? Remarkable! Did you notify The Times?  Yes, I'm joking. Of course I'm joking.

 On her left is Judson Parker. She kicks his creeping foot away from hers.

 Yes, I agree. Desperate hunger in the world. Should all do our part.  I'll start now and pack up this dinner for the Homeless Mission downtown. What's that you say? A joke, yes. Just a joke.

                                                           bouquet of roses  
                                                           silky petals
                                                           fall with a touch

 3. Saying Good-bye

 Goodnight. Goodnight. Thank you. Lovely to see you.  Next week at the Henderson's? Can't wait to see their infinity pool. A restful view, I'm sure. Perhaps, I'll jump in and disappear into infinity. Yes. Yes. Another joke.

                                                             night voices
                                                             rumbles of thunder
                                                             before the deluge

 4. Lights Out

 Midnight. The house locked down. One more successful dinner. One more gold star. 

 Mrs. Fraser takes out the flask again and places a bottle of pills next to it.  She lines up the pills on her dresser. With slow deliberation her hand moves from pill to mouth to flask, from pill to mouth to flask, from pill to mouth to flask.

                                                           storm brewing
                                                           an owl's call
                                                           thrown to the wind

Modern Haiku, Oct. 2016 



6 comments:

Magyar said...

___ I like this whole... and the shadow and the owl: this from an older scribble but reused recently. Another echo.

tripping
on this moonlight shadow
an owl's laugh

_m

Adelaide said...

Thank you for your owl haiku, Magyar. There is an owl who comes to the pine tree next to our house. He likes to call around midnight, as if to wake us up and keep him company.

Adelaide

janetld said...

That's quite a dinner party!

I always thought I wanted to have dinner parties. That desire seems not to have lasted very long. ;-)

I can see I'm v. behind in my reading here!

Adelaide said...

I used to give dinner parties for six or eight. Nothing like the one I wrote about, but fun dinners with friends and family.

Adelaide

Gillena Cox said...

Luv them al, ah but the fall of those"silkypetals" gave me quite a giggle after reading the haibun text.

much love...

Adelaide said...

Thank you, Gillena, Always happy to have your comments.

Adelaide