Haiku Train

[Suzanne]

bop diddley bop
for heaven's sake hop don't drop
big band's a nightmare.

[Marc]

Big band's a nightmare
for the shy xylophonist.
But what does she care?

[Suzanne]

But what does she care
her neatly packed case and her
ice cold ignition?

[Marc]

Ice cold ignition
sparks in the frozen igloo
Where Eskimos love.

[Suzanne]

Where Eskimos love
there are no letter boxes,
pink lips, emerald eyes...

[oranggunung]

pink lips, emerald eyes
the deer, fixed in the headlights
the smell of burnt tyres

[Suzanne]

The smell of burnt tyres
Stunned into oblivion
No chance to survive

[oranggunung]

no chance to survive -
the ice-sculptor perseveres
and the world warms up

[Suzanne]

And the world warms up
As if hot steam from the couch
Could solve world problems.

[Marc]

Could solve world problems
like: "I don't know what to wear"
"Does my bum look big?"

[Suzanne]

Does my bum look big?
What does it matter, she says
She says with a smile.

[Marc]

She says with a smile
"like a huge moon orbiting
around Uranus".


(sorry, 5th form humour!)

[Marc]

Around Uranus
the train came to a sudden

pause. Every star hung.


So delicately,
adorning the heartless void.
Filigree of lights.


It was forever.

Or not. For with a great lurch,
the haiku heaved on.

[Suzanne]

Pause. Every star hung
where it was orderly placed.
Only few got named.

[Suzanne]

Only few got named
while their speaking was allowed;
she practised silence.

[oranggunung]

she practised silence
in between her diatribes
practise makes perfect

[Lake]

practise makes perfect
he played ten times more than asked
an autistic boy

[Marc]

An autistic boy.
Watching coy carp in the pond.
Counting the beauty.

[oranggunung]

counting the beauty
she tore petals from a rose
and he loved her not

[Suzanne]

And he loved her not,
so she sat down and sighed
for she missed him so...

[Marc]

For she missed him so
she bought new shoes every day.
She didn't walk far.

[lemonstar]

She didn't walk far
Meek as tame Palomino
Flinching circus feet

[oranggunung]

flinching circus feet
inch along the tightrope wire
now you’re at the top …

[Suzanne]

Now you're at the top
And it's miles below you
Finally you rest.

[Marc]

Finally you rest.
Green moss growing at your boots.
Tall flowers flailing.