Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Skin Between Us

When you said I do,
I remembered your first hug
-held firm in soft skin.

She sat at her desk,
Her classmates looking away
-how to explain burns?

As he polished shoes,
Bugs festered in sagging skin
-homeless in Rio.

Sheriff standing guard,
Walter drank from the fountain
-not for Whites Only.

Copyright 2009

One Single Impression: Skin

19 comments:

Beth P. said...

Edward--
I'm the first, but I'm sure not the last, to congratulate you on these excellent haiku. Each one so poignant and pointed.

The third one stands out to me.
Happy new year---

Bruce Miller said...

The ambiguity of "how to explain burns" disquiets exquisitely - human perplexity.

spacedlaw said...

They are excellent. The second particulary gets to me: I had one of those mates at school, the poor soul.

gautami tripathy said...

The second one got to me..I have a friend like that.

frenzied entropies

And please do visit the Poetry Train being run each Monday!

anthonynorth said...

Three very different ones there, from the serene to the shocking.
All very good, though.

Jeeves said...

Second one is the best. All three haikus are brilliant. Different emotions conveyed in three wonderful lines.

Anonymous said...

..understanding life through a broad spectrum view..many thanks for sharing this..

SandyCarlson said...

What is it about the power of skin? Or what power do we invest in it? Thanks for these reflections, Edward.

Amias (ljm and liquidplastic) said...

Very impressed with the whole series ... I shall come back and read more.

Anonymous said...

As always, Edward, a variety of small treasures that open huge doors!

Sandra.if said...

original ideas!

Anonymous said...

The depth of your haiku always impresses me along with the fascinating viewpoint.

floreta said...

i really love the different portraits here.. skin as distant.. skin as close.. the different colored text was also interesting. maybe its just my eyes staring at the screen too long but some colors seemed to pop out to me.

Quiet Paths said...

All of these excellent. A story in each; some we know some we do not know.

Tumblewords: said...

Each a different skin - there are so many...great work!

DeLi said...

my favorite is the first set.sensual and warm

Patois42 said...

Your ability to convey so many types of skin so well is fabulous.

Anonymous said...

always, always, always enjoy your 'kuz... thru a circle of thoughts and emotions just as it should be...

JP/deb said...

As Beth said, this collection of haiku are truly poignant. Excellent work. Peace, JP/deb