Green dragon giggles
The secret’s filtering out
Children dance healing.
It feels like time to renew my haiku healing quest. When I first began it I had so many other things to do and think about it was left for a while.
But I feel the world really is in need of healing. Practical actions are important, so it’s not enough to haiku -but you must live the sentiment of the haiku and send out positive ripples in both thought and action. I realise Ripple and the Thousand Haiku Healing quest have a similar goal, but in one just one form of poetry is practiced.
To find out more go to Thousand Haiku Healing Quest. Perhaps you might even join me as Shawn Bird, and others have done – and send the world a healing haiku.
Today’s poem was inspired by events, both macro and micro. Some children stole fruit and someone else blew up a marathon. It made me think about how childhood is where we all begin and yet there are so many places we can end up, in terms of actions.
I was inspired though also by a sweet child (not involved in the stealing) who was kind and when I gave him and his friend fruit he immediately wanted to make a time to bring over lemonade for the family from his mother. There is real goodness in the world and children being raised by caring parents who give them wonderful values. I think though that child will deserve a poem all of his own.
Running Boy – June Perkins
It began by taking without asking
children stealing tempting fruit from the tree.
It ended with peace keeping over the fence
a request to ask before taking.
I found that my heart can’t keep grudges
it is forgiving at the core.
The ants bit me sharply
but the children seemed to listen
and began to ask.
Next time I’ll remind them
of the magic word.
If only all problems were this simple
and kindness could overcome
temptation to do the wrong thing and
things much deeper like
loneliness, madness, hatred.
Somewhere in Boston explosions rocked the day
I found myself thinking whoever did this was once a child.
What happened to their heart?
Did they take without asking?
Did others take from them without asking?
What led to someone wanting to hurt so many people?
Standing at the finish line of my day
I wonder what magic words will make those who lost someone today
able to forgive.
Justice stings the situation
this is no simple taking of a piece of fruit.
I wonder if there is anywhere we can all run
and find the fruits of our labours
to build the world where all will be safe.
I wrote this poem today after waiting at the dentist. There is just something about waiting rooms that inspires – especially this particular one. I’ve put it over at Ripple Poetry as well, where you can read more poetry. At the moment I am reading a lot of Australian History but in fact/fiction form. No doubt that will make it’s way into my work as well over the coming months.
I’m waiting for the truth about my teeth –
Do they have holes?
I’m reading famous Australian speeches
beginning with the apology speech to Australia’s Indigenous people
with truths acknowledged and sorry for all the stolen
children gathered by whips and trucks
and their grieving mothers
it’s content and how long they had to wait
brings the gathering of about to be tears
to my eyes.
I want to read more but don’t want to dissolve in a dentist’s waiting room
and have to explain that historical moments have made me teary
so I flick the pages to find something
a little bit less moving.
This is an amazing book
with Manning Clark and Miles Franklin.
I read their biographies
and skim their speeches
for memorable lines.
I think of the film My Brilliant Career
and the throw away biography line that Miles was popular with the opposite sex
but never married,
then there are a lot of political speeches
Prime Minister after Prime Minister has his day
but it’s hard to concentrate when
my teeth hurt, time to give history a rest,
Time to read gardening magazines
and here I skim the biographies of
landscape photographers and people
who write gardening books and novels
like Jackie French.
I love her books.
I discover caterpillars with clown faces
and others disguised as tiny ferocious dragons
so that predators don’t go near them
I make a mental note to tell my daughter.
There’s some poem on the wall all about
a tooth fairy with a cute picture
probably to make children feel the magic
of clean teeth.
It’s time to go in
find the verdict.
My teeth are hurting
but it seems to take a while for a verdict
there are xrays
and inspections,
seems the truth is there are no holes
should I be happy or glad
to find my teeth are fine
it’s probably my sinuses
making them hurt
and I have a mouth ulcer it seems,
But knowing is better than not knowing.
Now the path to happy recovery is clear
and perhaps tonight I will dream
of a Tooth Fairy riding a dragon caterpillar
bringing me a cup of hot lemon tea
and taking me to a circus to watch clown caterpillars
through a looking glass.
June Paisa Perkins 