Net Kasen Renku:

Summer Haze

Paul Conneally William J Higginson Peggy Willis Lyles

summer hazethe horizon gonewith the riderher ice-cream drips

on dad’s shoulders

the little horseshakes harness bellstopping a stack of folded laundryone red sock behind the fencea Good Humor truck under bright lightsafter masswe chase two hatsinto the busheson a taxi to the runway,look to check the windthey test their kitesover the wet grass jagged potsherdscatch the last raysare they out of practicebreath heaving like thathe consultshis book of dreamsfor guidancecherry blossomshis story of dead mensoftly toldthe river swirlsan old frog clingsin determinationsmilesin a broken frameabove the bedstaggered echoesfrom the other mountainsof a square-dance callthe crane stance held longestby a Chinese acrobata dusty smell pervadesthe dim library aislesthe faint sounds of a lutebutterflies rest on a rock spiral stairs to the garretwhere I watch and wait

I don’t want to know

where time’s gone off to

a crossword puzzle solvedunder the full moonin the rattleof tills and trolleys*I reach up highwe shimmy throughthe quartz-blocked entranceto the ruby minea slight shudderand the boat docksa freezing moonhis investmentsnovelty clocks and dollsstacked in the loftkneelingbeside the thinning scarecrowSherlock dusts a clueshe feels a tickle on her ankleand winks into the abyssthey dissect owl pelletsfor extra-credit pointsearthworms sit out winterunder the putting greenchrysanthemums shineover the earthquake fissurea downy feather

in the groom’s champagne halts

the bridesmaid’s toast

a strong handshakebut he forgot to tell mehow much it would costmorningthree beers from the woodreturnspring rain on the old pathgives voice to a rainbowif we should meet as poetswhere the wild plum bloomsa moment of peace

before tomorrow’s adv

enturethis lingering day