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Paradise Lost (?) (1890) by Paul Gauguin. Original from The Yale University Art Gallery. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

In The Past, They Were The Hum, Now, Its Prisoners

Written for February 22, 2023, for W3 Poetry Prompt, which goes live on Wednesdays
at The Skeptic’s Kaddish. This fiction piece is my first haibun and first time
participating in W3 Prompts. Prompt #43: Wea’ve Written Weekly

The Poet of the Week is Kerfe this last Wednesday in February and the guidelines are:

  • Compose a haibun that contrasts past and present;
  • From Poetry.org:
    • In How to Haiku, Bruce Ross writes, “If a haiku is an insight into a moment of experience, a haibun is the story or narrative of how one came to have that experience.”

I’m here to learn the goings on even without understanding the conditions fully. So, as
David says– Okie dokie ~ Let’s do this thing!

Come what may, the tourists came, like Santa, like migratory birds. Lugging big
suitcases and pale faces wreathed in wrinkles of pleasure, they came-- content
at the intensity: sun worshipers. And the coconut trees pointed in their
direction and laughed at how fast their faces turned: from white to pink,
to red, to purple-- like turnips! But after sundown, those tourists couldn't sit
still like the locals, who sat in appreciation of the hum of slow days-- oh, no
--couldn't; wouldn't sit with the hum. They needed to stimulate the flesh.
Dully so, after all that sun, they wanted their nights cold. So on every trip,
they carted air conditioners they helped install. And the locals got hooked on
that fake air. No one remembers a time without the hypnotizing hum of air
machines. And the coconut trees now laugh at the couch potatoes that stroll
outside occasionally.
...
staunchly they mimiced
stars, moon, hum, breeze forgotten
corralled in paradise

© 2023 selma

Thanks so much for reading, everyone. Blessings to all.
Image by Openverse

Selma Martin
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This Post Has 27 Comments

  1. Sadje February 24, 2023 Reply

    In the name of development, man has spoiled many a paradise.

    1. Selma Martin February 24, 2023 Reply

      So true, Sadje. And changes everything! Thanks for reading and commenting. XoXo

  5. Baydreamer - Lauren Scott February 25, 2023 Reply

    Lovely writing, Selma, and I love the idea of sitting in the “appreciation of the hum of slow days.” Wishing you a wonderful, slow and peaceful weekend. xoxo

    1. Selma Martin February 28, 2023 Reply

      Sitting with the hum. We become the hum. So happy you liked that… thanks so much. Xoxo

  6. memadtwo February 25, 2023 Reply

    Humans are strange creatures…never satisfied. Well done. (K)

    1. Selma Martin February 26, 2023 Reply

      Thanks for saying that. I’ll be basking on this comment all week. Yay. Thanks. 😁

  8. memadtwo February 27, 2023 Reply

    Selma–I’ve selected you as Poet of the Week for W3–congratulations! David will be in touch with you about coming up with a prompt for this week. Kerfe

    1. ben Alexander February 28, 2023 Reply

      Hooray! Selma, I’ve emailed you at se…[email protected] with “next steps” for this week’s W3 prompt… if you don’t receive it, as sometimes happens (because my emails get stuck in spam filters), please email me directly at:

      DVDBGMLNY at GMAIL dot COM

      Thanks <3
      David

    2. Selma Martin February 28, 2023 Reply

      😲 this rookie? Are you sure? Wow. Ok. Thank you, Kerfe. How cool is that!? Xoxo 🙋🏻‍♀️👯‍♂️ I’ll come up with something asap. XoXo

  9. Conny February 28, 2023 Reply

    I love the narrative style of the haibun. I could see the scene played before me 😊

  10. ben Alexander February 28, 2023 Reply

    Selma – I don’t think I’ve ever said this about a haibun before, but as beautiful as your haiku at the end is, I think I love your prose section even more! It feels like a flowing poem in and of itself <3

    ~David

    1. Selma Martin February 28, 2023 Reply

      Honored by your words, thanks. I received your email and will get right to it. You’ll have it when you wake up.
      Thanks a million, David.
      That a rookie can do this is encouraging. Be well. TYSVM ❤️

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