poetry

Victoria Falls

/ Benn Bell / 2 Comments

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We were like two zebras passing

Through the shadows of Africa

She and I

She was my lady of the lake

Whom I loved like no other

She was my African Queen

In Ultra Sheen

My Hershey Bar

Movie star

As we cruised together

Down the Houston city streets

She fulfilled all my fantasies

The window rolled up tight

And the radio blaring just right

“Do you like to talk?” I asked

“Oh yes,” she purred

“Better and better yet,” I said

“Because I’ll tell you straight out,

I am a man that likes to talk to a woman

That likes to talk!”

She laughed and gave me a smile worth

All the rubies in Spain.

Interstellar

/ Benn Bell / Leave a comment

When I entered the black hole
I was struck by the naked singularity
And the music of the night.

Jupiter was ascending
And Scorpio was rising
The jukebox as blaring
And the sirens were screaming.

The neon wilderness showed me the way
To the star studded brilliance of the Milky Way
I lost all consciousness as the drugs took hold
Somewhere in the depths of the hold.

When I regained my strength from my long winter’s nap
I dug deep into my jeans for a few copper pennies
To be sure I had the means to pay for my midnight sin
I strolled through the door to the daylight again
And once again became human once more.

Library Science

/ Benn Bell / 3 Comments

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Neither a borrower nor a lender be

For loan oft loses itself and friend

And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry

With this in mind then

If you still want to borrow

I’ll expect the book back by tomorrow.

Haiku – Short Poems

/ Benn Bell / 1 Comment

11199282975_cce75b4723_oAccording to Jane Hirshfield, in the “Art of Haiku,” a Haiku is a poem composed of 17 syllables or sound bites containing vivid imagery. The traditional Haiku poem should evoke a particular season, although western Haiku writers don’t always follow this proscription.

The original meaning of the Japanese word Haiku, according to Hirshfield, is “Playful verse.” The celebrated Japanese poet, Basho, raised Haiku to new levels of significance by adding a spiritual and emotional dimension.

Basho wasn’t too strict about the form. He advised that you can have an extra syllable or two as long as the poem sounded right. If the sound was off, then a re-write was in order. He also said it was important to see the world with new eyes and to write down the present moment.

Three Haikus

Here are three Haikus that I wrote that I would like to share with you.

The monk stumbles from
The Black Mountain Demon’s Cave
To find the world one bright pearl.

The sound of the dragon
Singing in the withered tree
Comes to my ear.

The empty boat returns
From its long Journey abroad
Full of moonlight.