marlene mountain
haibun

[1 of 3 handwritten haibun found the other day. written october 1973 as far as i can tell. back in those days i was newly-fascinated by mountain culture. several songs and short stories too. my land famous around here for its good springs for making moonshine. on the 12-acre there's a rusty barrel with an axe-cut in it. just last week a neighbor told me he made moonshine in another area years ago. mm 12/22/01]


---as is---

haibun


hit smells right

Hit smells right good. You say hit cost you twelve? Law I remember when you could get you 2 gallons for that much. Shake that up. Looky there at that bead. Hit sure makes a good one. See how long hit stays? Now that there used to be a sure sign hit was made good, but I tell you a honest fact you can't tell no more. There's a whole lot of them what puts them a bit of Clorox in hit. Now I tell you, boys, that stuff will make you a right smart bead too. But law that there is pretty as a necklace.

the moonshine:
                 the beads a necklace from my throat
to my stomach

You say you got this here on the hill above the swimming pool? You know I won't say nothing. Fact is that's where my daddy gets his'n. He usually goes of a evening and just gets him a quart. Then if he thinks hit's a good run, he'll go back of a morning and get him a gallon. He's been buying there for years. Now I hope you ain't been getting none from Fairview. They's mean over there. They all make theirs in radiators and I'll tell you sis that there stuff'll kill you. Myself I like that there Scotch.

mixing moonlight
     and moonshine together
             and the screech of a guinea

 

Frogpond 25:1 2002 America; American Haiga and Haibun 3 America

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