Surface
Reflections
(a tanka series)
Now become
one,
the world has grown larger
raindrop to puddle;
Is greater freedom found
in solitude or union?
Reflections,
my words return in silence;
"You, in the puddle,
how is it you never see
your whole world is backward?"
In raindrop
worlds,
wondering how many times
my self sees myself...
Before the day is ended
we’ll have evaporated.
Maitland
Center
(a haibun)
Maitland
Center is a business park with multi-storied buildings, winding walks
through carefully tended landscaping, and lakes and ponds on a large
acreage in Central Florida. Wildlife abounds outside the structured
routines of office life.
corporate
tower
a white ibis perches
on the rooftop
I worked
for a recruiting firm in one of the many offices at the complex. It
was occasionally my pleasure during lunch hours to find a hidden spot
for a rest in the grass. The low chuckles of ducks, splashes of fish,
and bird calls lulled me into relaxation. Sometimes I would doze to
the hum of insects. Afterwards, it was difficult to return to work in
this reverse zoo where humans are caged behind glass windows while animals
roam freely. After three years, I escaped from the captive inhabitants
of this strange reserve...
mirrored
walls
graceful wings swoop
to neighboring skies
Copyright © 2000 Debra Woolard Bender
