SIGNS OF LIFE - T.D.Ingram

16. A Short Con the empty lotwhere they held camp meetingsnow a highrisefaint strains of...

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:26:00 -0500

16. A Short Con

the empty lot
where they held camp meetings
now a highrise
faint strains of songs
float in the rain

My grandfather was a Southern Baptist minister, my grandmother his choir director and pianist. When I was a child they took me with them to old fashioned tent revivals.

I had a job to do. Before the congregation was exhorted to be saved, I was asked to sing a hymn. As I sang “I Come to the Garden Alone”, I stepped from the altar and walked down the center aisle, pausing halfway to turn and face my grandfather, and while still singing, gesture for the crowd to step up and accept salvation. At the hymn’s conclusion I would fall to my knees and bow my head.

While the sinners and faithful surged forward, other children were dispatched from the back of the tent to escort me outside to play, providing a swift and efficient exit.

Soon I grew older and was no longer asked to accompany my grandparents.

They preferred singers under eight years of age.

sunbathing
in green celluloid visor
au naturel
my nudist grandfather
a doubly defrocked preacher

~Southern Illinois, 1949

Atlas Poetica Special - 25 Taanka Prose

midnight snow blows from black to black through the streetlights a handful of stones 07-13-2011

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:11:38 -0500

midnight snow

blows from black to black

through the streetlights

a handful of stones 07-13-2011

winter begins harsh words with my son sharpen the chill Notes from the Gean - Volume 3-Issue #1

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:44:00 -0500

winter begins

harsh words with my son

sharpen the chill

Notes from the Gean - Volume 3-Issue #1

squirrel sprawled flat in full bird bath to beat the heat a handful of stones 6-1-2011

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:28:34 -0500

squirrel sprawled flat

in full bird bath

to beat the heat

a handful of stones 6-1-2011

closeup moon with crags bumps and scars a beauty Haiku Bandit Society Moonview - 03-2011

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:24:23 -0500

closeup moon

with crags bumps and scars

a beauty

Haiku Bandit Society Moonview - 03-2011

in deep snow tiny dog in the same tracks she forged before Pay Attention - A River of Stones

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:22:58 -0500

in deep snow

tiny dog in the same tracks

she forged before

Pay Attention - A River of Stones

sleet chatter on the skylight night wind keens Pay Attention - A River of Stones

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:21:03 -0500

sleet chatter

on the skylight

night wind keens

Pay Attention - A River of Stones

stormstow anchor chainsof black rainto snagthe earth below A Handful of Stones 2-11-11 Haiku Now

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 07:30:00 -0600

storms
tow anchor chains
of black rain
to snag
the earth below

A Handful of Stones 2-11-11

Haiku Now

Photo

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:01:19 -0600

driving through the night astride the road ahead a veiled orange moon Haiku Bandit 01-11 Moonview

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:58:38 -0600

driving through the night

astride the road ahead

a veiled orange moon

Haiku Bandit 01-11 Moonview

hot pavement belly up beetle hosts an ant banquet SxSE Vol. 18 #

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:29:38 -0600

hot pavement

belly up beetle

hosts an ant banquet

SxSE Vol. 18 #

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:05:00 -0600

Central Park kids
at the reflecting pool
crawdad fishing
baited with hot dog bits
tied to a scrap of string

A Handful of Stones - 01-18-11

Haiku Now

Akemashite Omedetou Goziamasu - Happy New Year 2011 - the first...

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:01:00 -0600

Akemashite Omedetou Goziamasu - Happy New Year 2011 -

the first tracks

a course straight and true

in fresh snow

the ancientscalled it pneumabreath or soulall short poemssigh this spiritHandful of Stones...

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:43:00 -0600

the ancients
called it pneuma
breath or soul
all short poems
sigh this spirit

Handful of Stones 01/02/2011

Haiku Now

while one sleepsreindeer silhouettesrace the moon Haiku Bandit December Moonview

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:27:00 -0600

while one sleeps
reindeer silhouettes
race the moon

Haiku Bandit December Moonview

deer tracksend in a thicket…aspen whispers Notes from the Gean - Vol.2 - #3

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:11:00 -0600

deer tracks
end in a thicket…
aspen whispers

Notes from the Gean - Vol.2 - #3

the brightness of the full moon deepens the cold Haiku Bandit Moon View 11-2010 SxSE Vol 17 #

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:37:00 -0600

the brightness

of the full moon

deepens the cold

Haiku Bandit Moon View 11-2010

SxSE Vol 17 #

My grandmother survived the Great Depression but always feared itsreturn. Over the years, in her...

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:53:00 -0500

My grandmother survived the Great Depression but always feared its
return. Over the years, in her pantry, she shaped and saved balls of
scrap foil, rubber bands and mixed twine as a hedge against future
shortages. She sealed mouse holes with patches of flattened tin cans.
Leaky garden hoses were mended with strips of rags tied in fancy bow
knots. End notched scrap planks propped sagging wire clotheslines.
Stacked in the kitchen were decades of Farmers Almanacs. Even
in these bygone issues of planting lore possibly some useful tidbit of
knowlege or information might still remain. Nothing wasted. Total
utility driven by fear.

on front porch swing
snapping beans for soup
gold star mother

SxSE Vol. 16 #

moon in water shiny dime bright swims with the waves Haiku Bandit Society - Moon Viewing Party...

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:50:00 -0500

moon in water

shiny dime bright

swims with the waves

Haiku Bandit Society - Moon Viewing Party 10-2010

every birthday brings me closer to the child inside Handful of Stones - 10-16-2010

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 06:52:00 -0500

every birthday

brings me

closer

to the child

inside

Handful of Stones - 10-16-2010