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Kick the Can

Beneath the damp stoop I peer, the streets lie silent as a wispy fog looms atop the street lamps, my breath the only visible sign of my anxious fear as I hunker down awaiting the perfect time to shift it into high gear. Reflecting a silver sparkle the dented can sits in the middle of the street as I watch the enemy slithering about, cautious step, sliding through the hedge, crawling like a deadly snake. slithering snake escaping the deadly bite I lie frozen Lying in wait, I calculate the moment to spring to my feet, to send the can flying to conquer defeat, for now I lie subdued with each breath held within, my heart pounding uncontrolled my lips parched by the wind.... as a shrieking scream shatters the silence, Mother holler's, "Time To Come In" painted memories from my window foggy streets glisten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note; Kick the Can is named for and all variants use a single piece of equipment: an object, usually a discarded empty can (sometimes with rocks inserted for noise) that can be kicked. One person or a team of people is designated as "it" and a can or similar object—can or metal pail or bucket—is placed in an open space: the middle of a backyard, a cove or cul-de-sac, parking lot or street. The other players run off and hide while "it" covers his or her eyes and counts to a previously decided number. "It" then tries to find and tag each of the players. Any player who is tagged (caught and touched) is sent to the holding pen. Any player who has not been caught can "kick the can" and free the subdued prisoners. 12/24/2017

Copyright © | Year Posted 2017




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Date: 4/19/2018 10:24:00 PM
Congrats on your gold medal win, Rick. We don't see the haibun form often enough. Well done.
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Date: 1/14/2018 8:19:00 AM
Love it! Congratulations on your top win Rick!
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Date: 1/13/2018 8:06:00 PM
Congrats on the win Rick.
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Date: 1/13/2018 4:37:00 PM
excellent haibun Rick, congrats on your win:-) hugs Jan xx
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Date: 1/13/2018 3:11:00 PM
congratulations Rick...marvelously written and expressed
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Date: 1/13/2018 12:09:00 PM
Rick this one just drew me back into the game, the fog, the streetlight and a mother's voice calling is back in....a smoothly written Haibun with excellent Haiku punctuation. Thanks for entering the contest.
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Book: Reflection on the Important Things