Three sisters
single in their 40s
gather 'round the fire
on a night of thunder
to figure out which sister
should marry Mr. Fenster,
a widower in his 90s now.
He proposed last week to
all three of them and said
he would marry one
and provide a nice home
for the other two.
Mr. Fenster owns a farm
down the road a mile or so.
Worth a lot of money
he buried a wife a year ago.
He's mourned enough, he says,
and wants to marry a nice lady
who will make him happy.
Mabel and Maude say Millie
should be the bride.
After all, she's the youngest
of the three, can cook and clean
and is young enough
and strong enough to lift
Mr. Fenster on and off.
Millie says no way.
Donal Mahoney
Categories:
fenster, engagement,
Form: Blank verse
Die Zeit verletzt und heilt
Der Zeit ist der Mensch egal
Man verliebt und sich entliebt
im Laufe der Zeit tausendmal
Man verliert und spart sie
Man bereut’s wenn sie vergeht
Man fühlt sie auf dem Gesicht
wenn der Wind kalt weht
Die Zeit ist das Aufgehen der Sonne
der blutrote Himmel bei Dämmerung
Die Zeit ist eine verblühte Blume
die beim Fenster steht zur Erinnerung
Die Zeit ist die Tränen aus Wachs
als die Kerze zum Ende brennt
Die Zeit kann man nicht fassen
ist doch alles, was man kennt
Categories:
fenster, time,
Form: I do not know?
We began to see
the first sign of Strip Malls
toward the end of World War Two.
In fact I remember
something of a barbed wire
fence I used to peer through.
Wilmington,
North Carolina 1945.
Just a theater, grocery and truck stop.
But behind those walls
of new laid brick and mortar
was a dare of dares, no one can top.
A barb wire fence
built to keep someone in.
GERMANS ! (I was to sworn to secrecy)
Billy Fenster caught me
peeping around the corner
to get a look at what I was not supposed to see.
Look at Mr. Scaredy he said,
and with a snide look on his face,
“I d-double dare you to go to the fence painted red.”
Siddling along the brick
like a crab doing the moon walk
I stayed in the shadow feeling light in my head.
Kommen zie hier, I heard.
Seeing enough Don Winslow movies, I knew
what he meant. I walked but nothing did I utter.
Through the metal
he handed me a baseball.
In large letters he had scrawled “Gruber”
I saluted and he returning
smiled and needed no speaking.
I returned to Billy with my chest in elation.
And the baseball is still in my possession.
© Jun 12 2010 Charles Henderson
Categories:
fenster, adventure, childhood
Form: Narrative
Am Fenster die Katze
Voller Spannung zum Sprung bereit
Verfolgt sie den Vogel
Vor dem geschlossenen Fenster
Ist aber die Welt noch in Ordnung
------------------------------------------
The cat at the window
With bated breath for the jump
She pursues the bird
In front of the closed window
The world is yet in order
-----------------------------------------
El gato en la ventana
Con gran expectación del salto
Persigue el pájaro
Delante de la ventana cerrada
Allá el mundo está en orden
----------------------------------------
Il gatto alla finestra
Con il fiato sospeso per il salto
Che persegue l'uccello
Davanti alla finestra chiusa
Il mondo è in ordine
Categories:
fenster, animals
Form: Tanka