Thursday, January 29, 2009

Corsin the Sinai Desert oor guide stappit the bus
tae gie's a glisk o yin o the fyow oases aye aboot;
suddentlie sax Bedouin bairns kythed frae naewhaur,
cairryin ashets on whilk wur spreid the maist dumfoonerin agates.
Efter, oor guide exponed til us hoo the Bedouin fowk wur the furst
tae inbring Islam tae Egypt.


a Bedouin laddie
rents the clint fir us
shaws the jowelt hert




crossing the Sinai Desert our guide stopped the bus
to show us one of the few remaining oases;
suddenly six Bedouin children appeared from nowhere,
carrying platters on which were spread the most amazing agates.
Later, our guide explained to us how the Bedouin people were the first
to introduce Islam to Egypt.


a Bedouin boy
splits the rock for us
shows its jewelled heart


(a first haibun)

11 comments:

  1. An exquisite first, John.

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  2. A first... the hope is, it won't be the last.
    _m

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  3. this amost makes me feel as if i was there... excellent work, john.

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  4. A jewel in a rock. Exactly!

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  5. You've hit the ground running, I see.

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  6. Lovely, John

    The note was too poetic in itself..enabling imagination :)

    wishes,
    devika

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  7. Penned like the pro that you are! I look forward to reading more of your haibun.

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  8. I love it! I haven't written a haibun in a long time, but have been thinking about it. now you have me really thinking about it. :)

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  9. A good haibun. I have met those boys appearing from nowhere also, one asked me a piece of soap when stopped a while in Cape Verde Islands. Many of then seen in Russia, asking forsomething (and sometimes stealing stupid tourists' passports, later selling them back to you (Just 100 Euros!)

    My friend server as an UN soldier in Eritrea, Africa. When patrulling and stopped for a while, some young boys immediately appeared from nowhere saying: "Give me..." They called these boys Kimi. (Give me - Gim mi - Kimmi - Kimi.) As a haibun-tradition I think I must write a three-liner here also:

    Young Kimmi
    asked me a piece of soap --
    tonigh I couldn't wash myself.

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  10. Thanks for sharing your first haibun. And a good one too. I think it's a great form for those times when a little backdrop really helps the haiku shine.

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