Andrew Lansdown: ‘Ocean Haiku’, ‘Of Catnip and Women’ and ‘The Chosen Whale’
Ocean Haiku
i
Under a blue sky
a school of salmon surfing
inside a blue wave.ii
Seaborne galleon
the ponderous pelican
airborne zeppelin.iii
Jigged from the sea
jetting ink on the jetty
the jiggered squid.iv
Belly-up blowfish
among the marina boats
like mini sea mines.v
A hermit crab
backing into a seashell
and this haiku.Andrew Lansdown
Of Catnip and Women
1
BesottedFawning, meowing,
gawping, pawing and growling—
so astounding is
a cat’s response to catnip,
a man’s response to women!2
UnbearableAs cats with catnip,
so men with women—gaping,
nuzzling, caressing—
anything to get relief from
the unbearable loveliness.Andrew Lansdown
The Chosen Whale
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah,
and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days
—Jonah 1:17Sonorous and oom
I roam and sound
in the strange storm …I up and breach
and I catch him
as they toss himsquid-squirming from
the pitching float
to the wave-roil …And the Master
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