Imaginary Borders

a collaborative sequence of one-line haiku

Suhni Bell & Cindy Tebo

sunrise barely touching the lemons on this side of the fence
earthquake news the haunting refrain of the whippoorwill
neon blinks no vacancy across the alley
painters smock draped over the virgin mary
media ban dead soldiers return home
a folded map to the place where dad's buried
dominatrix undresses me in the rorrim
endless heat the 'endless summer' hydrangeas
chest tattoo a phoenix rising falling
asbestos cleared from the building one lung removed
tropical waterfall frozen in the disposable camera
post-traumatic syndrome now showing 'flight 93'
high school dance a locker search in progress
brainwaves measured steps down the hospital hall
pink running shoes for the breast cancer marathon
rush hour wearing basic black with a splash of latte
prayers for the missing girl during a moment of silence
jesus saves the bumper sticker peels
small dairy farm on the worry side of mount merapi*
moon shadows swaying inside the bottle near dawn
horseradish festival our car hits a chuck hole
shock jock passing hookers on the way to work
al-qaida threats the blue jay repeats its warning
spanglish from coast to coast twisting the mother tongues
santa ana winds this way & that the yoga instructor's ass
spiral notebook nothing recorded but the date
apricot rolls coconut flakes in his beard
forgotten space traveler in the dust covered legos
SPF 15 a few pale streaks across the nude beach
torrey pines I leave with the bent frames of my glasses
cedar & sage mary jane's hidden ritual
imaginary borders a neighborhood watch for aliens
cloudburst swirls of hopscotch in the gutter
wrong way the sirens on a troubled night just beginning
dna samples in the park used condoms
twitching its tail the squirrel steals another tomato
 
*indonesian volcano

***

Venice Beach Diaries*

A Butterfly Cinquain Collaboration**

                   by

     Cindy Tebo & Suhni Bell

tremors
of unquiet
the body won't stay still
I detach myself from streets of
worry
free now the police tape flutters
as we cross the alley
butterflies in
the rain

___________________________________________________________________________

*This is a dedication to Kelly who passed away on 5/28/2006

again i pass graffiti with your name
& wonder where i was when a doctor pronounced the time of death
goodnight kelly

suhni

**The butterfly cinquain is a variant of the cinquain form.  Instead of five lines, there are nine.

When completed, the form resembles the shape of a butterfly. 

The syllable count is as follows:

line 1:  2

line 2:  4

line 3:  6

line 4:  8

line 5:  2 (ends one cinquain and starts the second cinquain)

line 6:  8

line 7:  6

line 8:  4

line 9:  2

The butterfly cinquain may be written as a solo effort or as a collaboration.