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Three crosses dominate the pasture hilltop high above winding gravel road, Appalachian mountains a backdrop to these Christian sentinels. Or superstition as some folks insist. Wonder and well-being flood my soul but to each his own.
Here in the South, there's plenty of legend and lore, such as deep porches with ceilings of haint blue, traps between realms of the living and dead, tricking turbulent spirits as water they cannot cross. I've seen cobalt blue dangling from crape myrtle trees, bottles that seize minions set on maiming souls, evil scorched come morning sun. Bottle trees reside as folk art outside upscale shops; like Ouija boards in toy isles - yet one tempts me, the other terrifies. They say the Devil's beguiled by his own handsome face, mirrors hang upon southern porches, distract him until the swell of morning sun, wherein he turns tail for hell, house-invasion thwarted. And of course, Bloody Mary chanted 13 times, hand mirror held aloft, flight of stairs ascended backwards, room darkened, candles lit... beware, benign or wicked she may be.
Hold your breath, count graves
School bus stops at traffic light
Blue faces, wide eyes
By Margaret Bednar, January 18, 2020
Linked with "The Sunday Muse #91" and with "Poets & Storytellers United - Writers' Pantry #3"
This is a Haibun - the ending Haiku doesn't really qualify as it doesn't hint at a season, but it IS an American 5-7-5 syllable count... I had fun writing it though. We ALL did this as kids, right? Even us Northern ones. (Holding breath as one passes a cemetery so the dead spirits don’t enter our bodies)
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| Haint Blue ceilinged porches - I love them. |
and the photo from The Sunday Muse that inspired it all:
