Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Beverley George: STICKY FINGERS


Christchurch, New Zealand. At the Sticky Fingers restaurant I choose Blue Cod Waimeru and a local merlot.

There’s a Billy Joel song playing that causes me to reflect with affection on a man who once helped me through an emotionally despondent time.

A young waitress is squatting at a bottom drawer with a large tray of glasses on her knee and clinking tea-light candles into each of them. She is mouthing the words of the song. If you said goodbye to me tonight There would still be music left to write. [1]

How pleasant it is that we are enjoying the same lyrics.

She catches my eye. “It’s very early Billy Joel” she tells me. “A really old song.”

I decline dessert but wanting to finish with something sweet, order a chai latte. A modern choice, I think.

While waiting, I ask directions to the toilet.

“Through the wee door behind the preserves cabinet,” the waitress says. It could be my grandmother speaking.

At the wash basin I pass my hand under the tap-less spout. Nothing happens. A young Thai tourist gently guides my hands lower to the back of the basin.

“Sensor,” she says.

autumn leaf
green veins threading red
. . . and brown


by Beverley George
Pearl Beach, NSW, Australia



[1] Lyrics Billy Joel : For the Longest Time

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely! Very effective ending – the slant reference to the title is great.

Anonymous said...

Hello,
I enjoyed reading your haibun because of its soft atmosphere. The music all along the lines, to which are added the other music of the glasses clinking on the tray and the other clinking for lighting the in the glesses. However, I don't really understand the word 'sensor' (sensorial ?. Maybe a relationship with the ancestor's voice : 'wash your sticky fingers ?'

Thinking that 'Merlot' is a wine, here is a haiku from me in France :

Champagne vineyards
ochre green wine coloured
out of the mist

Please, is-it possible to be on a haiku list (at lesat to try !) and how to do ?

Claire

It would be kind to tell me ! Thanks !

Alias said...

A very soft haibun linked all along with music associated to the clinking of candles and glasses.

Intersesting, the souvenir of the grand-mother's words ('wash your sticky fingers') - The word 'sensor' escapes me (I'm French)

Thinkinf that Merlot is a wine, here's a haiku from me :

Champagne vineyards
ochre green wine tones
out of the mist

Please, how do you count the syllables in such words as 'out' : 2 > a-out, so 2 or 'o+u+t' > so 1 syllable ?

is-it possible to be on a haiku list?

Thanks to answer me !