Saturday, October 24, 2020

Of Jack-O’-Lanterns and Hearts

“El corazón de la auyama sólo lo conoce el cuchillo (The heart of the pumpkin is only known by the knife)”. ~ Dominican Proverb

 


the jack-o’-lantern

screams in eternal silence,

recalling the knife

 

- for Poets and Storytellers United (Writers’ Pantry #43: Sunday Morning Cereal).
- photo by Kelly Sikkema (on Unsplash).

 

45 comments:

  1. That is one spooky proverb! And your verse (with perfect illustration) both extends and deepens it. Wonderful post.

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    1. Thank you, Rosemary. I always found the proverb very telling...

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  2. Well it is so kind of you to consider the pumpkin's feelings Magaly. Hopefully her seeds will create more to replace her.

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    1. You know me, Robin, always thinking of the slashed and screaming. Grins.

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  3. Oh, that is so good! And that jack-o-lantern surely looks like he's screaming with that mouth!

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    1. Right? Like light is screaming out of its mouth.

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  4. Twist: bypass gone wrong
    jack-o-lantern goes after
    the clumsy knife
    :)

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    1. Now I'm trying to imagine a jack-'o-lantern with hands...

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  5. But what a fiery song it sings XXX

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  6. A chilling Halloween senryu, Magaly. as much as I like eating pumpkin soup, I'm not sure I'll enjoy it so much this year.

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    1. I hope you can still enjoy your soup. I sure delighted in my pumpkin chili. I wonder if that makes me totally horrible.

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  7. I think a lot of us have more in common with the jack o' lantern than we'd like to think. Some of the remainders of past cuts have us gasping when we're least aware of it, and though we might think we've kept things silent, the evidence is right up front for those who know how to look for it.

    The wisest of us is aware of the depth of those cuts and understands that the ability to gasp (or scream) means we're still alive enough to feel and make noise. And that's not nothing.

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    1. I think you are right. I wonder if not seeing those similarities is the difference between seeing the pain as an inescapable curse or an opportunity to show what we are made of.

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  8. lol ... This is awesome. :)

    I wanted to recommend a book—Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall. I hope to read all her work. You will love her.

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    1. I've added Blue Asylum to the list. I know it will be a difficult read for me, because I hate plantation settings (for the obvious reasons), but I am still curious. I've also added The Book of Polly, the description of the grandma brought to mind a handful of women I truly admire.

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  9. oooh, hair-raising! 😱 (the proverb too)

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  10. Yikes! But there's some truth to it, I bet.

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  11. This is an awesome haiku, and a good pumpkin cut. One eye felt the knife. I am betting there is a double tale told here.

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  12. "At last", said the pumpkin, "someone thinks of us!" I noticed your pumpkin is a one-eyed jack. Did the carver lose heart before the last affront to the unsuspecting pumpkin?? lol

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    1. I think the light is just not reaching one of the eyes, lol!

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  13. Proverb and senryu ~~~ spooky, fascinating reads.

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  14. Nice one

    Happy Sunday

    Much💛love

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  15. Ohhh...powerful in such few words. I don't think I'll ever look at a jack o lantern the same way.

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  16. Oh, wow, that is chilling!

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  17. I didn't know about this proverb. If true, then I must be a pumpkin. Oh, you conveyed the proverb with a scary twist.

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    1. I think, my friend, that we are all pumpkins... and jacks, too.

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  18. That is chilling. The picture might haunt me. I want the next eye even though I know it will hurt.

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    1. Seeing and knowing seem to be preferable. I hope there was no haunting...

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  19. And who said pumpkins don't cringe when being carved? :)

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