Ommagio Kerouac

carlosfleitas@netgate.com.uy

Late that night I was meditating. Dragging my mind with my mantra. Climbing the heights of the Path. Could not focus. Full blackout. Dogs outside. Party upstairs. Horn next door. Brother indoors. The city's jam session. No silence. No voidness. So I hit the phone and Jack is online. Tell me the way. "Try a shortcut. Martinis will do". So I did. And wrote:


Two martinis:
forgot my mantra
enlightenment at last

No Mc for lunch
run out of dollars
pickpocket downtown

The dog next door
is eating the roast beef
while he plays the horn

The cat
missed the target
my turn now

Dark stormy clouds
better unpack
the Scrabble.

Top of the building
a dove was shaking
afraid of height.

At last nirvana
detachment for life
(except for Tokaj)

After the shower
the rush
to buy an umbrella

Wet shoes
a love night
with Tylenol

Winter wind
blew off my hat
and my next haiku

Koan:
can you reach satori
having a tooth ache?
after bankruptcy?

at the harbor
as sailboats rock gently
my dog yawns

a group of rocks
at seashore
just that

so long kigo
so long haiku
lilacs have bloomed

full yellow moon
my cat is busy eating
his bowl of tuna

at the yard
the scent of roses
don't hush mosquitoes

tac tac
toc toc
my pizza at last!


Carlos Fleitas
25 june 2001
carlosfleitas@netgate.com.uy