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A warm summer day.
The kayak floats quietly.
The cicadas sing.
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The sun has now set
And not a light can be seen.
What just made that splash?
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The guns are silent.
And the forts have not a soul.
Not in ’61!
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K.M. Hayes is a freelance writer. He lives and works in Gainesville, FL.
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Adam, thank you very much indeed! I'm glad to hear you find the dodo humorous. I think Lewis Carroll may…
Scott, thank you very much for your kind and appreciative comments. I am glad so many of us on this…
Martin, what a generous and inspirational comment. My Muse is dancing with delight and telling me to fetch my pen…
... and I absolutely love your “memento mori” observation. My personified Earth IS whispering of our own mortality. Perhaps the…
Brian, as ever your comments are perceptive and generous and a pleasure to receive. Your close reading of the form…
Well done and very evocative!
What does the ‘61 reference?
1861, American Civil War – Battle of Pensacola. Immortalised, I do believe, in the film ‘Glory’.
I especially liked the first haiku, Mr Hayes. The last one still has me a bit flummoxed, but I’m cogitating.
From my point of view, the final exclamatory line says, “That’s not the way it was in 1861!”
I find the last line of “Nightfall” most interesting, especially because it seems to recall Basho’s frog. But the mystery expands into the night, since on a Florida beach, a splash is unlikely to have been made by a frog. Two frames of reference skillfully brought together!
What a treat of a Haiku trio. My favorite is “Nightfall at Pensacola Beach” simply because of the scene set and the seeming nod to Basho’s frog. Margaret has furthered my enjoyment with her information on the location… I applaud your magnificent closing line. Thank you!