FOR W.VA. DAY: Poem from Sal Buttaci, and some cat haiku too
W.VA. SCENE: Nitro-St. Albans Bridge, photo by Vic Burkhammer
I requested some light-hearted cat haiku, and Sal Buttaci obliged. Thanks Sal!
He also sent a West Virginia Day poem that’s charming:
CELEBRATING WEST VIRGINIA DAY
I can’t say born and bred
in this mountain state
the way my wife Sharon
can trace her roots
centuries back before
West Virginia
became another star
in the fabric of our flag.
I was Brooklyn-born,
New York-/New Jersey-raised,
but one day in the 1950s
I saw the light on a visit
to Beckley, WV, and swore
one day I’d be back for good.
Who knew how prophetic
those words would be!
This is God’s Country,
land of the rolling mountains,
home to good people of faith,
patriots everyone.
I am proud to breathe
the air of this great state.
And not a day goes by
I don’t thank God
for giving me a preview
of heaven right here on earth,
letting me walk these streets,
my hand in the hand of Sharon,
blessed like angels and saints
who walk celestial roads,
happy God joined us and set us down
in the beauty of this almost heaven.
#
(C) 2008 Salvatore Buttaci
* * *
As for the cat poems, Sal says:
“I just wrote these three cat haiku for your site. Being a traditionalist when it comes to haiku, I kept to the 5-7-5 syllable count, the allusion to a season, and an attempt at a greater truth, all told in the present tense.
“I hope you enjoy them.”
Do indeed.
THREE HAIKU
ABOUT CATS
1
Paws unravel yarn
on a summer night beneath
twin yellow feline moons.
2
Fall leaves race like mice
helter skelter down the road,
Tom Cat in pursuit.
3
Tabby’s tail keeps time
wagging a pathway in snow.
The seconds purr by.
#
© 2008 Salvatore Buttaci
***
Click here to send your original, light-hearted haiku to MountainWord. Haiku tend to be about nature and include a season word, but not necessarily.
Or call in and leave haiku on my voicemail too at (304) 348-5184.
I’m also looking for poems about what it’s like to be a West Virginian. MountainWord will continue to collect and share these poems ad infinitum, if you’ll send them.
And, in the spirit of my recent video about Shirley Klein, I’m collecting poems about what it’s like to be disabled.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Nice, Sal. So glad transplanting “took” so well.
Doris
June 21st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
How great it is to hear someone gift us “born and bred” West Virginians with such a wonderful poem that feels like a compliment at the same time it reassures that all do not share the negative stereotypes of our wonderful state!! I nominate Sal for honored West Virginian status!
June 21st, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Sal wanted to post a response, but couldn’t make it work for some reason, so here it is (he e-mailed it to me):
Vic,
I tried to send a reply to someone who left a comment about me at your site, but I wasn’t able to. This was my reply:
Jill,
I accept that nomination! I love West Virginia and wouldn’t trade it for any other state, and I’ve lived in a few. Despite the untruths bandied about by out-of-staters disillusioned with their superiority, West Virginians have manners, respect God and country, and are always ready to lend a hand. Who can ask for more? I consider myself graced to be in their company, starting with my wife Sharon who hails from McDowell County.
Sal
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 am
Sal, I love the lines “fall leaves race like mice”, “the seconds purr by”, and “twin yellow feline moons”.
Your audio was nice too. Reminded me of listening to a bedtime story.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Sharon and Sal.
Great reading. Sal keep up the good work. Miss you in Garfield, N.J. A great writer and a wonderful teacher. All the students miss you and love you.