Three by 3 of December 2020-February 2021 reprised Scruples, numbers 7 thru 9. As promised, there’s more to come! Numbers 10 thru 12 are a continuation, along with readings of two of them. (Author’s note: number 10 was originally posted March-May 2016. The reprise is slightly edited in terms of format and word choice).
All told: “The idea of scruples has to do with ethics and morality: what is right and wrong. Scruples are a kind of moral compass that lets you know what’s right.” (https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/scruples )
10.
Today was meant for me
to find a starfish with seven arms, another
map stowed in a bottle,
a mixed bag of old coins…
The best beachcombing comes
after a storm;
as soon as the tide lies low,
more and more
flotsam shows up…
Whatever does can make
any day’s luck good
or bad… sometimes both.
11.
Honey—a bunch of Huns
is heading this way—
astride the mountain road,
raging at full gallop.
While I fetch the wagon,
take a last, fast look
around—make the load
good and light.
Those fiends won’t find
a soul to greet them,
much less do their bidding.
If all goes well, we’ll ferry
the river by dark,
hide on the safe side…
Elsewhere, only a miracle
can save our home,
sweet home, from the likes of them.
12.
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder?
How much depends
on the way it’s concocted—
in a half filled glass, with
or without water, one
to three lumps of sugar.
As for when, anise tastes
bitter from the first sip…
After a few more, spirits
fresh out of the bottle
serve memories right, stir up
mixed feelings.
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