the black cat
returns its coat
— empty mall
.
air guitar —
nothing for sale at
the empty mall
.
empty mall —
the same voices
always inaudible
.
after the bomb
two swallows fledge
in the empty mall
.
every
face
in
the
empty mall
moon rocks
.
the empty mall
promises nothing
for everyone
.
zombies speculate
about their origins
in the empty mall
.
every storefront
in the empty mall —
a mouth
.
empty mall —
I take the pills
I promised to take
.
everyone arriving
at the empty mall
gets an empty balloon
.
further into
the empty mall
than I ever meant to go
.
a glass case
with a heartbeat
at the empty mall
.
sunrise
burns a hole in the wall —
empty mall
.
empty mall
so many
molecules
.
the phases of the moon
turn sour
I walk on tiptoe
with your memory
through the empty mall
.
a cloud of radiation
dissipates —
empty mall
.
empty mall —
a herd of nameless animals
in housewares
.
empty mall —
having our souls inspected
in the fountain
.
the general shouts his name
to the crowd
in the empty mall
.
the empty mall
is it me here
or another girl
with burning hair
.
Red Dragonfly 
If I could write like this. I would be very VERY satisfied 🙂
Thanks so much, redplace.
wow. searing intensity, Melissa.
thanks Susan. 🙂
Stunning, I really really like it!
Thanks much, Eve!
a really nice series, Melissa. Quite a spooky place this empty mall … As you might know 😉 I really like serial stuff. It’s creates a space and a world to be explored and this you do very well indeed. Inspirational.
Thanks, Johannes, so glad you like it… yes, I don’t really know where this mall came from or exactly what’s going on in there but it does haunt me.
love these Melissa . . . that heartbeat in a glass case . . . much to return to
–Peter
empty mall escalators to another level
Thanks Peter, would love to see more of what you make of the empty mall…
great, Melissa. the cumulative effect is overwhelming, with many glorious moments along the way.
Thanks, Bill. 🙂
You seem to combine the notion of people shopping for something more than what the material world can offer, thus that kind of emptiness at the heart of the American shopping experience, with an equal awareness and compassion for malls left empty from disasters such as The Great Japan Earthquake. Tremendous depth. Thank you so much, Melissa.
Thanks so much, Donna. When I started writing this series I actually wasn’t sure what the epithet would be for the mall but when I came up with “empty” I knew I’d struck a vein.
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These are wonderful- lots to think about and return to. First immediate favorite was the third one,but then others came to the so called top – as the mind turns,I guess. And that’s the beauty of it…
shopping
for myself
at the empty mall
Thanks as always,Melissa. Inspirational and so open.
Thanks so much, Mary. I’m fond of that third one myself. I like your contribution as well.
I return
wow. nothing short of wow.
in this empty mall
you once again lead. me. to a place I never knew I could exist in before you spoke.
way cool. stunningly way cool. and way beyond. wow.
nothing short of way wow. beyond.
Wow yourself, Wrick. 🙂 Thank you.
Sometimes I’ll have the phrase “incessant rain” (we get a lot of rain around here) in my head and it seems every other haiku out of me for awhile is based on the way that phrase works on me, moment to moment. I’ve always found it very instructive about my frame of mind and the many different aspects of myself that come clear as it meets various situations in my life. But I never had a sequence like this one, Melissa…. it’s great!
Thanks for the appreciation, Merrill.
For a while last year I was writing lots of “[insert name of season] rain” haiku. Rain is very evocative.
Wow indeed – that’s about all I can come up with, Mel. Another triumph 🙂
Aw, thanks, Ash. 🙂
empty mall
the lights seem so much
brighter
much love…….
Love to you, Gillena! Thanks for this ku — I kept trying to come up with something about the lights in the empty mall but failed!
Hrm, Not the best post unfortunately. Sorry to be so blunt! You should try some Norwegian carrot cake ( gulrotkake ) to cheer you up instead.
Don’t mind if I do, thanks — carrot cake is my favorite. Much tastier than spam.
I was a bit surprised (by the topic not your writing, which I love) that I liked many of these. My favorite is this:
further into
the empty mall
than I ever meant to go
But I chuckled aloud (my boys’ obsession) at this one:
zombies speculate
about their origins
in the empty mall
Yes, a lot of these were just me having fun…
I could tell and am glad to see it. Sometimes I find I’m too serious about my writing and don’t write as well for it. Balance…in everything is so difficult. As to the zombies, my boys would say they should contemplate their demise rather than origins. I’ve got one boy (not zombie, at least, not most of the time) who is convinced he last as long as Chuck Norris in the zombie apocalypse.