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Thursday 7 January 2010

Haiku # 8


Ancient law invoked:

disturbing the peace of the dead -

for spitting on his mother's corpse

12 comments:

Rachel Fenton said...

A very intriguing little poem, Dave. I like the abstract beginning contrasted with the strong imagery in the last line.

Bee said...

I cannot help but wonder at the inspiration!

Kass said...

...and I can't help but wonder what the invocation is. Is it that you CAN disturb the dead? Maybe ONLY by spitting?

Friko said...

ancient law?
does that mean I have to spit on the dead?

Nasty image, whatever way round. I hope mother spits back.

Tabor said...

I also wonder at how this imagery came into your mind.

steven said...

ouch!!! that's a zinger dave. well done!!! steven

Barry said...

He who spits last spits best. Too bad he didn't know about that ancient law.

I take it there was a little dysfunction going on in this family.

Harlequin said...

also not a little ironic !

Anonymous said...

Wow! David, I haven't visited for a while and what a post! Mmm? I'm still thinking. Ancient Law? dead? spitting? What train of thought inspired this little piece. I'd be really interested to know.

Dave King said...

Thanks all
The inspiration was a paragraph in the Times (I think) about a court case in Switzerland. The man had apparently been abused as a child. He spat on his mother's corpse and was arrested, charged, and fined under an ancient law against disturbing the peace of the dead.

Elisabeth said...

Your comment here, Dave reminds me of Albert Camus's L'Etranger. His hero failed to cry at his mother's funeral and was punished accordingly.

Karen said...

Having the last word, I guess.