~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein. Shelley also wrote: “There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.”

Steampunk happens sometimes. It just happens.

Haiku 9: Steampunk

(by Kristi Garboushian)

1.

19^th-century
mechanics: Mary Shelley’s
gaunt ectoplasm.

Art by Edward Gorey (“Amphigorey Too”)

2.

Inner workings breed
clockwork postmodernism –
no contradiction.

Antique helmet on antique German trunk

3.

Dry leather-bound book
trembling with recovery,
Lovecraftian myth.

Tentacle

4.

Subterranean
yesteryear, macabre air-
ship… gears, cogs, and all.

Antique gears

This was a fun set to write. Venturing into steampunk in my poetic imagination smacks of midlife crisis, perhaps! Finally! Also, I’m still marveling at the unexpectedness of this whole haiku adventure.