A 'haint' is-- or rather, was -- a ghost in certain U.S. dialects. Interestingly, when I was looking for the exact definition, I ran across a site called CyberHobo. Seems hobos used to use 'haint.' Don't have the address at hand, but it's probably http://www.cyberhobo.com. Might find it fun to check it out. {Now I'm hung up on the spelling of ciber/cyber. Always preferred the latter, but everyone seems to use the former. Always the different drummer...:)}

R   a   i   n   !!

I love the rain that is falling tonight.
May even fall for her thunder.
The dark she dragged in before its time
took the spotlight off of trouble
– a ‘haint’ Webster could not define
that rattled chain, then settled on the whine
of an unoiled fan, scattering feelings
in every corner. Long, snaking dust-vines
of unease caught in scarily dangling blades
as ghouls scrawled my mistakes on the ceiling
then India-inked debts I neglected to pay
while the sun cheerily refused not to shine
on a creep torturing my cat –
talk about shades of the past --
and another slithering and raspberrying along-side
a gruesome affair and almost-as-bad hat
rumor says I paid for. But thunder yells HEY
and the sun hightails it to hide its light
Now rain is tapping and pounding her way
to a better, cleaner fright.

Don’t expect miracles, do we.
Just a little escape at night.





(c) Phyllis Jean Green, 2003
All Rights Reserved