I
evergreens,
twisted and bent
to gnarled beauty
II
arched bridge
forms a wide eye
with water’s mirror
III
the garden
designed, aligned, and kempt —
nature, but not
IV
peace-filled
by tranquil sights —
soul programmed
V
sitting on grass,
the rocky outcrop
turns island
I
a winter moon
is seen clearly between
breath fog plumes
II
starry skies,
through the tent flap,
herald cold’s bite
III
cold slinks in
once sleep has taken hold,
settling in bone
IV
winter midnight —
sunlight, a distant memory,
or so it feels
V
how bright the moon
in the mid-winter sky —
yet, no heat
I
thundering falls
sing a mind into trance —
timeless sound
II
nearing the falls,
the grand spectacle becomes
a fog wall
III
yamabushi
sit under the cascade —
nails unhammered
IV
seeking earth’s center,
the river drops as far as
land allows
V
a round boulder
sits at the precipice,
refusing to roll
I
a breeze tousles branches
then, in stillness, red leaves
cascade downward
II
hawk and half-moon
in one blue, morning sky
then clouds come
III
pine tree tips
droop flaccidly over
the road
IV
the divine madman
sows havoc, showing neither
reason nor angst
V
too little water
kills the plant; too much water
kills the plant
clouds crawl in,
hiding whole mountains —
i await, “Ta-Da!”
sun comes out,
flash-boiling droplets —
steam breathing
life abounds, it’s
max. occupancy living;
yet, none are seen
plants grow from stone
wall becomes a hedgerow…
but shaggier
elephant ear
leaf is played by the rain
like a mad drummer
I
rocks tumble
as crashing waves erode
the cliff wall
II
at land’s end,
surf punishes the earth —
rocks forgive
III
looking out
to the endless sky
all ‘s unbounded
IV
a bird perched
upon a cliff doesn’t
mull mortality
I
clouds enshroud
mountainous monoliths
faking world’s end
II
gnarled tree
growing from a crack
in worn rock
III
waiting to fall
precarious rock column
stands in rock time
IV
the clouds rise
revealing split rock —
peek-a-boo
V
god’s bonsai
a faint tracing seen
through cloud webs
I
in corn country,
the scent of rain often
outpaced the clouds
II
a slanting rain,
sounding machine-like
pounds the ground
III
with these mean rains,
my invite to outdoors
has been revoked
IV
mossy mountain,
its flipside is dry grass –
yin to its yang
V
hanging droplets
on the fringe of fungus
drip in due time
I
waves bash stone —
volcanic rock walls pocked
a grain at a time
II
crashing sounds —
perfectly formed waves to
sizzling foam
III
beach sweeping
waves push and pull sand
step tales erased
IV
gray skies
the typhoon unseen
but expected
V
wave doubles back
upon hitting the stony shore:
return to sender
I
hold travel plans
like a stinky diaper —
not like a crowbar
II
the mountaintop
is always farther
than it looks
III
sorry Mr. Frost,
the less traveled road
is a deadend
IV
eat local food
cheeseburger in Shangri-la…
never sicker
