clouds glide in
like a naval armada,
only to loiter.
the sky is gray,
but no rain comes --
just the threat.
the threat wears thin --
unheeded until
thunder cracks!
a man shakes his fist
at the dense clouds:
a torrent falls.
after harvest
cows stubble graze, &
egrets hunt in the wake.
cloud ceiling,
almost touched atop a hill,
parts in the distance.
prow points seaward
in widening channel;
geese pass overhead.
Spring’s arrival
brings lush, green grass;
livestock keeps it trim.
tree, wrapped in vines,
shape broken & trunk hidden;
an attempt to blend?
mountain trail:
kicked stone sails, then drops...
out of sight.
hermit climbs the hill:
clouds mask his ascent,
obscure the cavemouth.
unfurled buds,
not drooped to gravity,
tell Spring’s story.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 