




volcanic rock
at the sea’s edge; where
lava met its match

cornstalk beetle
bigger around than the stalk:
bad at hide-n-seek

clouds conform
to a volcanic cone
like a blanket

a dragonfly lands
on a lotus seed head
without making sway

the monkey sage sits —
not napping, but looking so,
on the temple wall




an orb weaver
sets its trap by trail’s edge, &
catches one gawker

a sunflower
— deformed and stunted —
still brightens my day

a desert rose:
its base stout & misshapen;
its blooms elegant