Snake [Lyric Poem]

I saw a snake had made a gnarly bed --
On logs and stones, its length did curl and thread.
Ah, to be comfy on bark's ragged bumps...
I wake up when PJ's wad to a lump.

Cold River [Haiku]

goose at water's edge:
cold river flows around
unmoving legs.

“The Bumblebee” by James Whitcomb Riley [w/ Audio]

You better not fool with a Bumblebee!--
Ef you don't think they can sting -- you'll see!
They're lazy to look at, an' kind o' go
Buzzin' an' bummin' aroun' so slow,
An' ac' so slouchy an' all fagged out,
Danglin' their legs as they drone about
The hollyhawks 'at they can't climb in
'Ithout ist a-tumble-un out ag'in!
Wunst I watched one climb clean 'way
In a jimson-blossom, I did, one day,--
An' I ist grabbed it -- an' nen let go--
An' "Ooh-ooh! Honey! I told ye so!"
Says The Raggedy Man; an' he ist run
An' pullt out the stinger, an' don't laugh none,
An' says: "They has be'n folks, I guess,
'At thought I wuz prejudust, more or less, --
Yit I still muntain 'at a Bumblebee
Wears out his welcome too quick fer me!"

Ibis [Lyric Poem]

The Egyptians found the Ibis sacred.
This must have made the Ibis elated.
I watched one try to push a Heron around;
The unimpressed Heron just stood its ground.

DAILY PHOTO: Autumnal Forest Scenes

Tortoise [Lyric Poem]

Thirty-year-old man buys same-aged tortoise;
Middle-aged tortoise: owner has rigor mortis.
In retrospect, it was a stupid plan;
Clearly, the tortoise should have bought the man.

Wolf [Lyric Poem]

You may think the wolf is all howl --
Interspersed with gravelly growls,
But unlike the dog's nightly riots,
Wolves are remarkably quiet.

Ring-Tailed Lemur [Lyric Poem]

Just listen now to the Ring-Tailed Lemur:
It purrs, howls, and squeaks - but ain't no screamer.
And they're not the kind to rely on might,
But wave smelly tails to have a Stink Fight.

Sleeping Bear [Kyōka]

the sleeping bear
seems at peace, and still does
when its eyes open,
but my mental state - and
my drawers - are quite changed.

“Mulberry Picking” [採桑子] by Ouyang Xiu [w/ Audio]

West Lake is beautiful from a small boat.
Green water wends its way through the lotus,
Sweet grass grows thickly all along the bank,
Faint music wafts from unknown points ashore.

When the wind quits, the Lake is glassy smooth;
The boat is perfectly still for a beat,
Then its movement is betrayed by ripples
And startled waterfowls' furious flapping.

Note: The title “Gathering Mulberry Leaves” was used by Xu Yuanchong for his translation. The Chinese title is: 採桑子 (Cǎi Sāngzǐ)