DAILY PHOTO: Approaching Annapurna Basecamp

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Cold Mountain [Haiku]

cold mountain:
sound of falling water
iced to silence.

“Refined” [Poetry Style #6] by Sikong Tu [w/ Audio]

Buying fine jade in the springtime,
Enjoying rain song from within a cabin,
A taciturn scholar sits betwixt
Copses of tall, arching bamboo.
Sparse white clouds in a newly clear sky;
Swallows weave 'round trees in pursuit.
Light through leaf casts a green hue on all;
Sound of falling water, thin but near;
Flower petals fall without a sound.
But the man sits unyielding as a mum;
He writes what the scene dictates
To make a pithy book.

NOTE: The late Tang Dynasty poet, Sikong Tu (a.k.a. Ssŭ-k‘ung T‘u,) wrote an ars poetica entitled Twenty-Four Styles of Poetry. It presents twenty-four poems that are each in a different tone, reflecting varied concepts from Taoist philosophy and aesthetics. Above is a translation of the sixth of the twenty-four poems.

Fade to Black [Haiku]

the coral-hued lake
will soon be the inky void
between coastal lights.

DAILY PHOTO: Chobe River Scenes

Summer Sunset [Senryū]

harsh summer sun sets:
baboon troops exit the woods,
"Yeah, you'd better run!"

The Lingering Fall [Haiku]

winter wind gust...
[a pause,] a few leaves flutter
slantwise to earth.

Bee and Butterfly [Haiku]

bee & butterfly,
drawn to the same fragrant bloom,
work in harmony.

Yellow Field [Haiku]

a yellow field 
stands warm & bright, even
under rain clouds.

Five Seasonal Poems of Miura Chora [w/ Audio]

NEW YEAR

New Year's Day:
the ancient voice of a
nightingale.

SPRING

idyllic nights
and quiet days:
spring rains.

SUMMER

cold water, and
a couple of rice cakes:
it's summertime.

AUTUMN

morning glories
are tousled by
Autumn winds.

WINTER

lingering wind
and snow fall
upon me.