“Butterflies in Love with Flowers” by Zhu Shuzhen [w/ Audio]

Thousands of willow twigs beyond my bower sway;
They try to retain spring, but she won't stay
For long and goes away.
In vernal breeze the willow down still wafts with grace;
It tries to follow spring to find her dwelling place.
Hills and rills greened all over, I hear cuckoos sing;
Feeling no grief, why should they give me a sharp sting?
With wine cup in hand, I ask spring who won't reply.
When evening grizzles,
A cold rain drizzles.

Translation: Xu Yuanchong [translator]. 2021. Deep, Deep the Courtyard. [庭院深深.] Cite Publishing: Kuala Lumpur, pp. 146-147.

Spring Rain [Haiku]

sweet rain scent, &
sound of spatter on leaves, &
one drop on the face.

Not the Face! [Senryū]

a young skink's
vibrant cobalt blue tail
says, "Not the Face!"

Starry Nights [Verse / Free Verse Mutt]

I’m stunned by all the starry nights
Beyond the sprawling city’s lights:
Swirls made of so many colors —
The dark, the light, middling others.

What eternal infinite
Exists out there between
All those stars?

All the dust and nothingness
Of that cold, unbounded expanse
Dances in the hot shell
Of my skull.

Spanish Moss [Haiku]

Spanish Moss drapes
from the bare branches over
the cool blue river.

DAILY PHOTO: Golden Trumpets

Big City Moon [Haiku]

in the darkness
beyond the big city lights,
a moon looms.

Water Sound [Haiku]

the sound of rain
and thundering waterfalls:
a cat sleeps soundly.

Rainy Day Raft [Haiku]

a tiny frog
on a rain-soaked leaf,
washed away, leaf-n-all.

PROMPT: Weather

What is your favorite type of weather?

Depends on whether I’m outside or inside. If the former, I favor the partly cloudy to sunny range, depending on how brutal or gentle the sun is, respectively. If the latter, I’ve got nothing against a cleansing torrential downpour.