Monsoon Mountains [Haiku]

rocky landscape:
under gray clouds as far as
eyes can see.

“A Man Said to the Universe” by Stephen Crane [w/ Audio]

A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

Strong Bow [Haiku]

a hilltop tree,
bowed as if wind-shaped,
won’t budge for a breeze.

Brief Respite [Haiku]

a butterfly 
lounges in the sun;
and then is gone.

Sunflowers & Amaranth [Senryū]

sunflowers look up
& follow the sun;
while amaranth bows.

“The Very Self” by Walter de la Mare [w/ Audio]

Clear eyes, beneath clear brows, gaze out at me,
Clear, true and lovely things therein I see;
Yet mystery, past ev'n naming, takes their place
As mine stay pondering on that much-loved face.

Lush & Stony [Haiku]

stony ground:
lush grass grows
in every divot.

“Gliding O’er All” by Walt Whitman [w/ Audio]

Gliding o'er all, through all,
Through Nature, Time, and Space,
As a ship on the waters advancing,
The voyage of the soul -- not life alone,
Death, many deaths I'll sing.

Lily Ring [Haiku]

ring of lily pads:
crowd around where the frog
plopped into pond.