“Barter” by Sara Teasdale [w/ Audio]

Posted on by
Reply 
Life has loveliness to sell,
     All beautiful and splendid things,
 Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
     Soaring fire that sways and sings,
 And children's faces looking up
 Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
     Music like a curve of gold,
 Scent of pine trees in the rain,
     Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
 And for your spirit's still delight,
 Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
     Buy it and never count the cost;
 For one white singing hour of peace
     Count many a year of strife well lost,
 And for a breath of ecstasy
 Give all you have been, or could be.

Water Lilies [Haiku]

Posted on by
2 
water lilies,
 in the early morning sun,
  stand tall & proud.

DAILY PHOTO: Little Corner Temple, Bangalore

Posted on by
Reply

Four Seasonal Haiku of Masaoka Shiki [w/ Audio]

Posted on by
1

SPRING

on wet feet,
 the sparrows hop
  down the hall.

SUMMER

the owl naps,
 and dreams of a
   summer grove.

AUTUMN

sunny autumn day:
 smoke from something burning
  rises skyward.

WINTER

a snowy night;
 the sound of bamboo
  rustling.

PROMPT: Ban

Posted on by
Reply

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

I would ban the word ban because banning is not a thing that should exist. It is not an impulse one should have.

Autumn Gold [Haiku]

Posted on by
Reply 
gold-sash Buddha
 sits under Fall colors,
  watching leaves drop.

DAILY PHOTO: Chiang Mai Street Art

Posted on by
1

Hide Your Light [Kyōka]

Posted on by
2 
the rising sun
 hides behind winter trees
  as a fat kid
 hides behinds a fence post, 
 fooling no one.

“Night Rain” by Bai Juyi [w/ Audio]

Posted on by
2 
Chirp of an early cricket. Silence.
 The lamp dies then flares up again.
 Night must be raining outside the window:
     plink, plink on the banana leaves.

Translation: Barnstone, Tony and Ping, Chou. 2005. The Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry: From Ancient to Contemporary. New York: Anchor Books.

PROMPT: Challenge

Posted on by
4

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

I couldn’t possibly say. I make no claims to clairvoyance. Life happens. Sometimes the complicated things go smoothly and the simple things frustrate.