DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from Enchey Gompa, Gangtok

Spotless [Common Meter]

The Ladybug of my childhood
 had polka-dots of black,
  adorning the split red shell
   that covered its wings and back.

So, who erased this bug's black dots
 to make it less dice-like,
  making it a Lady in red?
   Said thief can take a hike.

I had so many fine questions,
 but it just flew away.
  Maybe a bug somewhere out there
   has more spots coming its way.

Twisted Petals [Haiku]

twisted petals
 of frangipani blossoms
  stay one when dropping.

DAILY PHOTO: Ho Chi Minh City Hall by Day & by Night

Out of the Box Crocs [Lyric Poem]

To find oneself within a crate -
 packed inside and labeled "Freight"
  seems like the worst that things can get,
   but then I peered out through the slit,
 and what a thing it was to see
  a croc's keen eye stare back at me.
 
It had so many freakin' teeth,
 both on the top and underneath!

I concluded the box 'tweren't so bad.
 To stay a while, I would be glad!

Topsy Turvy World [Haiku]

clouds hang... 
 fixed in pond reflections, 
  or has my mind slowed?

DAILY PHOTO: Zambian Landscapes

Five Wise Lines from Tsurezuregusa by Kenkō

Yoshida Kenkō by Kikuchi Yosai [Date Unknown]

There is much to admire, though, in a dedicated recluse.

Kenkō Yoshida, Essays in Idleness (No. 1)

Going on a journey, whatever the destination, makes you feel suddenly awake and alive to everything.

Kenkō Yoshida, Essays in IdleNess (No. 15)

You can find solace for all things by looking at the moon.

Kenkō Yoshida, Essays in Idleness (no. 21)

Something left not quite finished is very appealing, a gesture toward the future.

Kenkō Yoshida, Essays in Idleness (No. 82)

It’s in easy places that mistakes will always occur.

Kenkō Yoshida, Essays in Idleness (No. 109)

CITATION: Kenkō Yoshida & Kamo no Chōmei. 2013. Kenkō and Chōmei: Essays in Idleness and Hōjōki. London: Penguin. 206pp.