The Perils of Watching One’s Step [Tanka]

looking down
from blue skies and sparse clouds 
my next look up
the ceiling has lowered
and rain is on its way

DAILY PHOTO: Evergreens & Mountains, Karakol NP

Taken in Karakol National Park in 2019

DAILY PHOTO: Mountain Creek

Taken in Himachal Pradesh in June of 2015

DAILY PHOTO: Salkantay Trail Snack Shack

Taken on the Salkantay Trail in Peru around 2010

POEM: Evergreens

Evergreens line the trail,
transporting me to a place --
higher and harder --
where one might expect trees
that refuse to yield for seasons.

DAILY PHOTO: Himachali House

Taken in Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh in June of 2015.

DAILY PHOTO: Kashmiri Creek Bed

Taken on the Naranag-Sonamarg Trek in August of 2016

DAILY PHOTO: Little House on the Himalayan Prairie

Taken in Great Himalayan National Park in 2015

POEM: Teahouse

to be poured steaming tea
from a dented kettle,
in a wooden building,
hanging at the mountain's edge,
at the end of a long day's journey,
has a special spirit-raising force 

DAILY PHOTO: Andean Scene

Taken in southern Peru about ten years ago