Stump Gator [Kyōka]

Photograph of a young alligator resting on a stump in the Louisiana bayou, near Slidell.
Gator rests on stump.
but my mind cannot rest.
it's not "gator"
and "stump" in the same place,
but in the same sentence.

Pristine Garden [Kyōka]

A photograph of gardens in the Daereungwon Tomb Complex in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Even in the 
pristine palace garden,
gardeners refuse
to chase one stray, wind-blown leaf
that tumblers over pavers.

Chill Induced Memory [Tanka]

Taken in Fountains Square in Baku, Azerbaijian.
the memory
of an outdoor cafe
at city center
comes to me out of the blue,
on a frigid Winter day.

Calabash Time [Kyōka]

bowl in the right
calabash in the left:
drunkard empties
& then fills his cup --
amid missing time.

Dragonhead [Tanka]

dragonhead
rises up out of a cloud,
over the city.
how many see the cloud,
but not the dragon?

Family Resemblance [Kyōka]

Chinese temple pond:
dragonhead tortoise sculpture.
live turtles swim
and sun in those waters.
do they see the likeness?

Lanterns [Kyōka]

rows of lanterns —
a jack-o-lantern patch —
lights the temple
on a dark, rainy night;
rain splats on a tin roof.

Pillbox Bunker [Tanka]

pillbox bunker from
a war a lifetime ago
sits in a field.
what the farmer must think
as he plants around it.

Worldly Concerns [Kyōka]

Buddha's lap,
a pigeon lands:
a monk shoos
the bird away,
but Buddha didn't mind.

Sleeping Bear [Kyōka]

the sleeping bear
seems at peace, and still does
when its eyes open,
but my mental state - and
my drawers - are quite changed.