Bougainvillea Greetings [Tanka]

bougainvilleas
beside the grand temple steps
 have dropped petals,
but it seems the gardners
never let them hit the ground.

Urban Jungle [Kyōka]

in a city park,
muscular baobabs &
wiry strangler figs
provide residences
for the fierce squirrels.

Cat Dandy [Kyōka]

cat on a porch rail
preens between naps
 to look good
for the twenty waking
 minutes of its day. 

Depreciation [Tanka]

in the morning,
 a fresh blanket of snow
  makes the world look new.
 by day's end, it's well-trodden:
  a car driven off the lot.  

Gutted Cathedral [Kyōka]

the old church stands:
proud, tall, and hollowed.
when it’s rebuilt,
will it be another church?
or will it be a shopping mall?

Snail Amore: a Kyōka

the curious child 
remains unbaffled by the
complexities
of snail amore:
thinking the lead a tow-snail.

Towering Temples [Kyōka]

towering temples
 poke clear of the canopy:
  to be seen
 by god above, or not to
 be seen by people below? 

Seed Spitting Deity [Tanka]

morning offering
 with a melon wedge;
  a bas-relief face
 seems to have bitten a chunk,
  and is prepared to spit seeds.

Beyond Sight [Kyōka]

in the mountains,
 beyond every sightline,
  a potential top...
 but - more likely -
  just more to climb.

Peahen [Kyōka]

peahen treads softly
to avoid scaring insects.
people plod around,
taking the bird's picture.
the peahen thinks, "Really!"