Tag Archives: nature

“Lament I” [感遇一] by Zhang Jiuling [张九龄]

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A lone goose flies in from the sea,
 Not daring to land in water.
 Glimpsing a pair of Kingfisher --
 Nested Three Pearl Tree squatters --
 It asks, "High up in that rare tree
 Of gold spheres, are you not afraid?
 Fancy clothes incur points and jeers
 And those high up are harshly weighed.
 As I roam dark rivers and hills,
 Envious hunters give me chills."

This is the first of the 300 Tang Poems [唐诗三百首] and it is also the first of a quartet of poems. The original poem in Simplified Chinese:

孤鸿海上来， 池潢不敢顾； 
侧见双翠鸟， 巢在三珠树。 
矫矫珍木巅， 得无金丸惧？ 
美服患人指， 高明逼神恶。 
今我游冥冥， 弋者何所慕？

Salmon Skies [Free Verse]

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Sun dips below the hill;
 Light rises off the roof,
 And the lowest clouds
 Glow in salmon hues.

Fuzzy Moon [Haiku]

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moon slips behind 
 thin, wispy clouds —-
  shifting shape.

DAILY PHOTO: Turquoise Waters of Koh Phi Phi

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Racing Darkness [Haiku]

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longtail boat
 putters home at day's end,
  racing darkness.

DAILY PHOTO: Hatnoppharatthara Beach

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BOOKS: “Swimming” by Roger Deakin

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Swimming: Vintage MinisSwimming: Vintage Minis by Roger Deakin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Vintage Minis

This book contains a collection of excerpts from the book Waterlog by Roger Deakin. It’s one volume from a series of short books that contain essays, stories, poems, or book excerpts that is put out by Penguin under the imprint “Vintage Minis.” The book describes the author’s experiences of wild swimming throughout Britain. The description of nature and of the exhilarating experience of wild swimming are beautifully composed, and it’s an all-around pleasant read.

If you’re interested in wild swimming, I’d recommend this book.

View all my reviews

A Rugged Coast [Free Verse]

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Limestone lumps
   Karst columns
 Dot the waters,
   Like ancient wreckage --
      Wrack & ruin
      Slung near & far
      From coastal homelands;
 A landscape torn asunder
      And littered about,
      But beloved for the beauty
         Of its scraggy, weedy
         Weathered rock.

BOOKS: “Wild Thing” by Mike Fairclough

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Wild Thing: Embracing Childhood Traits in Adulthood for a Happier, More Carefree LifeWild Thing: Embracing Childhood Traits in Adulthood for a Happier, More Carefree Life by Mike Fairclough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher Site — Hay House

This short self-help guide aims to encourage adults to recapture some of the bliss-inducing traits of children. Over six chapters, it examines the virtues of play, rule-breaking behavior, imagination, resilience, gratitude, flow, daydreaming, discovery, exploration, and awe.

Each chapter, in true self-help fashion, ends with a bulleted set of practical tips and practices. The book has an Introduction and Afterward, but no other ancillary material.

I felt the book was at its strongest when the author was discussing his personal experiences. Otherwise, the book can dip into the “no-duh” plight common among self-help style books — where it seems to state the obvious without adding depth of insight.

I enjoyed reading this book. It’s a nice, short pep-talk — though it’s unlikely to leave readers with any burning revelations or new insights.

View all my reviews

DAILY PHOTO: Koh Phi Phi from Viewpoint 2

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