River Boulders [Haiku]

Photograph of a green pool surrounded by boulders in Taiwan's Taroko Gorge.
boulder-strewn gorge:
what ancient waters could move
what now can't be budged?

Guardian [Kyōka]

Photograph of a Guardian Lion (Fu Dog) at a temple on Elephant Mountain near Taipei, Taiwan.
some swear guardians
come to life -- dancing through
the temple yard...
but only Autumn nights, and
after a calabash of wine.

Under the Bridge [Haiku]

Monochrome photograph of a bridge taken in Taipei, Taiwan on a cloudy day.
under the bridge
rain's chaos doesn't vanish:
ripples spread; drips plop.

Cloudy Sky [Haiku]

Photograph of Chihkan Tower in Tainan, Taiwan.
look up: cloudy skies
from the upper story,
blot green yard from mind.

Yellow Blossom [Haiku]

yellow blossoms
herald the Spring:
fragrance spreads the news.

Ships at Anchor [Haiku]

Photograph of Kaohsiung Harbor in south Taiwan.
ships in harbor,
anchored fore and aft,
await the typhoon.

The Temple That Never Closes [Haiku]

Photograph of the Taoist Temple / Cultural Center at Kaohsiung's Central Park.
the streets are dark --
even streetlamps rest -- but
light spills from the temple.

Red Maple [Tanka]

early Spring seed pods
of Red Maple hold tight
- patiently —
til one day in late Spring:
they’ll drop, spin, and fly.

Fogless Fog [Haiku]

white blossoms 
seen through still bare trees:
looks like fog, sans fog.

Alone in the Cold [Haiku]

solitary duck
huddles with itself,
against the cold.