DAILY PHOTO: Elephants Take a Swim

Movement [Haiku]

a barge creeps
out of the fog:
winter river.

DAILY PHOTO: Bamboo Bridges of Vang Vieng

“Nightfall on the Tisza River” by Géza Gárdonyi [w/ Audio]

Up comes the Moon on the river,
Trees and grass quietly quiver.
Near Szeged a wooded island,
Od fishing barque, tied to the land.

By the moonlight, on this barque, old,
Sat a fisherman I am told,
Played a tune as well as he might,
Played it well, well into the night.

On the Tisza, velvet darkness,
Starry sky, the stars numberless,
Spread a shroud studded with diamonds
Radiating starry light fronds.

May have been this very spot, hark!
Right under this rickety barque,
In the very depths of the deep
An ancient king's sleeping his sleep.

His coffin is gold and silver,
Of iron is made its cover.
Up the river is glistening,
Down the ancient king, listening.

Translation by Frank Veszely in: Hungarian Poetry: One Thousand Years. 2023. Friesen Press: Altona, MB, Canada.

Perilous [Haiku]

spider scurries
across sands beside
lapping waters.

The Big Drift [Haiku]

downriver drift;
ferries & fisherman cross
without collision.

DAILY PHOTO: Nam Song Afternoon

River Drift [Haiku]

shapes shift on
metal waters until
darkness wins.

DAILY PHOTO: Adrift on the Nam Song