Monkey Insight [Kyōka]

langur in a tree
remains still as others flee;
it seems to know
my limitations as well as
its own capabilities.

Trails [Kyōka]

wildlife trail:
a subtle part in the grass;
human trail:
a bald and dusty line..., but
a buck 'd be hell on your rug, too!

Vortex Drop [Tanka]

drifting toward falls,
a leaf twists & pivots
-- as if frantically --
as if to avoid the fall,
then slips over & glides.

Two Rivers Merge [Tanka]

two rivers merge:
the smaller, lighter branch
seems shut out, but
the bigger river moves
onward a lighter shade.

The Dao Keeps Rolling [Tanka]

one character, Dao,
looks like a road that rounds
some great attraction,
but keeps moving onward
to undiscovered country.

Breeze-Free Beat [Tanka]

the eternal flame
lunges this way and that;
then -- for an instant --
it stands symmetrically:
only one breeze-free beat.

Low Light [Tanka]

the color blobs
cast onto floor & wall
by stained glass light
are brightest just before
the sun drops out of sight.

Ancient Landscape [Tanka]

ancient landscape:
boulders, remnants of mountains,
are strewn about;
prehistoric tribes lived here,
and it looked the same for them.

Cherry [Kyōka]

some are made speechless
by falling cherry blossoms,
but -- for others --
speechlessness comes from
a mouthful of the fruits.

Ride by Night [Kyōka]

a little bird,
on a bit of driftwood,
speeds downriver
in the dusky, fading light.
doesn’t it know it can fly?