sands shadow

04.30.06

sun shines on sand slants,
brown, red, black grains blend, desert
mountain meets shadow

guard post

04.29.06

deserted guard post
witnesses more snow covered
travelers depart

math book

04.28.06

tattered school text book
passed along generations
sharing equations

like a painting

04.27.06

color dabbed as leaves
each tree varies hue and shade
placed by paint brush strokes

musician

04.26.06

lanky man stands by
sole tree amidst town's stacked rocks
strumming on vina

prayer

04.25.06

hillside monk rolls beads
between fingers soothingly
prays for sun's warm touch

solitary eye

04.24.06

solitary eye
stares into solid blackness
provides only light

solitary eye

04.24.06

solitary eye
stares into solid blackness
provides only light

flare

04.23.06

reaching thin blue streak
flaming from flare propped in tin
can, worn and dented

wash water woman

04.22.06

wash woman walks home
through wash water day's toils
keeps dry beat soles

tea time

04.21.06

monk waits to offer
green spot of tea above sea
ripe fruit refreshment

captivated child

04.20.06

captivated child
hat flaps curl up like dog ear pricks
intent on command

rocks

04.19.06

rock littered terrain
green of grass, grey of stone
regards rider through

snow children

04.18.06

bundled up children
ski, skate and slip in slick snow
giddy with thin air

ladder

04.17.06

ladder rungs lead straight
beyond wall yet its shadow
betrays curvature

storm

04.16.06

midnight blue/black cloud
calls fellows to rage upon
amnesic mountains

grand palace

04.15.06

grand palace greets sun
withdrawn walls and windows' dark
drinks light of new day

meeting

04.14.06

moment of meeting
instruments joining intent
clasped hands held to head

umbrella

04.13.06

under umbrella:
lips drawn, teeth shine, dancing eyes
reflect light in gloom.

moss and monk

04.12.06

crumbling turrets
of temple to moss and monk
white by morning sun

reflected cyclist

04.11.06

reflected cyclist
soggy street of puddled rain
shows only his back

rock ripples

04.10.06

rock ripples and waves
sets centuries in stone cliffs
biding a little town

mask

04.09.06

madman's macabre mask
protrudent eyes, poking tongue
skin red like blood spill

frozen puddle

04.08.06

warm, worn fingertips
greet solid icy surface
releasing trapped air

bird's eye

04.07.06

golden mountain chain
only appears as smooth as sand
when seen from bird's eye

crossers of river

04.06.06

crossers of river
help one another over
angry white water

bad news

04.05.06

concerned crowd gathers
hushed and grave faces intent
on hearing bad news

delirious monk

04.04.06

delirious monk
practices own martial arts
delighting himself

stone marker

04.03.06

directions chiseled
into path's stone, denoting
"you're nowhere but here."

many flames flicker

04.02.06

many flames flicker
melting wax which holds them safe
none brighter than next

wind's touch

04.01.06

among tattered flags
monks stand short against tall poles
relishing wind's touch

sanskrit scriptures

03.31.06

students of scrolls sit
scan sanskrit scriptures silently
searching for sanity

weight

03.30.06

grandma huddles child
under worn scraps of blankets
child dreams of less weight

lone player hunches

03.29.06

lone player hunches
stance ready to block team's goal
yet ball never comes.

man waits

03.28.06

tucked in life's scattered
collections of trinkets, drums
and tea sets, man waits.

safety of wall

03.27.06

gargoyles watch men
discussing safety of wall
ignoring sky's clouds