I returned to Hollyhock in 1997. These Haiku were written on July 7th during gusty winds and intermittent rain.
Tattered and threadbare
The great tree's lower branches
Like cast-off clothing
A man cannot bend
This huge sideways tree-trunk, yet
It curves up itself
Firs run their fingers
Through storm-gale's billowing hair -
Ferns cling to the ground.
Four scarlet mushrooms
After rain, under cedar
Three open, one closed
Red mushrooms so bright
I almost miss their neighbors
Subdued scaly brown.
Thistle-purple puffs
Float like ducks on an ocean
Of waving green leaves.
Sanctuary Under Construction
Smell of linseed oil
Bare wires jut from stucco walls
Cedar window seat
Curls of golden hair
Behind sanctuary post -
Will she smile at me?
The surf's roar, the breeze, The rustling of countless leaves - The whirr of a grouse.
Old apple tree looks
Scabrous and twisted, dying -
Young peach leaves so green.
Copyright ©1997,2020 Howard A. Landman
Energy and Time 