thick darkness . . .
the poison toad
not singing

the dance of
kelp and ashes . . .
elm trees

your sadness . . .
the fallen stars
of morning

elephant grass . . .
can a butterfly eat
a heron?

late night . . .
an old man cradling
autumn

and the moon . . .
squatting in a
still pond

cracked earth . . .
the last words of
dry leaves

deep morning . . .
a chorus returning
to slumber

they cannot
see, the boatmen . . .
heaven's river

above and
below the clouds . . .
summer dreams