The Middle Path

White and Gray

2012-01-31T23:27:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2012-01-31T19:44:00.001-08:00

pink camellia
petals doubled against cold
I glance and scurry

Monochromatic

2012-01-30T22:35:00.000-08:00

I am writing from the margins

Looking toward the center

There the words crowd one another

Letters chosen or rejected

I am watching nouns adjust to verbs

And prepositions embrace difference

Some words joined to express something

Undefinable although I understand

Meaning intention attitude

A turn of phrase or pages

I am turning to look back

Reconsideration regret

The letters black and blunt against paper

While the photographs tell

The story in sharp contrast

And shades of gray

Riding the Tide

2012-01-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

we fling ourselves against the foam
or sidewalks under clouds
the clear air like water masks
our goldfish movements
we hurry forward
forgetting nothing
except the memory our
fine
silken
gills

Haiga

2012-01-28T22:26:00.000-08:00

fog in the morning
we gather in the Café
then we face the day

Corbusier

2012-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

“Chairs are architecture and sofas are bourgeois”.

Transport

2012-01-27T21:27:00.001-08:00

taking the train
not the "A" train
or the "FFV"
it's
light
rail

Cat Friday

2012-01-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

Haiga

2012-01-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

nose pressed against
we scan shelves for favorites
there's no chocolate

Haiga

2012-01-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

this photo taken
in one moment this morning
the geese are calling

Late

2012-01-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

these roses in pink
profusion as I walk
I don't know if it's late
or early though
this poem is

Rainy After

2012-01-23T22:56:00.001-08:00

Rainy After, a photo by vajra on Flickr.

when the soft rain falls
the tables reflect the sky
we are warm indoors

Haiga

2012-01-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

in the sweet cold rain
roses raise their sweet red heads
I thirst for fragrance

Haiga

2012-01-21T21:48:00.001-08:00

clouds are blown away
streets scoured clean by wind
and rain is waiting

Eating Crow: Tasty and Profitable

2012-01-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Eating Crow: Tasty and Profitable

Haiga

2012-01-20T20:10:00.001-08:00

Barred, a photo by vajra on Flickr.

we bar the windows
to stop thieves from entering
places no one goes

Cat Friday

2012-01-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

Light Going Down

2012-01-19T22:57:00.000-08:00

he was speaking of death
if he would know it was
over or know or see
others
he didn't know that
we are already there
in little chunks
every day
but on that last day
we
finally
and at last
know

White Light

2012-01-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

Winter
light
Rose
white
rose
in winter
light
Winter
rose
White
light

Frost Tonight

2012-01-17T19:54:00.001-08:00

frost tonight
and last
cold has descended
rain is coming
while the red
red rose is blooming

Clarity

2012-01-16T19:14:00.001-08:00

a time when the light shines
so clearly you think it had warmed the air
but crystallin like snowflakes the day
so cold it might shatter
but bright
so bright
bright
light

Transport

2012-01-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

as on a bus
as in a train
as by a bike
as on a barge
as next to Sam
as under the Bridge
as in
as with
as of
love

Haiga

2012-01-14T20:16:00.001-08:00

we're watching football
while drinking creamy coffee
our favorite wins

Cat Friday

2012-01-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

Double

2012-01-13T21:30:00.001-08:00

where you stand depends
on where you sit cushions
or hard metal chairs
trying to explain
when only your face and not
your words will suffice

Haiga

2012-01-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

dove's wings or lily
clear water overflowing
today is dancing

Collection

2012-01-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Haiga

2012-01-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

there will be falls
steps shuffled hesitation
breakage in moments

Haiga

2012-01-10T22:42:00.001-08:00

we lost it last night
everything we wanted
in the dark movie

Haiga

2012-01-09T22:09:00.001-08:00

warm Winter sunshine
some take their dark jackets off
others put on smiles

Haiga

2012-01-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

tonight the full moon
through the soft folds of grey fog
diamond in silk

Amaryllis

2012-01-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

white amaryllis
blooming in the warm winter
somewhere there is snow

Epiphany

2012-01-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

this is the night
the Magi came
from the East they came
learned wise rich
what did they search for
in the sky
in the dirty streets
in the low hills?
surely a king or god
clothed in gold
or an enlightened being
who would open the starry universe
what they found
a family so poor
only the warm breath of cattle
the steaming dung
and straw for warmth
and a small infant sucking
at his mother's breast
they entered bringing
the scent of spices
and left in wonder

Cat Friday

2012-01-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Winter

2012-01-05T20:03:00.001-08:00

golden sunflowers
in the golden afternoon
poor Midas isn't here

Unseasonable

2012-01-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

the days are unseasonably warm
so warm we wear coats for the calendar
so warm that the camellias
which thrive and bloom
in cold grey mist are
confused
reluctant
fearful
that heat will
brown
curl
stunt
their moist beauty
perhaps January is always
unseasonably warm while we wait for
the cold rain
for February
the green winter

Zeus

2012-01-04T18:52:00.001-08:00

Teebowing

2012-01-04T18:51:00.001-08:00

Winter White

2012-01-03T20:07:00.001-08:00

no snow to fall and freeze
first wonder then worry
about the icy roads or
frozen windshields
we do get Winter's white
in camellia
calla
and plum

Haiga

2012-01-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

sunshine coming down
while pink and amber slowly
embrace the dark night

New Year

2012-01-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

the sun so warm
the sky so high
the hills so green
the bay so blue
the streets so empty
we're winding the stem
so that the spring tightens
everything starts new again
take a breath
then
r
e
l
e
a
s
e

Year's End

2011-12-31T23:12:00.000-08:00

there is no going
out in darkness all is sharp
cold in the moonlight

With So Much

2011-12-30T17:56:00.001-08:00

With so much to regret
the hurried unkindness
the numbing stupidity of the elect
the greed that forgets
Yet we can remember
that joyful tears were shed
simple meals shared
your love that glows like embers

Cat Friday

2011-12-30T15:58:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2011-12-29T17:38:00.001-08:00

heading out to shop
things no one wanted to buy
stop! magnolias!

Haiga

2011-12-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

pink magnolia
early bloom on gray branches
ascetic Winter

Haiga

2011-12-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

the light on the hill
is pink and blue at sunset
then cold as shivers

Words

2011-12-27T15:47:00.001-08:00

Tiny Journals

Endings

2011-12-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

the year has turned toward light
I know that all days are the first
unconstrained by calendars and agendas
this year I measured in small bars of soap
many miles walked
hundreds of photos
words written on paper and air
coffee sipped in cafés
each day changed by light
dawned new whether or no
I noticed it
at first

Christmas

2011-12-25T23:06:00.000-08:00

Morning Mass with we few truants
who avoided the glorious Midnight birth
arriving while clouds still hold
a tinge of pink
listen sleepily to angels and shepherds
and wonder at the meaning of birth
on this cold morning

Christmas Haiga

2011-12-24T22:03:00.001-08:00

we stand in wonder
we have seen the star again
recycling our joy

Stasis

2011-12-23T22:04:00.001-08:00

everyone stopped
engrossed in minutiae
lunch at Cole Café

Cat Friday

2011-12-23T00:20:00.001-08:00

The Year Of Soapy Living

2011-12-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

this year I decided
to use all the soap that
has accumulated over time
from hotels and B&Bs
or soaps I bought a long time ago
and forgot
every day I've used these tiny bars
some smelling of scent I'd like to forget
and others bits of Italy or Napa
each day a day of using and remembering and thrift
and bits of yesterday
in bubbles

Desk

2011-12-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

I sit at my desk
Simply looking at the clean surface
It holds memories of poems
Written dreams pursued
Books and bytes
The computer's light insistent
As the Summer's bee
We wait for the coming light
That lifts the curtains of the night

Waiting For Santa

2011-12-20T20:49:00.001-08:00

we are waiting for Santa
like children counting down the days
until the evening of the night before
perhaps Midnight or early in the morning
we will gather hot chocolate in hand
to open gifts we do not want
and sing carols we do not know
and then sit down at the table
and when we see the faces of those we love
we will know Santa has come

Haiga

2011-12-19T22:27:00.001-08:00

the cat yawns broadly

he doesn't know this photo

is his tomorrow

Haiga

2011-12-18T22:05:00.001-08:00

the sweet cat asleep
and purring against my leg
he's dreaming of mice

Haiga

2011-12-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

gentle dairy cows
eat the grass green against sky
hillsides and blue sky

Late Afternoon

2011-12-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

Late Afternoon

it is later than you think
the sun deceives as it hovers
gold and pink above
Mad River
the air is cold not warm
and the light fades swiftly
the week before Solstice
it is later than you think
it is always later than you think

Cat Friday

2011-12-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

Haiga

2011-12-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

clouds on horizon
gathering darker faster
yet it does not rain

View

2011-12-14T19:17:00.001-08:00

eucalyptus trees
flame like torches in a fire
releasing fragrant
menthol in the air

Files

2011-12-13T16:38:00.001-08:00

last night I dreamed of an England
I never knew where
friends live in villages
fresh and green as those
imagined in shires
that never were
so close to streets
where the Bard walked
and scholars played with words
I never read
o, dream so sweet and fair
I wish I never woke
to such a dry December

Haiga

2011-12-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

eucalyptus trees
fall before the greedy saws
gone their soft fragrance

Tosca

2011-12-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

I have lived for love and art
the strains of music
from St. Francis' open doors
there's no roof to jump from
nor reason yet we shed tears
for the artists
who died minutes before
the revolution and the curtain
falling

Haiga

2011-12-10T21:03:00.001-08:00

the white tablecloths
spread on square wooden tables
dine in luxury

Cat Friday: Me, Too

2011-12-09T16:29:00.001-08:00

Cat Friday, Too

2011-12-09T16:22:00.002-08:00

Cat Friday

2011-12-09T16:22:00.001-08:00

Order

2011-12-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

books in orderly stacks
await the lonely reader
the edge of paper
deckled or smooth to the touch
the covers' bright typography
so many rooms lie hidden
in these pages
the sole necessity
time

John Lennon - Instant Karma!

2011-12-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye

2011-12-08T22:18:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2011-12-08T18:36:00.001-08:00

beside the sidewalk
new tulips fill a bucket
also these daisies

Winter Is Coming

2011-12-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

leaves cling to branches

unwilling to fall into

the chaotic

void of earth and mud

of sidewalks and strangers

fire escapes cling to walls

unwilling to release

the tense

ligaments of steel and wood

of arms and legs

we hold on to each other

unwilling to let go of

the strong

warmth of hands and lips

of you and me

Haiga

2011-12-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

the purple orchid
bends graceful and delicate
behind dirty cups

Haiga

2011-12-05T22:24:00.001-08:00

five cardboard boxes
filled with air and wishes
recycle your dreams

Haiga

2011-12-04T20:10:00.001-08:00

lovely petals
slowly unfurl in the store
it's just a cabbage

Haiga

2011-12-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

evening darkens
chill is in the Autumn air
the stars are brighter

Haiga

2011-12-02T17:04:00.001-08:00

breakfast at Trieste
which we eat at noon because
we always sleep in

Cat Friday

2011-12-02T01:51:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2011-12-01T19:52:00.001-08:00

red leaves swirl and dance
the wind roughly sweeps the street
breathe in the air is clean

Camellia

2011-11-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

white satin petals
brave the cooling evening
they're our only snow

Solitary

2011-11-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

I sit
a book of poems on the table before me
trying to find words
in the silence
he follows me to quote
the television
the same voice I tried to escape
a few moments before
he brings papers from his desk
to the table where I sit
the book in front of me
isn't a large enough clue
to the mystery
I am trying to solve
in solitude

The Minimal Mac

2011-11-29T15:12:00.001-08:00

"The right tool, learned deeply, used when appropriate, no matter how basic, can beat the pants off of “features” any day. Because it isn’t about the tool, or the feature, it is about your ability to use it to achieve the goal at hand. The better you know the tools you have, the less likely you are to seek out replacements for them."

Patrick Rhone. Keeping it Straight, Know Your Tools (via mnmal)

The Minimal Mac

The Cutest Dog Photo...EVER!

2011-11-29T14:07:00.001-08:00

White Rose

2011-11-28T21:11:00.001-08:00

returning from the cemetery
I pass rose bushes
most still have blooms
though the late November
afternoon is too cold for fragrance
and my steps slow from exertion
though before I walk in
my bold green door
I see this
pale white ghost rose

White Bike

2011-11-27T21:38:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2011-11-27T19:16:00.001-08:00

cold Sunday and dark
the kitchen light is warm and bright
short days and long nights

Look Book

2011-11-27T17:41:00.001-08:00

Days After

2011-11-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

Days after holidays
when the sun shines on the cold air
and the only empty tables are
outdoors under the awning
we speak of coffee or
whatever's in the New York Times
we share a recipe for Brussels sprouts
with a stranger while drinking
strong coffee and each other's eyes

Bates

2011-11-26T21:24:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2011-11-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

this liquid amber
green-leafed and flourishing
winter is coming

Cat Friday

2011-11-25T16:50:00.001-08:00

Haiga

2011-11-24T19:51:00.001-08:00

table cleared
dishes clean guests departed
glad it is over

Haiga

2011-11-23T23:49:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner
attention needed today
tomorrow we eat

Preparation

2011-11-22T22:44:00.001-08:00

lines out the door
picking up turkey
yams cranberries butter
sugar
time for a cholesterol
break

Coffee!

Emily Dickinson's Bedroom

2011-11-21T21:23:00.001-08:00

Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Haiga

2011-11-21T20:49:00.001-08:00

a slight cold wind gusts
the dry yellow leaves or red
Autumn's crisp beauty

The Himalayas of my Bookcase

2011-11-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

The Himalayas of my Bookcase