Wednesday, August 31, 2016

August 31: Chipmunk

Sunflower seed husks
scattered at Buddha's feet--
chipmunk's offering.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

August 30: Zucchini season

I feel sorry for
the enormous zucchini
left on the sidewalk.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Sunday, August 28, 2016

August 28: Late August

On the way home
I pick up corn on the cob
and barely budding mums.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

August 27: Cicada

Backyard, late summer--
learning a new kind of music
from cicadas.

Friday, August 26, 2016

August 26: Night out

Good pizza downtown.
We walk home in the dark
in view of Mars, Saturn.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

August 25: At the baseball game

Under the ballpark lights
a single white moth
flutters through the infield.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

August 24: Paper thin

Our cat chases a moth
around the backyard.
The heart is that fragile.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

August 23: Solace of crickets

awake early
even with earplugs in
soothing chorus of crickets

Monday, August 22, 2016

August 22: Prey

Shrew in the cat's mouth
has such a cute little tail.
We let it escape.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

August 21: Overheard

We can only hear it--
osprey keening in the fog
far from its nest.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

August 20: Berry-picking

ripe blackberries falling
into my stained fingers
words from your lips
 

Friday, August 19, 2016

August 19: Late season

No more birdsong
up on the mountain,
just one whining vireo.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

August 18: Dawn patrol

For how much longer--
the calls of wild geese
flying upriver at dawn?

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

August 17: Sturgeon Moon

Rising at the end of our street
veiled by clouds
fat full moon--what a tease!

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

August 16: Racket

First thing this morning
we never figured out
why the crows were so loud.

Monday, August 15, 2016

August 15: Mid-August

Deadheading the last
of the day lilies
to a chorus of crickets.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Saturday, August 13, 2016

August 13: Summer Olympics

Rainy day indulgence:
hours of Olympics,
cat asleep at my side

Friday, August 12, 2016

August 12: Meteor shower

More falling stars tonight
than acorns falling
on the neighbor's roof.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

August 11: Summer fog

Thick morning fog--
slowly a cardinal appears,
slowly the head clears.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

August 10: End of day

dusk and rain falling
a single mourning dove
flying to its roost

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

August 9: Lawn songs

Crickets making their music--
every now and then
I pause and listen.

Monday, August 8, 2016

August 8: River of Heaven

Night of falling stars--
how sad the Milky Way
still separates the lovers.
 
Although a month late by traditional reckoning, last night while we were in the backyard watching for falling stars from the Perseid meteor shower, I was thinking about Tanabata. This Japanese festival (also celebrated for centuries in China and Korea) celebrates the one night each year that two lovers, normally kept apart by the Milky Way, are allowed to meet. The two lovers--a weaver and a cowherd--are symbolized by the two bright stars Altair and Vega, visible last night directly over our house on either side of the Milky Way.
 
In this drought
the River of Heaven's low enough
for lovers to cross.
 

Sunday, August 7, 2016

August 7: Clothesline

Bridging two worlds--
a single black ant
traverses the white clothesline.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

August 6: Rainbow's end

finally some rain
two red lobster boats shining
end of the rainbow
 
Owls Head harbor tonight
 

Friday, August 5, 2016

August 5: Already

Sudden realization
that I'm hearing crickets
and what that means.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

August 4: Alarm

Awakened by crows
alarmed by an intruder
or perhaps that was joy.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

August 3: Drought

river so low now
we barely hear water
just a kingfisher

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

August 2: Thinking of Basho

One of the classic haiku poet Basho's most famous poems:
 
old pond--
frog jumps in
splashing sound
 
Here's my response, after spending the day at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens admiring the water lilies (and many frogs) in the small ponds they've crafted there:
 
shallow garden pond--
enough lily pads
to hold up all the frogs
 

Monday, August 1, 2016

August 1: Ripe

Warm summer night.
We must eat them all tonight--
yesterday's strawberries.