a homeless man 
wearing a soiled coat
with shiny coins 
in a dirty hat
on a clean pavement

early morning traffic lights
in the passenger seat –
sparrow song

A brisk wind blows in the darkness of the morning – the hum of commuting traffic competes with the gentle rhythm of waves lapping the foreshore – lights in windows of awakening houses on the surrounding hills of the city ignite slowly – flickering in the silhouette of waving trees – and slowly in the coldness of the harbour’s shadows windows move – gliding out from the city hills into the blackness of the unseen harbour Heads –

the channel ferry's lights
escape the city's glow
this winter morning

morning fog
at the corner
a streetlamp’s aura

outdoor café
a pigeon pecks at crumbs
a cigarette butt

in the shade
a wind chime hangs silent
– sparrows

morning frost
a blackbird hops
boisterously

early morning
across the highway barrier
headlights joust

morning silence
beyond the fog –
what?

rain on my roof
in the conifer
a starling sings

late morning –
a neighbour's light
through winter trees

no wind –
clouds cap
snow-capped hills

early morning
delivery trucks hazard lights –
synchronise

low tide –

a black swan

stands tall

cold rain
under a parked car
a starling shakes its head

a cold wind

sparrows –

fly silent

after the funeral
a cold wind
sweeps the courtyard

swollen river
a gull lands
on a drying rock

on the back of a truck,
workmen dump building debris,
haphazardly –
outside the art gallery

torrential rain
the Peace Lilly
stays calm

mindful stone - 25 Jan 2014

warm breeze
through the window
a fly on each side

mindful stone - 24 Jan 2014

waiting for crumbs
a one legged pigeon
leans into the wind

mindful stone - 23 Jan 2014

clear blue sky

more prominent than the sun

the noon day moon 

mindful stone - 20 Jan 2014

birds 

silence

RUMBLE

RATTLE
<<< E A R T H Q U A K E >>>

silence

birds 

mindful stone - 19 Jan 2014

the full moon
its glow suppressed
by the greedy clouds

mindful stone - 18 Jan 2014

sheltered from wind,
a branch twitches
with playful sparrows

mindful stone - 17 Jan 2014

walking down
the broken escalator
feeling
for the next
                  

                   step
   

mindful stone - 14 Jan 2014

sign on the window
of a closed print shop:
"shop for lease"

I stand beside it,
reading from 
a smartphone

mindful stone - 13 Jan 2014

The
s    l     o      w    
w       a        l          k
on the first day back
to work
this New Year

mindful stone - 9 Jan 2014

A cold wind,
he wears a t-shirt,
shorts,
sunglasses,
determined –
to enjoy the summer

mindful stone - 8 Jan 2014

the young thrush
pokes it head through my back door,
showing no fear,
yet I fear for its innocence,
the innocence of nature

mindful stone - 7 Jan 2014

hanging washing out
with eyes on the clouds
to avoid
another rinse cycle

mindful stone - 6 Jan 2014

a break in the rain
the peaceful chirp of birds -
constant drone of lawnmowers

mindful stone - 5 Jan 2014

one man
one fly
one room
one summer night –

zzzzzz –BUZZZZZZ – zzz – BUZZZZZZ – BUZZZZZZ – BUZZZZZZ

mindful stone - 4 Jan 2014

no children’s laughter
on the street,
no birds on high branches –
no mountains today

mindful stone - 3 Jan 2014

new moon –
the powerful wind
travels unseen

mindful stone - 2 Jan 2014

gail force winds,
the loudest noise
still -
a dripping tap

mindful stone - 1 Jan 2014

New Year’s Day
a thrush stares at me
quizzically

mindful stone - 14 January 2013

calm harbour

sliced in half

by the rain

mindful stone - 13 January 2013

on the television news,

bush fires in Australia;
outside –
heavy rain falls

mindful stone - 11 January 2013

passing a billboard

advertising an air show

images of fighter planes —

beauty masking their true nature

 

mindful stone - 10 January 2013

street performers
Dire Straits drown out
Bob Dylan

mindful stone - 9 January 2013

cold rain,

clouds part,

blue sky,

a leaf falls ,

on this —

summer morning

mindful stone - 8 January 2013

people standing

on almost every street corner

looking down at a street map —

a cruise ship has docked

mindful stone - 7 January 2013

ancient eastern tradition

balancing rocks and stones

modern western shortcut

cement and wire

mindful stone - 6 January 2013

the vagrant spider
looked cross 
at being disturbed

mindful stone - 5 January 2013

shortening shadows
garden implements
lay idle
popping pine cones
startle a small bird

mindful stone - 4 January 2013

buying a suit,

the young shop assistant

talks with an accent,

either from the playing fields of Eaton,

or over exposure to Downtown Abby

mindful stone - 3 January 2013

first working day of the new year

the traffic is not in a rush

mindful stone - 2 January 2013

the northerly wind

arouses the noisy trees

mindful stone - 1 January 2013

a conversation of birds
sitting on the telephone line

a river of stones - Jan 29 2012

no matter how much care
is taken when mowing the lawn,
there are always two
and only two
dandelions left standing 

a river of stones - Jan 26 2012

gale force winds,
at the traffic lights
cars rock
to nature’s beat

a river of stones - Jan 25 2012

the surrounding hills are not there, the morning mist lingers still
sea birds swoop and dive, freely above the becalmed harbour 
my eyes create my world, birds exist but the hills can never be.

a river of stones - Jan 24 2012

clear night sky
and still no moon
a chorus of birds
erupts in the early evening
blissfully unperturbed
by the dragon’s arrival

a river of stones - Jan 23 2012

no moon tonight?
there it is!
newly born

a river of stones - Jan 22 2012

sun in the puddle
sun in the window
sun in the sky
so many suns yet —
forecast for rain

a river of stones - Jan 21 2012

examining tea leaves,
the only future
that is certain –
is theirs

a river of stone - Jan 20 2012

walking past the noisy
construction site,
the teenager
turns up his iPod

a river of stones- Jan 19 2012

fire drill –
he finishes an email,
grabs his mobile phone
and coat
before leaving