a river of stones - July 31

I saw the world today

in that single moment

I looked into

the sparrow’s eye.

a river of stones - July 30

in the dark night sky

above the stadium,
a lone seagull circles

in the spotlights

then fades from view

a river of stones - July 29

staring out the window

at the light in a puddle,

reflecting on the reflection

through light's refraction

a river of stones - July 28

7 am outside the bar

he staggers

or was he dancing

to the music

still ringing in his ears

a river of stones - July 27

a clear evening sky –

now ready for bed

I hang my hat

on the hook of the moon

and switch off the stars

a river of stones - July 26

24 hour internet cafe

the attendant

nods to stay awake

as his Farmville crops wilt

a river of stones - July 25

snow covering the hills,

sleet on the windshield,

the wet road

does not dampen

the van driver's enthusiasm

for speed

a river of stones - July 24

winter evening –

my breath mixes

with the steam 

rising 

from the soup on the fire

a river of stones - July 23

smoke tumbles down

the tiled roof,

in the morning mist

droplets hang

beneath the branches

a river of stones - July 22

waking,

my  alarm clock plays  

a classic rock radio station –

memories of

my first car

a river of stones - July 21

early morning,

it's dark,

overcast,

forecast for heavy showers,

he wears his sunglasses

on top of his shaved head

a river of stones - July 20

clear night sky,

the Southern Cross

Orion’s Belt –

Boeing 737

a river of stones - July 19

        at the wharf, a

        row of shiny new

                identical silver cars ready to be shipped

               to new owners who want to express their

                     individ                                  uality

a river of stones - July 18

walking up the stairs

of the car park,

the faint remnants

of graffiti –

the smell of fresh paint

as there was

only a week ago

a river of stones - July 17

a poetry reading –

outside,

cars drive down the hill,

oblivious

to the poet's words

a river of stones - July 16

walking along the garden path

a fantail keeps me company

hoping branch to branch

feeding on the many insects

startled by my movements

pausing, I look down

and reflect on the many lives

lost beneath my feet

a river of stones - July 15

    in the dark

             early

      morning,

        an empty

               can of

           energy

      drink lays   

          crumpled

      in the gutter

a river of stones - July 14

just above the horizon

the moon

takes full credit for its glow.

such falsehood!

it merely reflects the sun’s glory

a river of stones - July 13

winter day

even at noon

my shadow is long

a river of stones - July 12

running across the street

his grimace

provides no protection

from the rain

a river of stones - July 11

gale force winds

a trash can

is transformed

into 

an umbrella stand

a river of stones - July 10

arriving home,

the rain clouds

momentarily  part –

the Southern Cross

a river of stones - July 9

the birthday party,

eighty years

and her rocking chair

is merely

an ornament

a river of stones - July 8

Outside the Army Museum,

a boy clambers over a tank

– it’s all just a game

a river of stones - July 7

winter rain

pounding my roof

and the Karearea call


http://www.whatbird.co.nz/audio/08audio-long.mp3

a river of stones - July 6

before dawn –

blue, green, red,

yellow and white 

 – colours

of the harbour waves

a river of stones - July 5

On the way to work

I pass

the same people

on the same corners

at the same time –

A discomforting

comfort  with such

familiarity

a river of stones - July 4

the shortest day

is now behind us,

snow

on the Rimutakas,

make nights

far too long

a river of stones - July 3

dawn –

splitting the darkness

from light

a Ruru call

a river of stones - July 2

under the overcast sky

even the river

appears grey

a river of stones - July 1

the new moon
is still
the same old moon

Candle

If the flame of a dying candle is used to light another, 
then the light will never cease to shine.

by the roadside

laying near the

side of the road

– a rabbit –

will not see in

this Chinese New Year

 

Shot Glass Journal

Shot Glass Journal, an online journal of short poetry

Shot Glass Journal, the online journal of short poetry, Issue #3 has been posted. This issue offers an international flavor with poets from Australia, Canada, the Channel Islands, England, India, Ireland, Libya, Mauritius, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the US.

Go to www.musepiepress.com. Click on Shot Glass Journal in the left margin.
 

Send submissions for Shot Glass Journal and The Fib Review to musesepiepress@aol.com.

Misty Rain

shrouded in misty rain - the harbour

perhaps the city beyond is just a myth

  

A New Month

I turned to a pigeon 

sitting next to me

at the outdoor cafe.

"It's a new month" I said

"A new what?" 
he replied then
asked "have you 
finished with 
that muffin?"

a river of stones - Jan 31

                                                   a                                                          *     

            *                          slither                                                                         *

                *                 of the

                                waning                                                          *                        *

                            moon                  

                          appears                                                                          *

                          on the  

                           horizon,                                                  

            *                not much,                                                    *

                                  yet still                                                                       *

                                        enough                                                   *

              *                                    to hear                                                                 *

                                                            my sighs                                             *

   *            *                                                                           *

a river of stones - Jan 30

after cleaning house,

I look up at the corner

of my room – and there

a spider

cleaning house

a river of stones - Jan 29

a dragonfly hides

beneath the canopy

of the cicada cry

a river of stones - Jan 28

near the water’s edge

a sparrow bathes

in the sand

a river of stones - Jan 27

bright, bright stars

the summer night

has devoured the moon

 

a river of stones - Jan 26

laying on a bed of clouds

the sky maiden looked down

upon the earth                                  

it is uncertain if she smiled

a river of stones - Jan 25

next to the building site

a busker harmonises

with buzz saws

 

a river of stones - Jan 24

a fern leaf droops

from the passing rain

ah! – a song bird

 

a river of stones - Jan 23

it rains incessantly,

sitting Zazen,

I remove its name,

but the truth remains 

 

a river of stones - Jan 22

after dinner ,

the cormorant

offers up a prayer

to great Ra

a river of stones - Jan 21

a bumblebee zips

in the door

and straight out again,

past the fly buzzing

against the window

a river of stones - Jan 20

a seagull swoops

across the valley

its shadow

climbing trees

 

a river of stones - Jan 19

the harbour is wild with white caps,

a seagull glides sideways into land
  

a river of stones - Jan 18

after the rain

the air

falls silent

a river of stones - Jan 17

two ocean racing yachts

tethered to the dock,

naked masts,

no sails to impede the wind
 

a river of stones - Jan 16

the strong northerly

has abated,

a small bellbird ventures

to the upper most branch

 

a river of stones - Jan 15

in the conifer

a pigeon roosts –

a cuckoo too

a river of stones - Jan 14

this summer evening,

the wall clock

measures time

less accurate –

than my heart beat

a river of stones - Jan 13

through

the window,

beneath a Pauhou tree –

                                hangs

                                   my

                                kitchen

                                  light

a river of stones - Jan 12

long afternoon shadows

have passed into darkness,

the call of a cicada

creeps down the garden steps
 

a river of stones - Jan 11

after dinner,

I contemplated why

the Buddha’s bowl –

is empty

a river of stones - Jan 10

tall buildings,

the hum of traffic,

in the city park –

the smell

of freshly cut grass

a river of stones - Jan 9

Sunday morning --

the Tui dons

its white neck tie

and calls us to worship

a river of stones - Jan 8

one thing remains constant

in nature

-- motherhood

a river of stones - Jan 7

clouds close over

the summer sky

distant hills a haven –

for the unnamed

a river of stones - Jan 6

morning sun disappears

behind gray clouds,

on the akeake tree --

the glow

of a monarch butterfly

a river of stones - Jan 5

after mediation

I saw in the ink

that the heron

never left me

a river of stones - Jan 4

driving to work

on my first day back,

in the morning mist –

traffic lights turn red.
 

a river of stones - Jan 3

warm breeze

in the spider web

a dandelion seedhead

a river of stones - Jan 2

upon the river

the sun’s reflection

the gentle ripples

lap the boulders

beyond the trees

a steady drone

of weekend traffic

a river of stones - Jan 1

New Years Day –

a bumblebee

and honeybees share

the Kumeraho flower