Animal – Page 21 – Iron Haiku

tending his garden-
rich black soil etched deep into
his leathery hands
–
honeybees
a thistle hides
among the roses

a beast of burden-
the cold weight of my shadow
pins me to the past
–
shadow boxes-
beetle’s wings
on display

in the deep end
endlessly treading water
lest I slip under
–
sand hill cranes-
a bicycle rusts
amid the cattails

slow rhythmic rocking
as I’m drawn deep into you
my lover the sea
–
crying gulls-
lost in your
cold embrace

my journal entry-
today I start another
lap around the sun
–
willow branches-
a crack appears
in the robin’s egg

soft leather armchairs-
whispers of conversations
too quiet to hear
–
a lone robin-
her tweets
unread

a warm summer eve
mists gather in pools that drip
from the temple roof
–
temple stairs-
stone dragons
cloaked in moss

hallucinations-
my ephemeral partners
along for the ride
–
water lilies-
a pond dimpled
by dragonflies

the burning red orb
casts its gaze about the land
hard and unblinking
–
ragweed-
my eyes swollen
and gritty

a rippling sky
cast in all directions by
a child’s rubber boots
–
parting clouds-
blue jays bathe
in tiny ponds