as we get older
Why do you care what other’s think of you?
the king’s jester
laughing and crying
holding apples
…
seeking validation
is a fraught path
we must accept
and steer away from
to gradually move towards
an appreciation for always
being a student in the game of life
same old same old
What do you think will never change?
newspaper ad
a new home sits
on black ink
…
in a world
where we have
heaps and heaps
of advertisements
vying for our attention
when will we consume
something new?
long story short
How do you tell stories?
answering machine
grandfather’s voice lingers
over wind and static
…
when we omit
some of the details
in our stories
does the summary
sit well with others
or make them wonder
what we left out more?
according to legend
What folk story do you know by heart?
thatched rooftops
shuttering and willowing
from raijin and fujin
…
kappa
oni
tengu
and many more
mythical creatures
will continue to live on
as long as we keep sharing
their stories for posterity
the rake and the blower
Depending on the tool, how does your experience change?
southern whirlwinds
the colossus losses
it’s last leaf
…
what can we learn
from sweeping and collecting
the autumn leaves
with our outside brooms
instead of using a noisy
and gas guzzling tool
meant for one thing?
consider this
What do you think carefully about?
pumpkin cupcakes
stuck to the bottom
of the baking sheet
…
before we embark
on creating something
for the first time
have we thought about
all of the necessary work
before, during, and after
making this product?
bend or break
How do you make tough decisions?
bamboo leaves
pointing towards
splintered homes
…
there will come
a time when we must
make a decision
that will force us to choose
whether to keep a project going
at the risk of it failing
or to stop and go back to the drawing board
dearly beloved
How do you address your friends and family?
wooden pillars
on the ferry dock
embrace the waves
…
until we know
the context of the event
or situation we are invited too
is when we can begin
to formulate and practice
what kind of greeting
and salutation to give
it's too simple
Where is your head at today?
transparent walls
goldfish hover above
pebbles and glass
…
to say we are
isolated and confined
to our environments
when we seem
to always be hopping
from one train of thought
or a location every second
pizza and pasta
What are you craving?
Neapolitan pizza
islands surrounded
by oozing tomatoes
…
recognizing the things
we want to indulge
ourselves with doesn’t help
make us yearn for them
any less but it may give
us clarity regarding
our wants and needs
chances are
What are you paying more attention to now?
blue backpack
a red fox bounces
across the cliff
…
we only started
to pay attention
to a product, place,
or person of interest
after we discovered
the news is worth
sharing with others
measure twice, cut once
Do you practice what you preach?
peeling back the wall
a mound of carpenter ants
left the wood untouched
…
is more than
a saying we hear
it is the antithesis
of those of us who
practice preparation
vs those who preach
innocent ignorance
the impact of
What relationships are you building?
bonsai trees
copper wire lifts
a pine over moss
…
developing relationships
through transformational actions
over transactional movements
is something that takes time
consistency and commitment
in order for everyone to reap
what we sow
what's our excuse
What excuses do you make for yourself?
flickering lights
a drone flies over
the stadium
…
we’re too old
we’re too slow
we’re too late
etc. etc. etc.
hearing these thoughts
is one thing but choosing
to believe them is another
talking to cats
How do you talk to your pet?
open the top!
before the neko
sits on the laptop
…
are we crazy
to think the animals
we call companions
can actually understand
the words and sentences
coming out of our mouths
just because they meow
seven iron
Why do you practice the fundamentals?
green expanse
another star stuck
in the sand pit
…
we can’t rewind
the clock back
but we can set
ourselves up
by building a
solid foundation now
practicing the basics