acceptance
What are you at peace with?
wilting flowers
cover our garden
for a farewell
…
when we think about
how we will never
really know when
could be our last day
walking this earth
we should embrace
uncertainty with calmness
there's an element
How do you articulate things?
silent flight
talon marks on snow
the great horned owl
…
to when we think
about the words
intelligence and fluency
it’s more than just
what we are able to do
but how we are able
to speak and sound
our view from the ground
How do you teach teamwork?
rookie player
sweeping the floor
leaving dust trails
…
will look different
from our view up top
but this fact should foster
collaboration and shared interests
rather than driving a wedge between
what we see here versus
what others view from above
scented candles
What are your favorite fragrences?
glimpse of yesterday
the smell of concrete
after rain showers
…
are not only
great expressions
for ourselves and home décor
but set the stage
for linking this fragrance
with a special occasion
or fond memory
out of town
What do you want to see?
fresh dragonfruit
a delicate orb falls
out of the basket
…
and into the city
we get to see
and experience things
we wouldn’t normally
get to do unless
we’re watching
a video about it
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