Author: michaeljordahl

Retired Miner, loves science, reading, carving, walking, recovering alcoholic

it’s over

back in the spring of the year

there were hundreds of pelicans here

and tourists would flock

to this gorge of gray rock

and everyone was of good cheer.

but now it’s the end of july

the river has almost run dry

and all that was here

is gone till next year–

summer camp’s over. goodbye.

–photo by me

Ghost Ship (haibun)

I can’t believe I’ve stumbled upon an old, abandoned house out here in the woods. Surrounded by a sea of wildflowers and encroaching trees, it reminds me of a great ghost ship on the stormy main. The tentacles of a giant sea monster have wrapped around her, and are ever pulling her down. Some day, she’ll go under.

when old houses fall

their delicious mysteries

go under with them

–Photo by me

tree frog

the tiny chameleon tree frog

blends into the forest motif

as a gray little bump on a log

or a green little lump on a leaf,

and nobody knows where he goes

whenever he’s not on the ground,

but equipped with his suction-cup toes,

he’s sure to be hanging around.

–photo by me

a self-righteous man

there once

was a self-righteous man

who built

himself a tall, open tower

from which

he would peer out over

his world

to search for his soul.

every day,

he would climb the stairs

and scour

the heavens for it;

sometimes,

he felt it was near.

in time,

it was too much for him,

and the

self-righteous man died.

in silence,

his soul flew from the roof

–photo by me

Flower Foto

I went looking for a nice flower foto for the blog. It was very hot out, but I just needed one good one, so I ventured into the woods and down to the pond. What a mistake!

Suddenly there were swarms of deer flies all around me. I took off running, but to no avail; they circled me like I was standing still. And then it got bad. They were in my shirt and under my glasses; I was afraid they would get in my mouth.

I ran blindly through the woods until I came back out on the road. Walking home, I was shaken and rather bummed that I didn’t get the shot, but so glad to be home. I was about to go in, when–you guessed it–there it was, not ten feet from my door: my flower foto!

–Photo by me