Tag Archives: walking

kakaruai

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A close-up, eye-level photograph of a small, curious South Island robin, also known by its Māori name 'kakaruai,' standing on rocky ground. The bird's bold black and white plumage contrasts with the gray and brown stones of the Routeburn track, visually representing the friendly encounter described in the poem.
on routeburn
we meet two nice guys 
one before one after 
bridal veil falls

brian's been bonding with the universe
telling him to ditch construction
pick up a different brush 
represent mount hikurangi 
in water and acryllic
he heeds what quiet birds tell
don't ford the river 
rain can build 
to a point of no return

south island robin puffs up his breast of beige
hopping to greet us as the skies clear
like all his breed 
a curious and friendly tom
putting no distance
between us and song
we heed what his lyric signs
while rain lets
retrace our way in double time

imagine the disquiet
when this peace is rent
by guttural shouts
urgent like death rattles
rushing to help
only to find
they were made by
three giggling louts




Tuscan Irrelevancies VI: loss

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A photograph of a narrow, quiet cobblestone street in the small, medieval village on Isola Maggiore, an island on Italy's Lake Trasimeno. The image, with its ancient stone buildings and faded plaster walls, evokes a sense of history and the passage of time.

roman legions trudged through borgetto the evening before
camping at lake tresimano where the next June dawn 
2241 years ago almost to this day 
befogged betwixt the mongrel hordes of Hannibal they were
defeated

cyclists traversing lake‘s circuit criss cross this solo walker
and the lone Kress 1200R robot lawnmower tending its grounds 
should they wish sight of the 258 borgetto inhabitants 
remaining according to the 2001 census they would be 
disappointed

later that day massimo of nearby passignano informs that 
borgetto lies at the intersection of umbria and tuscany
occupies the communes tuoro, cortona and castiglione
to which when property taxes are due they are paid
trisected
A wide-angle photograph of tranquil Lake Tresimano with rolling hills on the far side, under a clear blue sky.
view of castiglione del lago from malpasso gap

rushing into the rain

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this is the part of the walk I mark
when the sky grumpy all afternoon
could just as easily clear

that instant when
it could still be fine or storm
familiar as your up or down
daily attending that turn
from balmy to squall 

that instant when 
it growls and downs its load upon 
the families scurrying for shelter

that instant when
i go the other way
rush into the rain
as I have always 
fallen into your pain
The photograph captures a wet, paved pathway alongside a body of water, likely the sea, under an overcast sky. The composition is dominated by the pathway, which angles into the distance, marked by bold yellow and red lines, creating a strong leading line. The muted, cool tones of the water and sky contrast with the vibrant painted lines, and the overall mood is somber and serene, evoking a sense of quiet solitude by the coast.

Bhutan Series: Ngawang/Thimpu

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A tranquil photograph of a wooded hillside in Thimphu, Bhutan, with hundreds of colorful Buddhist prayer flags strung between tall, slender trees.

Ngawang fast walks 20 clicks before breakfast
returns in time to guide a stroll of guests
he’s been a monk a soldier
an 8-times snowman trekker
these days chasing the tariffs
to send his 3 girls to school
working for milk toast money

past the peak he pulls away
giving me space to descend the valley alone
there in the flurry of prayer flags
an orange butterfly leads me down

ormiston gorge

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A slightly weathered park sign titled "Great survivors" from the West MacDonnell National Park. The sign features text describing the resilient native flora of the region, including "tough, fire-tolerant mallee and spiky spinifex" found on the limestone. It highlights the area as home to an endangered native mouse. Illustrations of two small, grey native mice are prominent on the sign, one on the left and one on the right, set against a stylized background depicting the local environment. The sign also includes a logo of a bird in flight and the words "West MacDonnell National Park" at the bottom.

in the red centre
hardy survivors
stinting spinifex
miserly mallee
thrifty rockrats
and frugal euro

 

saw the spinifex, mallee and one scampering rockrat
on that ghost gum walk
but no euro
signomi, parakalo

Ski Stop

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IMG 1249

 

in summer
to come upon attelas
from fontanet to la tzoumaz
is very walking dead

could that be the whisper
of souls unsettled
or just the complaint and creak
of resting pylons

 

IMG 1245

The Trunk Series (No. 7) — Parasol

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A beautiful, intimate photograph with a very shallow depth of field, showing a single, tiny mushroom with a delicate cap and slender stem. The mushroom stands in a bed of mulch and dried leaves on the forest floor of the Cape to Cape Walk. Its umbrella-like shape perfectly reflects the post's title, 'Parasol,' highlighting the moment of a small discovery during the journey.

Cape to Cape Walk; Day 6

The Trunk Series (No. 6) — Wallpaint

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A close-up, vertical photograph of the trunk of a native Australian tree, possibly a Karri or Jarrah. The bark is peeling away in long, irregular strips of muted gray, tan, and pale pink, creating an abstract pattern that strongly resembles old, peeling paint on a wall. The image's unique texture and color scheme directly reflect the post's title, 'Wallpaint'.

Cape to Cape Walk; Day 6

The Trunk Series (No. 5) — Chocolate Curl

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A close-up photograph of the trunk of a Marri tree, also known as a Red Gum. The image highlights a long, dark strip of bark that has peeled away from the smooth trunk, curling outward in a shape and color that perfectly matches the post's title, 'Chocolate Curl'.

Cape to Cape Walk; Day 6

The Trunk Series (No. 4) — Gash

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A close-up photograph of the trunk of a Marri tree on Day 6 of the Cape to Cape Walk between Hamelin Bay and Augusta. A vertical line of dark, reddish-orange resin, known as 'marri gum,' flows down the bark, creating a striking visual that resembles a 'gash' and a wound.

Cape to Cape Walk; Day 6