Tuscan Irrelevancies VI: loss

Posted on June 9, 2024 by wongswyn

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

Posted on November 7, 2019 by wongswyn

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

Posted on December 11, 2017 by wongswyn

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