Tag: Nature

October Storm Prelude

October Storm Prelude

Cling on to the branches,
mandarin and lime,
russet,
flavescent leaves,
still-life in this breathless
moment —

Clouds come in,
a shroud of gunmetal
pewter,
a taunting chill,
a silenced song —

Tomorrow
the wind will howl
as the wolf
and at full moon
tidewaters
overflow —

Tomorrow my tears
fall with the rain
for the broken
branches
and the fallen
leaves.

by D. G. V. © 2012

*** Photography by Albena Markova

Chestnuts in Kowloon

Chestnuts in Kowloon

I have been to the Fragrant Harbor
far away,
where the people sounded like rain
upon the cobblestones,
and their laughter I called my own,
for once, for a little while
I was there

with you as we walked
past market stalls with the cackle
of hagglers
and scents of sesame and jasmine
filled the air,
we climbed tall buildings
and the peak of a mountain,
I was there

with you as we crossed the harbor
along with salt and seaweed,
by noon we reached Kowloon
famished,
and we shared a paper bag
filled with roasted chestnuts:
there by the lotus pond,
the moist white warmth and our dreams
fed our nameless hunger —

now the Fragrant Harbor awaits
far away,
but I am no longer there,
save the shriveled husks of chestnuts
we threw away so long ago
that for once, for a little while
burned among the coals.

by D. G. V. © 2012

Gardenia and Oleander


Gardenia and Oleander

dust of my beginnings,
verdant islands,
quest
of galleon ghosts,
once again I come
as the monsoon wind,
await
my incessant rains —

wet stars
fall from twilight skies,
miniscule
as grains of rice,
luminous cocoons
of vaporous rainbows —

drenched fingers gather
gardenia and oleander,
ripened petals fall
upon the pebbled soil,
soundless
amidst the water
splashes.

by D. G. V. © 2012

*** Photography by Matthew Simon @flickr 

Ripple

Ripple

How many pages of time have fallen like leaves
shaken from oaks by autumn winds —

You came from a distant land
fragrant
with plum blossoms,
where weeping willows shed their tears
upon the lakes,
and bamboo groves rustle love songs
in the summer breeze —

I remember

late afternoon by a lagoon so long ago,
into the water you threw a pebble,
concentric circles carved in liquid,
widened  into forever,
flowed into the oceans,
kissed the setting sun.

I remember

you gave me a name,
inscribed in ink:
two characters in graceful dance,
as you pointed to the circles,
the ripple you awakened
with the pebble in your hand.

I have forgotten

the rainbow,
the butterfly by that lagoon so long ago,
and milky water lilies sprightly with scarlet hearts,
for a thousand footsteps have carried us miles away,
to separate continents,
other loves.

by D. G. V. © 2012

*** Photography by Oleg Dmitriev, Circles on the water