welcome to the haikutimes
Issue #116, Wetterhorn Basin, Uncompahgre Wilderness, Colorado, August 4-9, 2005. A backpacking group kukai featuring haiku by Jonathan Machen, David Teitler, Nicholas Brown, Eric Vanzura and Cass Adams. Photographs and drawings by Jonathan except where noted. Additional haiku at the end of this issue by Robert Power, writing from the Wemenuche Wilderness.
While Jonathan was away traipsing around the mountains, the haiku group back in boulder roamed the neighborhood for the annual night ku..
from left to right: Eric Vanzura, Cass Adams, Nicholas Brown, Jonathan Machen, David Teitler
the good thing about
being miserable in the rain
is that flowers grow
thunder above
five friends from college below
the storm approaches
lupine and fireweed
prostrate in summer hailstorm
red cliffs laced with white
brown river
red-throated hummingbird
deep blue larkspur
i hear rocks falling
in rain-soaked
san juan mountains
fording raging streams
so docile just minutes ago
summer thunderstorm
light rain-drop patter
in a tent in the high country
alone but with friends
leaving behind the structure
and reality of the city
where when it rains
you notice it in a different way
distracted with
books, computers and telephones,
schedules and calendars,
obligations and concerns,
rain seems not to matter-
here, the rain drips from the fly
with a heartfelt urgency
i will hide in this tiny space
but not get wet, thinking
of the bighorn sheep who stay year round,
of the four other men
i've ventured up here with,
of my wife and friends.
pedicularius bog
swamp loving elephant plant
pink blossoms, moist roots
Pedicularis groenlandica, Elephant's head
named after rooster
looming cliffs remind us of
the stately coxcomb
overwhelmed
by a sea of paintbrush
tie-die hues of white and red
Castilleja rhexifolia, Splitleaf paintbrush
bumblebee
at eleven thousand feet
hanging on paintbrush
inflamed with nature
yellow indian paintbrush
brighter than the sky
Castillija sulphurea, Western Yellow Paintbrush
the way it is
make hay while the sun shines
sit on a precipice in sun
reduce life
to the simple experience
of rocks, sky
and a friend playing harmonica
everything else is hide-and-seek
with mind games
the dark clouds roll
behind, spreading
their moisture.
from a particular vantage point
everything else is relative
sit in sun, enjoy it
while the rain falls somewhere else
sharing city woes
with the enlightened picas
we question; they chirp
afraid of fainting
he will only kick the hack
will not stoop to pick
high-headed high time
hackey sackey foot move
the rain time cometh
negating common sense
five old friends ply higher
hoping for the edge
old friends
bringing old memories
around the camp fire
where only goats go
hanging out on a scree slope
with flowers and friends
perching on a rock
sitting with a friend in peace
the rain falls gently
scattered like seeds
across the mountain expanse
brilliant like colored dots
thunder echoes off of
high peaks
and that is the only news
we hear of today;
clouds bringing moisture
to this wide-open valley
but in my dreams -
early morning of August 6,
the same morning that
hiroshima burst into a ball of flame,
i dream of nuclear explosions
on the horizon -
three distinct orange mushroom clouds
so far away
they blossom in silence;
a vast ring of smoke
in yellow haze.
sweating,
i wake my dream companion
crying for all unborn life.
i have no way of knowing, out here,
if i am reliving the karmic nightmare
of the japanese Hibakusha,
or sensing the unholy reality
of an exacerbated conflict.
Phacela sericea, Silky Phacelia
rocky mountain buzz
emanates from the scree slope
as i skip downward
the sky my computer
the basin my website
i can't stop logging
staggering proportions
equal parts paintbrush and bistort
cascade towards me
thirteen thousand two
throwing rocks off precipice
men will still be boys
we men in our forties
five of us, with a historical web
of connections, adventures
in summer and winter,
in urban and wilderness surroundings,
through ups and downs of relationships,
now stir a new pot of stew
here in the basin of wetterhorn
(so true to it's name - wetter than ever)
exploring the new presence
of ourselves, without our mates -
yet the conversation shifts
to experiences with
significant others,
not the struggles
to simply have a significant other.
nicholas, still 112 lbs
black goatee with a few sparkles
of grey jutting
under eyes wrinkled
from constant exposure
to mountain and desert locales
mourns the loss of his red hat
but just as magnificently spots it
with binoculars, five hours later
from a rocky ledge, retrieving it with joy.
at 43 he is camping and floating
and road-tripping throughout the west
soon to return to his beloved
when his penchant for wandering,
seeing friends and landscapes
slumbers for the fall.
eric, 44 and father of two,
lives in boulder and maui
master of many professions
like engineering and medicine;
carries a sixty-five pound pack with ease
full of extravagant backpacking goodies
as he does his multiple careers,
now celebrating
the chance influence
of old friends and wilderness,
setting his sights
on ridges and precipices.
cass, 44
hungry for companionship
yet blessed with a beautiful daughter
drives six hours from taos
to meet his college buddies,
wears a streak of blue in his hair
muses over the subtle
way humans communicate
and the ways of co-workers
who can be so brutal;
seeks solace in new mexico
with like-minded spiritual avatars -
and he, among the few
with a wilderness quotation
on the back of a box
of morning thunder tea.
david, Dr. Dave,
very soon to be 42,
acupuncturist from carbondale
might have stepped off a viking ship
lifetimes ago
with tales of lands vast and beautiful
regal in flowing red, curly hair
statuesque and bony
with even stride
he knows the mountains of colorado
like the back of his hand;
he, the asian traveler,
adopter of a vietnamese boy,
with his wife has
mapped every contour
of these gentle green
glaciated valleys,
rejoicing to visit
yet again.
jonathan, the youngest at 41,
purveyor of pictures,
deacon of documentation,
sets forth his vision of the world
in one haikutimes issue after another,
a visual and poetic response
to the shifting climate
of human nature and perception
that we each carry within us,
anxious of his role
of father-to-be.
saddened by the corruption
of politicians and government,
seeking to make right
his own very small role
in a mobile home community,
he puts to rest any such concerns
as soon as he straps his backpack on.
rocks act very light
a few moments in our time
suddenly plunge forth
stupid socks, stupid hair
dirty grungy underwear
spongy lichen in my hair
everybody beware
evening light dissolves
with bird chirps and full bellies
the peaks turn red
hot potato haiku
passing lines amongst ourselves
its a group kukai
Pestemon ellipticus, Rocky Ledge Penstemon
low boot in danger
warming footwear by fire
after wet walking
though still on the trail
feeling lost in the wilderness
without inner guide
Penstemon whippleanus, Whippe's Penstemon
they say i've gained weight:
paiges home cookin' and beer -
how lucky i am
wetterhorn frolic
in a basin for five days
exploring ridges
Hymenoxys grandiflora, Alpine Sunflower
napping in the rain
awakened by nicholas
and his wooden flute
the fear mongers
could not live here
in truth and silence
lost in the violence
insane ideology
destabilized world
4:20 am
rain fly
magnifies the rain
Aquilegia coerulea, Colorado Columbine
pitter patter rain
becomes bigger badder hail
then still silence reigns
morning light brings clouds, rain
jagged peaks poke through briefly
until next moment
green beauty mountains
surround with deep embrace
i become one here
i dream goinka
no specific details known
just exist within
delicious rain drops
fall on my tent and my dreams
as i doze off
five hours by the fire
drying shoes and socks dashed by
one slip in the stream
harmonica wail
the elk have all disappeared
only we remain
continental rise
grey faced mountains push upwards
into heavy clouds
hearing cass
being himself
through the harmonica
shroom coach points out
magnificent spire in fog
looming above all
Coprinus Comatus, Shaggy Ink Cap
the day of lost hat
waiting patiently by log
spotted by binocs
cass of the blue hair
boston red sox through and through
charmin does the trick
Coprinus Comatus, Shaggy Ink Cap
dave calls home
wherever he is
out here in the woods
silverton, ouray
telluride in the distance
lunching on the ridge
sweep of the san juans
from ridge top august vista
dark clouds build above
anterior taler fibular ligament
stretched again despite my hopes
for a pain-free trip
southern clouds shine down
the repetitive chaos
cliffs below my feet
cast in shadows
wetterhorn looms
dark like snape
wetterhorn's visage
looming in darkening skies
reminds me of snape
dave fixated
on harry potter
below spiny peak
florescent lichen
spotting the pink granite green
moist, boggy basin
as the marsh recedes
elephant head also fades
blossoms wilting
great elk migration
summer peaks to winter plains
natural rhythm
calm reflecting pool
mirrors jagged wetterhorn
and gentle sedges
giant boulders strewn
from the base of a fourteener
resting in silence
fast descent
from wetterhorn scree
steep sandy brown wash
butterflies
on thistles
trail to wetterhorn
guy using cell phone
at the top of wetterhorn
wilderness dissolves
mountains - eroding
we humans contributing
by running gully
cass saw a weasel
and found some funny shaped rocks
on solo evening
acutely aware
that deer, holding rack alert
as humans descend
more than i can count
through paiges binoculars
elk grazing in peace
Delphinium nelsoni, Larkspur
a family of elk
hears us and in a moment
masses to the ridge
heading for safety
mother elks, fathers and calves
they do not like us
from a great distance
the herd senses our presence
quickly moves away
fearing intruders
elk gather en masse
discuss what to do
transit trail goes up
elk on the other side
breathing hard feels good
haiku paper used
in failed attempt to start fire
on rainy ridge-top
in civil twilight
at eleven-thousand five
mountains frame the sky
spiky phaecelia
and purple-red penstemon
indian paintbrush
alpine sunflower
yellow cinquefoil and rose crown
rare arctic gentian
verdant scenery
long hike amongst good friends
do we miss our wives?
Polemonium viscosum, Sky Pilot
harmonica wail
affects old friends differently
mountain melody
composing haiku
on purple thermal lounger
jonathan ponders
savoring shiatake
under magnificent mountains
after eight hour hike
Sedum rhodanthum, Rosecrown
chocolate mellymac
imported from hawaii
munched in the mountains
Aconitum columbianum, Monkshood
don't have to look too far
see remarkable beauty
with every foot step
mountain stream flows bright
mountain marmots and ravens
keep well out of sight
mystical garden
with ever so much rainfall
forest comes alive
the following haiku
are by Robert Power -
Weminuche Wilderness August 05
hummingbird buzzes
my ear, automatic fear -
brace, turn and see it
an avalanche fell
uprooting a lot of trees
and blocking the trail
just one gust of wind -
fine red dirt blankets everything
inside my tent
quick plunge into creek
icy water sucks up
sunburn ache
thunder overhead
go right - the ridge, left descend
why choose 'wisely'
i see no - one all day
until I stand naked in the stream
they don't even say hi
swatting mosquitoes
plenty to keep me occupied -
manual repellant
Gentiana algida, Arctic Gentian
fourth day out - move slow
peacefulness settling in
why hurry
naptime - drifting to sleep
the swaying shadows of trees
keep time to my breath
awakened from the nap
voices - one, three, ten, aye fifteen
people, oh my god
dive bombing and swarming
in the morning sunlit air
the flying insects
Lupinus argenteus depressus, Silvery Lupine
the flowing creek -
a constant noise like city cars
but much more soothing
evaporation
forms the morning clouds
so rain can fall again
devastating
the power of falling snow
as an avalanche
who is startled more
the family of grouse
or me
cold rain or cold creek
either way I get wet.
off go the clothes
i begin backpacking,
thunder. Five days later
i walk out, thunder
summer haiku photo - picture
by Johanna Heinemann (below)
While Jonathan was away traipsing around the mountains, the haiku group back in boulder roamed the neighborhood for the annual night ku..
from left to right: Eric Vanzura, Cass Adams, Nicholas Brown, Jonathan Machen, David Teitler
the good thing about
being miserable in the rain
is that flowers grow
thunder above
five friends from college below
the storm approaches
lupine and fireweed
prostrate in summer hailstorm
red cliffs laced with white
brown river
red-throated hummingbird
deep blue larkspur
i hear rocks falling
in rain-soaked
san juan mountains
fording raging streams
so docile just minutes ago
summer thunderstorm
light rain-drop patter
in a tent in the high country
alone but with friends
leaving behind the structure
and reality of the city
where when it rains
you notice it in a different way
distracted with
books, computers and telephones,
schedules and calendars,
obligations and concerns,
rain seems not to matter-
here, the rain drips from the fly
with a heartfelt urgency
i will hide in this tiny space
but not get wet, thinking
of the bighorn sheep who stay year round,
of the four other men
i've ventured up here with,
of my wife and friends.
pedicularius bog
swamp loving elephant plant
pink blossoms, moist roots
Pedicularis groenlandica, Elephant's head
named after rooster
looming cliffs remind us of
the stately coxcomb
overwhelmed
by a sea of paintbrush
tie-die hues of white and red
Castilleja rhexifolia, Splitleaf paintbrush
bumblebee
at eleven thousand feet
hanging on paintbrush
inflamed with nature
yellow indian paintbrush
brighter than the sky
Castillija sulphurea, Western Yellow Paintbrush
the way it is
make hay while the sun shines
sit on a precipice in sun
reduce life
to the simple experience
of rocks, sky
and a friend playing harmonica
everything else is hide-and-seek
with mind games
the dark clouds roll
behind, spreading
their moisture.
from a particular vantage point
everything else is relative
sit in sun, enjoy it
while the rain falls somewhere else
sharing city woes
with the enlightened picas
we question; they chirp
afraid of fainting
he will only kick the hack
will not stoop to pick
high-headed high time
hackey sackey foot move
the rain time cometh
negating common sense
five old friends ply higher
hoping for the edge
old friends
bringing old memories
around the camp fire
where only goats go
hanging out on a scree slope
with flowers and friends
perching on a rock
sitting with a friend in peace
the rain falls gently
scattered like seeds
across the mountain expanse
brilliant like colored dots
thunder echoes off of
high peaks
and that is the only news
we hear of today;
clouds bringing moisture
to this wide-open valley
but in my dreams -
early morning of August 6,
the same morning that
hiroshima burst into a ball of flame,
i dream of nuclear explosions
on the horizon -
three distinct orange mushroom clouds
so far away
they blossom in silence;
a vast ring of smoke
in yellow haze.
sweating,
i wake my dream companion
crying for all unborn life.
i have no way of knowing, out here,
if i am reliving the karmic nightmare
of the japanese Hibakusha,
or sensing the unholy reality
of an exacerbated conflict.
Phacela sericea, Silky Phacelia
rocky mountain buzz
emanates from the scree slope
as i skip downward
the sky my computer
the basin my website
i can't stop logging
staggering proportions
equal parts paintbrush and bistort
cascade towards me
thirteen thousand two
throwing rocks off precipice
men will still be boys
we men in our forties
five of us, with a historical web
of connections, adventures
in summer and winter,
in urban and wilderness surroundings,
through ups and downs of relationships,
now stir a new pot of stew
here in the basin of wetterhorn
(so true to it's name - wetter than ever)
exploring the new presence
of ourselves, without our mates -
yet the conversation shifts
to experiences with
significant others,
not the struggles
to simply have a significant other.
nicholas, still 112 lbs
black goatee with a few sparkles
of grey jutting
under eyes wrinkled
from constant exposure
to mountain and desert locales
mourns the loss of his red hat
but just as magnificently spots it
with binoculars, five hours later
from a rocky ledge, retrieving it with joy.
at 43 he is camping and floating
and road-tripping throughout the west
soon to return to his beloved
when his penchant for wandering,
seeing friends and landscapes
slumbers for the fall.
eric, 44 and father of two,
lives in boulder and maui
master of many professions
like engineering and medicine;
carries a sixty-five pound pack with ease
full of extravagant backpacking goodies
as he does his multiple careers,
now celebrating
the chance influence
of old friends and wilderness,
setting his sights
on ridges and precipices.
cass, 44
hungry for companionship
yet blessed with a beautiful daughter
drives six hours from taos
to meet his college buddies,
wears a streak of blue in his hair
muses over the subtle
way humans communicate
and the ways of co-workers
who can be so brutal;
seeks solace in new mexico
with like-minded spiritual avatars -
and he, among the few
with a wilderness quotation
on the back of a box
of morning thunder tea.
david, Dr. Dave,
very soon to be 42,
acupuncturist from carbondale
might have stepped off a viking ship
lifetimes ago
with tales of lands vast and beautiful
regal in flowing red, curly hair
statuesque and bony
with even stride
he knows the mountains of colorado
like the back of his hand;
he, the asian traveler,
adopter of a vietnamese boy,
with his wife has
mapped every contour
of these gentle green
glaciated valleys,
rejoicing to visit
yet again.
jonathan, the youngest at 41,
purveyor of pictures,
deacon of documentation,
sets forth his vision of the world
in one haikutimes issue after another,
a visual and poetic response
to the shifting climate
of human nature and perception
that we each carry within us,
anxious of his role
of father-to-be.
saddened by the corruption
of politicians and government,
seeking to make right
his own very small role
in a mobile home community,
he puts to rest any such concerns
as soon as he straps his backpack on.
rocks act very light
a few moments in our time
suddenly plunge forth
stupid socks, stupid hair
dirty grungy underwear
spongy lichen in my hair
everybody beware
evening light dissolves
with bird chirps and full bellies
the peaks turn red
hot potato haiku
passing lines amongst ourselves
its a group kukai
Pestemon ellipticus, Rocky Ledge Penstemon
low boot in danger
warming footwear by fire
after wet walking
though still on the trail
feeling lost in the wilderness
without inner guide
Penstemon whippleanus, Whippe's Penstemon
they say i've gained weight:
paiges home cookin' and beer -
how lucky i am
wetterhorn frolic
in a basin for five days
exploring ridges
Hymenoxys grandiflora, Alpine Sunflower
napping in the rain
awakened by nicholas
and his wooden flute
the fear mongers
could not live here
in truth and silence
lost in the violence
insane ideology
destabilized world
4:20 am
rain fly
magnifies the rain
Aquilegia coerulea, Colorado Columbine
pitter patter rain
becomes bigger badder hail
then still silence reigns
morning light brings clouds, rain
jagged peaks poke through briefly
until next moment
green beauty mountains
surround with deep embrace
i become one here
i dream goinka
no specific details known
just exist within
delicious rain drops
fall on my tent and my dreams
as i doze off
five hours by the fire
drying shoes and socks dashed by
one slip in the stream
harmonica wail
the elk have all disappeared
only we remain
continental rise
grey faced mountains push upwards
into heavy clouds
hearing cass
being himself
through the harmonica
shroom coach points out
magnificent spire in fog
looming above all
Coprinus Comatus, Shaggy Ink Cap
the day of lost hat
waiting patiently by log
spotted by binocs
cass of the blue hair
boston red sox through and through
charmin does the trick
Coprinus Comatus, Shaggy Ink Cap
dave calls home
wherever he is
out here in the woods
silverton, ouray
telluride in the distance
lunching on the ridge
sweep of the san juans
from ridge top august vista
dark clouds build above
anterior taler fibular ligament
stretched again despite my hopes
for a pain-free trip
southern clouds shine down
the repetitive chaos
cliffs below my feet
cast in shadows
wetterhorn looms
dark like snape
wetterhorn's visage
looming in darkening skies
reminds me of snape
dave fixated
on harry potter
below spiny peak
florescent lichen
spotting the pink granite green
moist, boggy basin
as the marsh recedes
elephant head also fades
blossoms wilting
great elk migration
summer peaks to winter plains
natural rhythm
calm reflecting pool
mirrors jagged wetterhorn
and gentle sedges
giant boulders strewn
from the base of a fourteener
resting in silence
fast descent
from wetterhorn scree
steep sandy brown wash
butterflies
on thistles
trail to wetterhorn
guy using cell phone
at the top of wetterhorn
wilderness dissolves
mountains - eroding
we humans contributing
by running gully
cass saw a weasel
and found some funny shaped rocks
on solo evening
acutely aware
that deer, holding rack alert
as humans descend
more than i can count
through paiges binoculars
elk grazing in peace
Delphinium nelsoni, Larkspur
a family of elk
hears us and in a moment
masses to the ridge
heading for safety
mother elks, fathers and calves
they do not like us
from a great distance
the herd senses our presence
quickly moves away
fearing intruders
elk gather en masse
discuss what to do
transit trail goes up
elk on the other side
breathing hard feels good
haiku paper used
in failed attempt to start fire
on rainy ridge-top
in civil twilight
at eleven-thousand five
mountains frame the sky
spiky phaecelia
and purple-red penstemon
indian paintbrush
alpine sunflower
yellow cinquefoil and rose crown
rare arctic gentian
verdant scenery
long hike amongst good friends
do we miss our wives?
Polemonium viscosum, Sky Pilot
harmonica wail
affects old friends differently
mountain melody
composing haiku
on purple thermal lounger
jonathan ponders
savoring shiatake
under magnificent mountains
after eight hour hike
Sedum rhodanthum, Rosecrown
chocolate mellymac
imported from hawaii
munched in the mountains
Aconitum columbianum, Monkshood
don't have to look too far
see remarkable beauty
with every foot step
mountain stream flows bright
mountain marmots and ravens
keep well out of sight
mystical garden
with ever so much rainfall
forest comes alive
the following haiku
are by Robert Power -
Weminuche Wilderness August 05
hummingbird buzzes
my ear, automatic fear -
brace, turn and see it
an avalanche fell
uprooting a lot of trees
and blocking the trail
just one gust of wind -
fine red dirt blankets everything
inside my tent
quick plunge into creek
icy water sucks up
sunburn ache
thunder overhead
go right - the ridge, left descend
why choose 'wisely'
i see no - one all day
until I stand naked in the stream
they don't even say hi
swatting mosquitoes
plenty to keep me occupied -
manual repellant
Gentiana algida, Arctic Gentian
fourth day out - move slow
peacefulness settling in
why hurry
naptime - drifting to sleep
the swaying shadows of trees
keep time to my breath
awakened from the nap
voices - one, three, ten, aye fifteen
people, oh my god
dive bombing and swarming
in the morning sunlit air
the flying insects
Lupinus argenteus depressus, Silvery Lupine
the flowing creek -
a constant noise like city cars
but much more soothing
evaporation
forms the morning clouds
so rain can fall again
devastating
the power of falling snow
as an avalanche
who is startled more
the family of grouse
or me
cold rain or cold creek
either way I get wet.
off go the clothes
i begin backpacking,
thunder. Five days later
i walk out, thunder
summer haiku photo - picture
by Johanna Heinemann (below)
solo/group kukai
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen