welcome to the haikutimes
Issue #150, Arches, Canyonlands and Boulder County, November and December, 2008. Photos and haiku by Jonathan Machen.
contrails in clear sky
brown cloud hugs the horizon
november road trip
keeping an eye
on traffic infractions
two policemen chat
slipping through shadows
climbing to snowy divide
destined for the desert
talking about romance
and the lack thereof
two kids in the back
warm day discussion
between lodge pole beetle kill
and dry mountain slope
unquenchable thirst:
condos around lake dillon
suck the water dry
family concerns and troubles
left by the wayside
enchanted mesa
forced to walk
on crypto-biotic soil
adventure backfires
waterfall in the desert
stepping over
blue lichen
holding on tightly
to family drama
then letting it go
thanksgiving day hike
never really that far
from motor-tourists
bubbles
on potholes
canyon basin hopping
thanksgiving rain storm
wet slickrock
walking
sandstone laced with purple
some kind
of mineral accident
on my way to get photos
I see two guys with tripods
getting photos
thankful for the moisture
that sculpted
arches cottonwood labyrinth
down at sand level
pitter-patter of rain
explosive
once out of the car
i discover gigantic canyon
hidden from motorists
writing haiku
at the edge of december
rain soaks the ground
desert so fragile
even my subtle footprints
cause me to cringe
rock cairn like a prairie dog
startles me on
my hiking muse
rendered speechless
by the remarkable calm
despite the rain
while microbally rich,
crypto-biotic soil
ever so vulnerable
after last photo
humming william tell overture
happily to myself
plenty of rain
and microbes to drink
in canyon potholes
subsumed by the beauty
extruding haiku
as i walk
slickrockin'
slickwalking
translucent
an emeralds surface:
sandstone rock sheen
minutes multiply
in haiku slick-rocking
slick-walking desert traverse
desert abundance
november rain
keeping soil alive
in between rain storms
aromatic winter sage
drifts over cactus
with deep gratitude
my own body
healthy and free
documenter's shame
not capturing everything
that i could
canyon shadow
yields trespass in the daytime
at night, the gates close
fat footprint lion tracks
reveal silent journey
above our house
fighting
the materialist urge
to value christmas
what matters most
my family and my wife
in this blessed life
documenter in me
feeling shamed I have not captured
the really great stuff
soil, sun and snow
receive
my deepest blessings
december embrace
chilly wind upon my face
doorway transition/threshold strikes me/wind escapes the door/cold air escapes
realizing i spend
most of my outdoor time
messing with camera straps
snow and silence
entire basin to myself
just outside of town
seasonal grace
low temperatures, long angles
on windy ridge top
the wash and rinse
cycle of nature now complete
with cleansing wind
contrails in clear sky
brown cloud hugs the horizon
november road trip
keeping an eye
on traffic infractions
two policemen chat
slipping through shadows
climbing to snowy divide
destined for the desert
talking about romance
and the lack thereof
two kids in the back
warm day discussion
between lodge pole beetle kill
and dry mountain slope
unquenchable thirst:
condos around lake dillon
suck the water dry
family concerns and troubles
left by the wayside
enchanted mesa
forced to walk
on crypto-biotic soil
adventure backfires
waterfall in the desert
stepping over
blue lichen
holding on tightly
to family drama
then letting it go
thanksgiving day hike
never really that far
from motor-tourists
bubbles
on potholes
canyon basin hopping
thanksgiving rain storm
wet slickrock
walking
sandstone laced with purple
some kind
of mineral accident
on my way to get photos
I see two guys with tripods
getting photos
thankful for the moisture
that sculpted
arches cottonwood labyrinth
down at sand level
pitter-patter of rain
explosive
once out of the car
i discover gigantic canyon
hidden from motorists
writing haiku
at the edge of december
rain soaks the ground
desert so fragile
even my subtle footprints
cause me to cringe
rock cairn like a prairie dog
startles me on
my hiking muse
rendered speechless
by the remarkable calm
despite the rain
while microbally rich,
crypto-biotic soil
ever so vulnerable
after last photo
humming william tell overture
happily to myself
plenty of rain
and microbes to drink
in canyon potholes
subsumed by the beauty
extruding haiku
as i walk
slickrockin'
slickwalking
translucent
an emeralds surface:
sandstone rock sheen
minutes multiply
in haiku slick-rocking
slick-walking desert traverse
desert abundance
november rain
keeping soil alive
in between rain storms
aromatic winter sage
drifts over cactus
with deep gratitude
my own body
healthy and free
documenter's shame
not capturing everything
that i could
canyon shadow
yields trespass in the daytime
at night, the gates close
fat footprint lion tracks
reveal silent journey
above our house
fighting
the materialist urge
to value christmas
what matters most
my family and my wife
in this blessed life
documenter in me
feeling shamed I have not captured
the really great stuff
soil, sun and snow
receive
my deepest blessings
december embrace
chilly wind upon my face
doorway transition/threshold strikes me/wind escapes the door/cold air escapes
realizing i spend
most of my outdoor time
messing with camera straps
snow and silence
entire basin to myself
just outside of town
seasonal grace
low temperatures, long angles
on windy ridge top
the wash and rinse
cycle of nature now complete
with cleansing wind
solo/group kukai
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen