Uplifting

Photo of a row of poppies in a public garden with the Sky City tower in the background, Auckland. — Auckland City, New Zealand.

Poppies in all shades
pop up every spring morning
Uplifting spirits.

Peace

Photo of a park bench with a cherry blossom tree overhead, casting its shadow over the bench.

Pocketfuls of peace,
blossoming tree overhead;
date with a park bench.

Zoo

Photo of giraffes and zebras in a large enclosure, with giraffes nibbling on leaves hung on dead tree limbs. — Auckland zoo

Gently the giants
nibble away at dead trees;
observing humans.

Unpredictable

photo of a rough ocean on a cloudy day — Auckland city as seen from the ferry

Weather systems change;
riotous one day calm next—
volatile toddler.

Still

Photo of the sky tower in Auckland as seen from below on a partly cloudy day. Tree limbs twist in the foreground with the sun glinting through them.

The city is still,
from ashes branches protrude
bare from winter’s bite.