Afternoon Visit
In A Japanese Garden
Feeling Shades Of Gray
Following A Path
Entry To Serenity
Nature’s Softer Side
Branches Twist And Turn
Tendrils of a tree’s soul
Gives Calming Patterns
A Mossy Clearing
Pagoda Climbs To Heaven
The Maple Watches
A Glyph Guards The Frame
Of Quiet Tea Ceremonies
House With Autumn Moon
A Solid Presence
Ancient Anchor To The World
Crafted Wall Of Rocks
A Gentle Dripping
Calming Sounds Refresh The Air
Stress Draining With Water
An Old Tree Provides
Patterns Of Bark And Needles
Beauty Of Aging
Sandy Sacrifice
The Buddha Faces Tigers
Garden Of Stone
Lake Of Raked Gravel
Geometric Distances
The Islands Ripple
Winding Stairs Climb
A Rocky Hill Surrenders
The Spirit Ascends
Miniature Vignettes
For Pondering Natures Soul
Garden Says Goodbye
Plying Through Life 
The images look great in monochrome and give the feeling of being away from the noisy world. Well done!
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Thanks, Peter. The Japanese Garden has the benefit of being relatively close to city center to have nearby access, but far enough away for the noise and hubbub to not be a factor. It’s a lovely getaway.
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A finely crafted haiku extravaganza. 🙂 I just love Japanese gardens, and the instant serenity they give. Beautiful monochrome images to accompany the words.
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Thanks, Julie. Poetry isn’t really my thing, but haiku is the one form I’m comfortable with. Simple verses from a simple mind. 😉 For a tour of a Japanese garden, haiku and black and white images seemed like natural partners.
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Nice, Dave! I like how the black and white photography highlights the textures and patterns, evoking a sense of calm that mimics your haikus.
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Thanks, Monica. In truth, the haikus mimic the images. I picked a set of photos from that shoot that seemed like they’d do well in B/W, converted them, then let each picture inspire a haiku with an overall theme of serenity.
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Wow. wow. Absolutely wonderful, elegant album.
This garden is in Wash. or Oregon?
Man, in the second shot, it looks like if you climbed into the upper branches, you’d enter another dimension! These are excellent shots & haiku
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Thanks, Robert. The garden is in the west hills of Portland, just above Washington Park and near the Zoo and Arboretum. Wandering into a garden like that is a bit like entering another dimension; if you can ignore the crowds of a nice day and immerse yourself into the ambiance, it’s quite a different feel from the chaos of the city.
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What a great park, it’s beautiful.
Dave, these are some of the best photos I’ve seen in 2017.
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Thank you Robert, that’s very flattering. I figured you’d like them as I’ve seen you doing darker, moody B/W – right up your alley.
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Stunning photos. I am constantly amazed at the beauty and simplicity of those gardents.
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We are lucky to have such a garden. There’s not that many of them scattered across the world.
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You’re a man of many talents! This was great fun, both in verse and illustration. 👍
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It’s a bit of a departure from my usual routine: all B/W, and poetry, which isn’t really my thing. I’m glad you liked it.
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Wow! I loved the photos and the poems. They are so calming and soothing that they are the perfect answer for the holiday stress. Thanks, Dave!
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I wasn’t thinking in terms of easing holiday stress, but I’m glad if it helps there – or any other stressful time.
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We try to visit the Japanese Gardens whenever we’re in Portland. You have some stunning photos. Great job.
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Thanks. Despite having it readily accessible I’ve only been there maybe a half dozen times over the years, and always end up saying I should go more often.
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What a treat, David, I love the concept of pairing the haiku and back and white photos. Japanese gardens are so peaceful and inspiring, and that’s exactly what you conveyed. I still haven’t been to the Portland garden and I know it’s one of the best in this country….one of these days!
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It all started when I thought one of the shots might look good in black and white. One thing led to another…
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That’s the way I like to work, allowing one thing to lead to another…
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Love the monochrome! Beautiful images.
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I think this is the first time I’ve gone all monochrome. Kind of fun! 🙂
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For some reason monochrome images are always looking more artistic than the color ones. 🙂
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Beautiful photos and poems!🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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This felt very relaxing. Just what I needed 🙂 Great pics and love the black and white.
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And like the actual gardens, you can always visit it again should you feel a need to relax.
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A sign of how wonderful both the park and your images are was that I immediately recognized it although it has been over five years since we paid it a short visit.
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Good eye! I’m not sure even I’d recognize most of the scenes, except maybe the Buddha and Tigers rock garden.
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Such a beautiful post!
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Thanks. It’s a beautiful place.
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Reblogged this on From 1 Blogger 2 Another.
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Thanks, Douglas. Reblogs are always appreciated.
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My pleasure Dave!
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