This weekend I met up with my family at Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids to walk the indoor gardens. After my younger son, his wife, and their baby daughter left, older son and I took a stroll through the Japanese Gardens outside. As we walked through and around the pond we were gifted with the sound of the running water.
There are at least two waterfalls in this section of the park. Listening, and watching how it rolls down over the rocks brings instant relaxation. As my eyes traveled from bottom to top and beyond I imagined the melted water coming down from a cold mountain.
Spring sun caresses
snow, recedes to trickling flow —
pussy willows drink
Frank J. Tassone is today’s host of dVerse’ Haibun Monday. Frank says:
Today, write you haibun on either one of the following options:
1. A Cold Mountain: the towering heights, frigid temperatures, majestic views, or existential challenges of a mountain. You could even go metaphorical, describing the cold mountain of overwhelming circumstances, or how we make mountains out of mole hills.
2. The Cold Mountain: a haibun that follows the influence of Hanshan (Cold Mountain), with his immediacy, concern for humanity, and deep devotion to nature.
Tao Talk 
what a lovely sight… we have walked the neighborhood woods just to feel the sun coming back… we do need it, but the thought of what is happening not too far away is always walking beside us like a shadow.
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😦 I would imagine, similar to if Canada or Mexico were being attacked. Oh how I hope we wake up from this nightmare soon.
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Sounds like a lovely day – spring is on the way! Lovely haiku.
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Sarah, it was a perfect day in every way, thank you.
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Pretty, but far too cold for me!
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🙂 Cold but sun is shining and the sky is blue ❤
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We have that too, except for the cold 🙂
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Li this is so beautiful. I love it! ❤
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Thank you, Carol anne!
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A lovely haibun. Have a good Monday
Much love…
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Thank you, Gillena ❤
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ThAnk you for presenting us with sunshine and hope. I like the notion that most streams start from glaciers.
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My pleasure, Glenn. I really enjoyed learning about The Cascades from yours.
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That’s my kind of outing, Lisa. And there’s nothing much more soothing than a gentle waterfall. What a lovely poem to describe the time spent with your family.
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Gayle, thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it.
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A delight to behold. I love a good waterfall, though I admit that the small ones delight me far more than any roaring glory of nature.
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Thank you, Masa. To be honest, I never met a waterfall I didn’t like.
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A beautiful evocation of the harmony of nature and craft. Brava, Jade!
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❤ So happy you are pleased with it, Frank. Thank you.
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We’re still a bit away from a nice walk in the Winter’s-almost-gone woods here, Jade, but even my naturally hermitic self is chomping at the bit.
Haibunilicious work. Thanks.
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You paint a lovely picture, Lisa. (And thank you for the wonderful video.)
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❤ Thanks, Ken. My pleasure.
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Lovely haibun Lisa. ☺️
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Thanks very much, Christine ❤
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I love waterfalls. Your second paragraph was lovely. Thank you for sharing the video.
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Thank you very much, Marial, my pleasure!
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That is a peaceful scene. (K)
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I wish I lived closer to it I’d go there often.
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I know what you mean.
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A beautiful Haibun Lisa. There is nothing like the sound of running water. It takes one so many places, but especially to the mountains. Well done!
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Thank you, Dwight. I’ve always wanted to go to the mountains and see the spring water running down.
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Do you have any mountains in MI?
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There are some in the UP but they are nothing like the mountains I’ve seen in the pictures.
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The mountains are a wonderful place to be, in all seasons.
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How lovely to meet your family in such beautiful surroundings
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It really is. Because it’s the off season not a lot of people either.
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💖😍
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Very meditative piece, with its Japanese feel, of peace and serenity in this corner of nature. Beautifully done
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Thanks much, Ain. It is exactly that.
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This is lovely, Lisa. I can so easily picture it!
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Dale, thank you and glad you can. It’s a beautiful place and they spared no expense in the design and execution of the design. I told my son it must have cost billions to put together and he said no but I would like to know just how much they put into it.
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I can well imagine. It sounds rather beautiful.
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I was way off. $22 million.
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Still! A rather hefty sum!
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There’s nothing quite like the sound and sight of running water! Sounds like you had a lovely day!
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Indeed on all accounts, Carol 🙂
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Such a full of beautiful mist and lovely scenery 👍🏻🌷❄️🌺 grace wishes 👏
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Thank you, Thattamma!
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That sounds so lovely, Lisa – I’m so happy you had a good time with your family 🙂
-David
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It was, David, thanks.
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Beautiful. I love both Japanes gardens and running water. I will need to visit this place on my next trip to Michigan.
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Definitely, Ron. Chicago Botanic Garden is still the grandaddy of the region, but they keep making this one bigger — and Chicago does not have the array of outdoor sculptures that Grand Rapids has. We have DaVinci’s Horse by Nina Akamu. And Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei!
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What a relaxing place. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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It is and my pleasure, Karen 🙂
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I would like this on a sound recording to sleep… funny story
I was in an executive Teams meeting and I was on the meeting through Teams of course. I hit my space bar and your video starts playing…every body on the video meeting starts looking around…”where the hell is that water coming from”….I’m busting out laughing…I then shared my screen and showed them the water rolling. Fun morning! Thank you Lisa lol.
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Haha! That’s great, Max! My pleasure to entertain your meeting with nature.
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What a lovely experience it would have been! Listening to the waterfall’s rhythms,uninterrupted by all save nature…
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Well-said, Veera.
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Wonderful relaxing haibun – a much-needed antidote at the moment. Thank you Lisa.
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Thank you, Marion.
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I ask you to support my site and I do the same
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