A pair of red breasted nuthatches are nesting in the bird box. My daughter has done spring yard work and all is gleaming, growing, feels for this one moment like a world in order. Strange how a raked yard, hints of green plants, a few tiny feather bundles, two kittens becoming cats, can buoy the spirit. Soon, with friends, I'll be walking Utah's ancient sandstone swirls reading letters cast into the literary sea, like the one by Matthew Arnold. He tempts me to agree that the world's mainly a mess.

Still, I leave this Wed to enjoy places that will trick me into thinking all's well.

yesterday's ocean now sandstone-
a river of sand flows
to the sea

See: Matthew Arnold's poem: Dover Beach

Ray Rasmussen is a photographer who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He spends a good deal of his outdoor time in Canyonlands National Park, Utah and in one of Canada's most remote and untouched provincial parks, Willmore Wilderness just North of Jasper National Park. He writes haiku poetry and its related forms haibun [prose plus haiku]. He is also active in creating haiga [haiku plus images]. In a previous life he was a University Professor. See website.