Olbrich Diary

"If you suddenly lose
Your dusty eye, out of the distance
The rainstorm will gradually lessen,
And you'll see a rainbow dart out,
Striking the Immortals Palm
With a cold light."  – Heng Chao





Guarding lion,
watchful, laying on its belly,
is sculpted onto the rock wall
of the rose garden pavilion,
as we rise up along
the stairwell to weather the storm
under cover of the prairie roof.

All the visitors
had gathered at the vestibule
seeking cars as the clouds
gathered overhead,
we listened to the welcoming
of the rain and followed
as the storm played
chords over the crabapple
and peonies at the garden entry.

Time blew by
and slanted the rain
to new meaning
as the watercolors now sparkled
by drops of jasmines and aquamarines,
a wild green palm, rarely seen
by dusty eyes,
revealed new worlds.