This week’s Tanka Tuesday poetry challenge was an Ekphrastic #PhotoPrompt provided by Lisa Thompson.

The Connection, #Haibun

My walk resulted in a surprise this morning. I found a toadstool growing on the north side of a Palo Verde tree where the sprinkler had sprung a leak. It’s unusual to see a toadstool in the desert, so I suspected there was magic afoot.

The late summer sun hung in the early sky, an angry red orb smothered by wildfire smoke. Cool air currents swirled around my legs, mixing with the warmer currents above. I followed the winding path along the wall that edged the sprawling desert surrounding my housing area, listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees.

Ahead, a woman and her dog, dawdled. She’d tug his leash to suggest a turn in the path, but he’d have nothing to…