Written for SenHai Saturday where our host
Susi asks us to write a senryu and haiku using
the image shown below as inspiration.
Haiku
Black branches reaching
no wind moves them anymore
only the light does
⌘ ⌘ ⌘
Senryu
I came for silence
and the desert gave me more
than I asked it for
NAR©2026
Nancy’s Notes: Combining the English word “dead” and the Afrikaans word “vlei” (meaning a shallow marsh or lake), we get “Deadvlei” …. a surreal white clay pan in Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft Park, famed for its 900-year-old skeletal camel thorn trees. Surrounded by towering, 300-meter-tall red sand dunes, the dark trees are preserved by the hyper-arid climate, remaining standing because they are too dry to decompose.
This is “Deadvlei” by Warsaw Pact
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me unless indicated otherwise. Thank you for your consideration. NAR©2017–present.
The Elephant's Trunk 
Powerful senryu and lovely haiku to boot, Nancy.
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Thanks very much. So pleased to know you enjoyed my SenHai.
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Perfect, Nancy, I learned something too!
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So did I, dear Keith! Thanks for your lovely comments.
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Wood is highly resistant to decay, and detritivores like fungi and bacteria require moisture to thrive. Without water, the decomposition process stops completely, leaving wood looking desiccated and powdery.
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Great info as always, Jim. Thanks!
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Awesome poems and thanks for the info. I think I used the image of this valley as one of my prompts too. An awe inspiring place
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Isn’t it incredible? Thanks for your great comments, Sis. So very appreciated. ☺️
Is your family home from NY yet?
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Yes they arrived in the morning. They spent 3 weeks and had a great trip.
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