2489
7.297
26.x.26
the
figure fades
ekphrastic
for Kojima Yuji’s ‘the mundane sphere’
here in a well of the sky, the eyes
and every animal sacred
lost script, a way wept
something erupts
there’s golden
a wall inside
flat beard king
the chequerboard falling
there’s a face where you won’t look
a figure fades into the wall
there is no place for us above
we must not fall below
2488
7.296
25.x.26
Ten
Heian Jingu Haiku
one
more arrangement of nature
the just dug pond
two ducks take off
it’s not what they had imagined
shadows of branches
fill my blank canvas
and now a cloud re-primes
stones step across
a dragon’s back
ghosts of trees lament
gingerly, arms out for balance
at the photo op stone
fall in
traffic roar
just over the fence
little fish and slightly bigger
it’s so many ways
your every tree goes
without ever giving a thought
a breeze of turned leaves
a tortoise headsup
beyond the frond, frog lands
the shallow world and the swimming
garden as good as a picture
all these eyes to follow you round
it’s just me here
trying to keep invisible
forbidding myself from the poem
ripple of wings, grooming antics
the stillness below and the stillness above
ducks duck under now
2487
7.295
24.x.26
in
Kyoto, as always, longing for Kyoto
now sight first and last of all bridges
tucked in
a garden few are to see
now you’re back – at journey’s end and beginning
the wilding hedges and the grasses rank
little bridges out of time, cattails and sedges
this waiting the leaves to turn
syllabic footwork for a shout
where figures of the past pour forth
and will tomorrow too
a twist and a toss – pompoms on poles
scattered applause, call that matsuri
to every side a bow
children in bright caps at the palace
and all other ages pass by
a room of tigers and a room of cranes
the cherry blossom room, the gold chrysanthemum
lintel
a courtier’s gravel crunch, palanquin on call
the name of a tree for which one weeps
doors behind gates behind
a sky processional shows through
but just now open, here at heaven’s whim
the emperor is dreaming
as will a cloud we must not wake
clouds waiting permission to rain
2486
7.294
23.x.26
between
paper walls
my
strange house in Arashiyama
gentle with this dark of hard angles
you can get lost in here
little submarine house
with the haunted bath
that drains, refills itself
that’s all there is of the dream now
stairs are somewhere else
but only if you look
a little imp moves the teacups round
it’s always when you’re not looking
there’s a rational explanation
old bells are ringing out there
the walls are far mountains
they like a little offering of crumb
you take all of the necessary steps
to remind yourself you’re not here
and sleep!
I can remember it
sleep is where we were
2485
7.293
22.x.26
a
temple garden after rain
and half the leaves half turned
now lit
weather under me now
so make my devotion
dragon drool over the sacred puddle
flowers fresh assigned
there’s stillness of a great bell
maple tremble
strew of wet stone
witness the calm of cloud for procession
butterfly for cliché
just over the tiles of the roof
its all the valley’s river run
some would say therapy
some would keep stum
if ever where
to be found by a poem
this must be the place
2484
7.292
21.x.26
Koozenji
Kiso
Fukushima
the pond and the daylit lantern
shadow and rill
light touch of breeze
tree shaped to fit
moss for the socks
all sorts of stones laid for a way
someone is shouting away in the hills
a thousand years ago
on with the river
a little bamboo fence
between us and the past
and the view
leaves at the time of turning
such as all time is
2483
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20.x.26
cloudless,
drumming
all the trees get drunk
in toe socks stand
with a bamboo flute to tune
we have to hold them up
here’s unison
make a face
as if it were the sun
dancing up down with the mountains
deep diffident bow
streets are drunk
all join in
rise, tap, point up
as far as we are inland here
a conch to conjure the sea
make an earthquake cymbal crash
that’s just to have arrived
no need to imagine the heavenly bodies
just wait out the light of the day
