Tuesday 31 October 2023

#1400 - Henro Series - everywhere I am, begin


 

1400

4.304

1.xi.23


Henro Series 

Day Three

everywhere I am, begin 


a day beginning is hope 


double socks to unblister 

a chill sets on the pace 


breakfast and lunch from mini-stop


after Temple 11 - Fujidera

they say ‘the pilgrim falls down’

henro korogashi

that might be another poem 


this is not the ancient forest 

it’s some puny stubble time permits 


the road like a river

the way is clearly sometimes a creek


the city below 

glimpsed mechanical, vanishing 


little pine yearning from the forest path 

it’s not my foot 

to kick you away 


racking up merit in a forest of song 


we pilgrims flatten a ridge with our feet 


a breath is a line, at least

on the mountain 


roots of the way much tangled

easy to trip up now 


a squirrel for luck 


and a senryu to finish off with 


ants have made their way

to the top of the mountain 

humbly I follow their lead


esperanta serio #795 - milde kun mi mem

 



795

milde kun mi mem


devas nun


en la arbaron de vortoj


alportu sezonojn


ĉio estas divenoj


en fenestro lumigita


en la sonorado


grundo tiel profunda kiel atingas arboj



eta fosado por la memo

mondo malproksime

kaj milda kun


en la sklavado de la ĝardeno



lumo povus konduki ien ajn


ni eterne perfektigas











gently with myself


must now


into the forest of words


bring seasons 


all guessing


in a window lit


in the ringing


soil as deep as trees reach


a little fossick for the self 

world  far

and gentle with


or

in the garden’s thrall


light could lead anywhere


we are forever perfecting

Monday 30 October 2023

#1399 - Henro series - there is always the way within



1399

there is always the way within 


or you could say each of us is a way 

has a way 


consider the feet, the back, the shoulders

let us speak of neither bladder nor bowel

the unreadable map

stray waymarkers


did I mention 


sometimes the temple water is rancid

sometimes it tastes like rust 


the way is further than you think


the slippery moss, the unforecast rain 


one of the parts of the pilgrim’s oath 

is that one must not complain


I think that’s helpful

and today for instance 

I didn’t get too terribly  burnt 

neither soaked to the skin

no shivers, no fevers

I have nothing broken 

no burst blisters

no weeping wounds as far as I know 


my only terminal condition is life 

or one might say, age

I ought to be good for the journey

 

I bought the overpriced pilgrim cloak

3000 yen, temple rip-off 

but mutipurpose 

traditionally, it what they bury you in 

should you die on the way


around my neck, I wear just skin 

for staff I have a ukulele 

I have an osprey on my back

my water bottle rattles empty for a bell


esperanta serio #794 - apostrofo al la ĉielo

Free photo white cloud on blue sky

 




       




794

apostrofo al la ĉielo



kiel aminda vi estas en la postpluvo






kun suno, kaj ĉiuj denove vivas


ĉiu folio pli verda

multe supre kun la arbo


ankoraŭ grizaj niaj esperoj pri pli


grundo kantanta


ni ĉiuj petegante ĉielon


dancado kaj kantado

 ĵus komencante


bonvolu veni denove








apostrophe to sky



how lovely you are in the after-rain

with sun, and all alive again


every leaf greener

much up with the tree


still grey our hopes of more


soil singing


all of us imploring sky


dancing and singing

lilt just beginning


please please come again



Sunday 29 October 2023

# 1398 - Henro Series - Day 2 - sometimes at a turning consider the kindness of the way

 



1398

sometimes at a turning consider the kindness of the way 


collar, button up for wind


old backs are bending to a field of weed

that’s because they have before 


year of the emperor what-shall-we-say?


a hill to work off breakfast 


air plentiful

one is born along by the fact of one’s feet


note how shade may be given its tree


I never understood 

how so deep in maps this country 


you have to dig to find out where you are


and every little god a stone

and every stone a god 


here and there the way loses me 

that’s when I’m somewhere else


esperanta serio #793 - en iliaj kavernoj kaj kavoj

 

Rolled up Short-beaked Echidna


793

en iliaj kavernoj kaj kavoj


en libera aero, ankaŭ tra fenestroj

supren tra likaj tegmentoj


ĉiuj piedo kaj ungego

en fabelo trankvilo


nekonataj de si mem

intencia, konscia, viva


flugita por forporti la flugilojn


kaj iuj ŝvebas

ofte en la ago de malapero


preta por ŝanco

apud si mem, enamiĝinta


ĉiuj okuloj kaj nelavita

preskaŭ dronis kelkfoje


ekbruligi kun

en ilia muzika tenero


por fosi kaj

inter, sur, kun


ĉio signifo

kvazaŭ por signifi


kliniĝinta super la ŝtormo

malhelaj drapiraĵoj de viteta tuŝo


kompate al la objekto


vetero senkonscia, adaptita al sezono


en pelto, en plumo

laca simileco

iuj kalkulas al perdo

kaj kaŝatendi

tiom de estaoj formante kvazau preĝo


nun kaj en la horo

ofte post putro


sonore malhele

ĝojo hela ankaŭ

ĉi tiuj bestoj ni ĉiuj estas





Sundial shell (Architectonica perspectiva)






in their burrows and hutches


in open air, through windows too

up through leaky roofs


all paw and claw

in fairytale calm 


unknown to themselves

intending, aware, alive 


flown to wear the wings away


and some soar

often in the act of vanish


up for opportunity

beside selves, smitten


all eyes and unwashed

nearly drowned at times


alight with 

in their music tender


delving and 

amidst, on with


everything meaning

as if to mean


hunkered storm over

dark draperies of tendril touch


in pity of the object


weather numbed,  adjusted to season


in fur, in feather

weary resemblance

some counting to a loss

and lurk

so many shaped like a prayer


now and in the hour

often after gone to rot


ringing dark 

joy bright too 

these creatures we all are