Pillbox Bunker [Tanka]

pillbox bunker from
a war a lifetime ago
sits in a field.
what the farmer must think
as he plants around it.

Worldly Concerns [Kyōka]

Buddha's lap,
a pigeon lands:
a monk shoos
the bird away,
but Buddha didn't mind.

Sleeping Bear [Kyōka]

the sleeping bear
seems at peace, and still does
when its eyes open,
but my mental state - and
my drawers - are quite changed.

Gray Baby [Kyōka]

an autumn sapling,
red leaves on a stiff twig,
shakes in the breeze;
i can't help but think of it
as a gray-haired baby.

Young & Old [Kyōka]

roadside saplings
take Fall colors for a time,
before going bare;
the envy of humans:
at once young & old.

Beyond Eye & Mind [Kyōka]

a bare tree,
beside the stream,
sent leaves to the sea:
how far did they get?
"beyond eye & mind."

Monkey Insight [Kyōka]

langur in a tree
remains still as others flee;
it seems to know
my limitations as well as
its own capabilities.

Trails [Kyōka]

wildlife trail:
a subtle part in the grass;
human trail:
a bald and dusty line..., but
a buck 'd be hell on your rug, too!

Cherry [Kyōka]

some are made speechless
by falling cherry blossoms,
but -- for others --
speechlessness comes from
a mouthful of the fruits.

Ride by Night [Kyōka]

a little bird,
on a bit of driftwood,
speeds downriver
in the dusky, fading light.
doesn’t it know it can fly?