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?

Mountain Time [Tanka]

an ancient mountain,
weathered to rubble,
stands background
to a city that's lived
but a blip of mountain time.

Cormorant Patience [Kyōka]

the cormorant,
glistening & dripping,
must air dry
before it’s a bird again;
humans cramp in the pool.

Snake Hijinx [Kyōka]

i see snakes jutting
from the water; usually
i’d discover
it’s not snakes but sticks,
but today isn’t the usual.

Holdout [Tanka]

a tree’s last blossom
seems to wait til no one
is looking to drop.
what a thing it must be
to see a holdout yield.

Hide Your Light [Kyōka]

the rising sun
hides behind winter trees
as a fat kid
hides behinds a fence post,
fooling no one.

World Writ Minimalist [Kyōka]

sunrise paints the haze
the color of campfire flames,
and nothing looks real,
but rather like a painting
by an artist, skilled & lazy.

Stream Toll [Kyōka]

even a stream
charges a toll, and
thwarts cheaters.
step on stone: slip & fall;
sink calf deep: you may pass.

Multitasking Youth [Kyōka]

a brave youth
plummets into the stepwell,
 all the while
looking like she's on a stroll,
blowing her nose and waving.