a night heron,
up & about at sunrise,
like diehard revellers.
Night Heron [Senryū]
1
a night heron,
up & about at sunrise,
like diehard revellers.
harsh summer sun sets:
baboon troops exit the woods,
"Yeah, you'd better run!"
a cow grazes
on a plinth once reserved
for priests & kings.
a young skink's
vibrant cobalt blue tail
says, "Not the Face!"
on a narrow ridge,
covered with fine dust,
my foot slips. I’m awake!
curb crows
stand in a row.
what’s the sky say?
at water’s edge,
snakes wrestle: writhing, twining,
but slipping the pin.
Spring
rainy days
make the monk Ryōkan
feel sad.
Summer
the moon in my window
is all the thief left behind.
Autumn
an autumn wind
chills the dangling persimmons,
and my testicles.
Winter
little birds have
gathered in the brushwood
on a snowy morn.
budding limbs:
vibrant growth unseen from
the city beyond.
sun to flowers,
“now that I have your
attention… shine!”