Fate: A Solo Shisan

Fate

Frost covers the grass
A week before the solstice
No snow has fallen

On the pathway through the park
An old man walks with a cane

Young lovers maintain
A sense of space around them
Among passersby

***
Graced by the waxing moon sky
Seen through the apple blossoms

A single lonesome
Sparrow looking for its flock
Hops from branch to branch

The forest is in a trance,
The drone of a steady wind

***
"How long has it been?
I'm glad that you could join me
On such a hot day."

She decides that it's O.K.
To share with her friend a dream

It was by a stream
That meandered here and there
And curved out of sight

***
Who knows where the fall leaves might
End up?, perhaps the ocean?

The tidal motion
Millenia of fine sand,
Slowly the sun sets

Standing on a parapet
A goddess sings songs of fate

Attention: A Solo Junicho

Attention

Clouds in the distance
In the field filled with stubble
Some patches of ice

Before setting off for work
He scrapes the car windows clear

Time to get in gear,
It will be a busy day
There is lots to do

The building construction crew
Balancing on the high beams

She's amazed, it seems
He always knows what to say
To show he loves her

A gift of a new sweater
Days before the first cold breeze

The bright sun deceives,
It's lacking a basic warmth,
The November air

"Please do not bother, and spare
Me all your lame excuses."

He just refuses
To notice things like blossoms
On the apple tree

Moonlight, a common beauty,
Windows rattle in the wind

It happened again,
A dream of freedom and peace
It seemed very real

They partake of a fine meal,
A gathering of old friends

Sanctuary: A Solo Junicho

Sanctuary

After forty years
Dwelling in the winter light --
The aged couple

Contemplating retirement
Watching their grandchildren play

Under the array,
The web of cherry blossoms,
Sitting quietly

As the mind wanders freely
While taking a morning break

He is never late,
His table is always ready,
At the corner cafe

Leaves scatter, falling away,
A cascade of red and gold

The moon, bright and bold,
Traverses the Leo sky
And a few thin clouds

"Turn it down, it's much too loud,"
She's looking out the window

Thoughts, like seeds, can grow
And change the course of a life,
The course of the world

The new house plans are unfurled,
He is very proud of them

"We'll preserve the glenn,"
A summer sanctuary
For birds and wildlife

The hermit, free from all strife,
Listens to the fading wind