From “Sleeping with Bashō”
at the yam festival
What a delicious life!
When I cut a sweet
potato in half, I get
the harvest moon.
stripped branches
What’s left after the wind
blows every blossom
off the dog cherry—
a tree of wagging tails.
surrender to the beauty of flowers
Be sure to wear
your flowered robe
when you come out
to view the blossoms.
family history
The bamboo sprout
cares nothing
about the stalk
that produced him.
wagging tongues
Every red leaf
rustling
with gossip.
lights out
Unhappily,
the new moon
has been sent upstairs
before her bedtime.
SAYŌNARA
Like wild geese,
we’ll only be separated
by clouds, my dear,
dear friend.
house call
How come the rich merchant
never sends a horse
to fetch the village poet?
seeing is believing
I found god
in plum blossoms,
not the great blank sky
beyond them.
