Friday, May 30, 2025

REFLECTIONS

 

Shunsho once drew a samurai glaring

At a young geisha looking back at him

From his mirror. He obviously thinks

He's being poorly served but at least

The geisha has a clever look to her

And is probably good company.

My mirror parades ragged old men

Who seem distressed -- helpless creatures

Who can't even comb their hair properly.

Any of their originals -- surely a sorry lot! --

Are welcome to come fetch them. I'll  make do

Until my reflection returns. (I assume he's in jail;

He'd better not be hanging out with geishas.)

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

DRAGON CONJURED FROM A CUP OF TEA

 

I don't know if my grandfather Joe

Frequented all-night diners but since he died

It's where I generally see him in dreams --

Often multiplied so that he's most

Of the customers, quietly chatting

With himself in a booth, waiting

For a seat at the counter, glaring

At the change the cashier is giving him.

The next time we meet I mean to show him

Harunobu's picture of a girl conjuring

A dragon from a cup of tea.

Monday, May 26, 2025

STRATEGIES

 

Death, wanting to be loved,

Has learned how to make an omelet

And to do a very creditable

Imitation of a crow though not

At the same time. This, he believes,

Is why his strategy has so far failed.

Friday, May 23, 2025

SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT

 

Formerly, my cat Casey (deceased)

Was responsible for looking from

An upstairs window every morning

To make sure the world was still there.

I never thanked her. Now the job's mine

And nobody thanks me either.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

HIROSHIGE SKETCH

 

The nobleman has given it

The merest toe-tap but the ball

Has soared into the sky where it hangs

Pretending to be a stitch-seamed moon

Monday, May 19, 2025

VEHICLES

 

In their perverse metal hearts some cars

Dream of being hearses, slowmoving,

Leading long processions of other cars

With their lights on in the daytime, ignoring

Traffic lights since no cop tickets a hearse.

Hearses, though, wish to be ambulances

Screamshouting on desperate missions.

Ambulances make no wishes, have no dreams.

Friday, May 16, 2025

TROPE

 

Since I am generally held to be

The Good Son the smart money is that

I'm actually evil or that, put to the test

I will crumble under pressure. At best,

I can hope to prove a weaselly hypocrite

Or to have a serious drinking problem.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

HAMMER

 

Sometimes, do you see, an angel
Would come by with a hammer and
Knock down a house -- he'd say he had
Orders but I think he just woke feeling
Mean. He'd work steady, stopping
For a cigarette or two (Angels
Don't have souls and don't get
Lung cancer) and leave the district
When the house was down, Once in a ways
Gangs of angels - - three of them, maybe four --
Would come and build another house there
Or the same one that had been there
Or a house that had been there a long time ago

Monday, May 12, 2025

THE WAY OF IT

 

Somewhere a shadow

Digs my grave. He's in no hurry

But the thing gets slowly deeper.

I try to distract him, pretend

To feel sympathy. "Poor chap!

Out in such weather!" 

I offer to trade a tea-spoon

For his shovel saying

He'd be a fool to refuse

An elegant utensil, made

From genuine silver-plated tin.

When he's not looking,

I kick some dirt back in.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

DIRECTION

 

There was a time, years ago, when I

Was constantly asked for directions

Then it stopped -- my look became

Less trustworthy perhaps. Now

I'm being asked again, in languages

I don't know; I answer anyway

Really, I'll have to follow someone

To see where they wind up.

Monday, May 5, 2025

Friday, May 2, 2025

DAY WORKER

 

Going to my job I'd usually

Walk through a passage that

Was either a dark, narrow street or

A broad, well-lit alley. Partway,

The shadow I wore at home

Would slip off, nodding to the utility player

Who'd dog my steps at work. Protocol

Demanded I pretend not to notice.