AESRED HAS THE NUMBERS SOMEWHERE

In 1338 Venice counted each household’s

Men, women, boys, girls, servants, 

Livestock, windows and gondolas. The dogs 

Reluctantly subscribed themselves

As "servants." Most cats

Insisted they were the Doge. Others

Were content to pass as gondolas.

FURYU NANA KOMACHI

One pale spring day in 1760
Kutsukawa Shunsho decided to paint
A group portrait of the poetess Ono No Komachi.
Coaxed and persuaded, versions of her

Left, for a while, the ninth century
To pose with props in his studio. Afterwards,
The old dancer fell asleep, her head
On the lap of the girl who brought rain.
Komachi the courtier and Komachi the beggarwoman
Wandered about Edo, telling outrageous lies
And winking at every man they passed.

PLAYING GOD

Sometimes in Hell Satan would amuse his friends
By imitating God. Wearing infinity
Loose-draped upon his shoulders
He would gestures and stars
Would conjure themselves in a sky
Which itself would have appeared
Just in time for them to have a place
In which to be. Planets would shudder into being;
Plants and beasts and men would rush on
Half-dressed, trying to remember their lines.
Until Satan grew interested in other things
Some of his creations lingered on, eon after eon;
A few are here still, a bit run-down perhaps
But sought after by discerning travellers
Of limited means. I lived in one my junior year
And still in dreams find myself praying
For things I cannot afterwards recall.