Fine Print

My body came with a warranty,

Which I cannot seem to find,

But maybe I've exceeded it?

Never mind, never mind...

Hardware Fix

Feeling lonely,

Listless, dejected,

Spiritual WIFI

Was disconnected,

So, reboot the

System, and then,

Feel somewhat

Better again...

Supermarket Sadness

I miss her, the lady who worked

The cash register, making change,

We traded greetings, which

Self-checkouts now rearrange,

Into a colder cost-efficient

Man-machine-interface,

Requiring no pleasantries

From human race...

Bliss

A certain level of comfort,

Neither now, nor then,

The unappreciated gift,

Of not knowing when...

茶

Seated on tatami,

Hot water slowly mixed

With powdered tea,

Green and frothy,

Sipped reverentially...

Generation Z

Full, but empty,

Alone, but free,

It's just simplicity,

It's just me...

Almost Solstice

Long nights, darkness rule,

But light's slow rebellion

Starts, this week of Yule...

Waves

The joys and sorrows

Our Earth days send,

Ever approaching,

Never end...

Kita-Kyushu 12/14/2024

Standing in line, waiting to

Order a burger and fries,

When suddenly stabbed,

And later she dies,

In safe place, she cruelly

Lost her young life,

Attacked by a random

Madman's knife...

イチョウの木

Shell-shaped Ginko leaves

First turn light yellow-green,

Then later burst into gold,

A magical autumn scene,

As arriving winter breezes

Slowly swirl and blow,

Ginko leaves start falling

Like gold-yellow snow...

Umi-kaze Park

Tent set up, with ocean view,

Light the coals of the barbecue,

Relax on grass till the day is through...

Loose Ends

Errands, appointments, bluster

Through the daily give and take,

Chasing down the promises

We made and make,

Resolve before arrival

Of the Year of the Snake...

師走・12月

This month of running priests,

Gets busier as the day draws near,

Clean, cook, buy and prepare

For the holy end of the year...

Wear And Tear

Calluses, perspective,

Gained from the knocks

Our woken days give...

Gas Pedal

Riding on wheels with

An urge to speed,

Unconscious death wish,

Some kind of greed?

Narcotic acceleration,

Auto exhilaration...

Empty Street

Cold north air now

Settled all around,

Shadows grow,

No shifting, no sound...

Peace of Mind

Dream, sleep, chill, relax,

Briefly, before

Reality reattacks...

Post Sunday

Out of a quiet dream

She slowly wakes,

Recognizes it's Monday

By the sound it makes,

People and things

Moving about, at speed,

Driven not by desire

But by debt and need...

Point of View

View the day as drudge,

Then onward trudge,

But see it as chance,

Then skip and dance...

Hello Internet

Dear Reader ... Thank you for stopping by .... It has been 15 years since the start of this poetry blog .... Over time, I developed a few rules for posting: (1) The verses should not be too abstract, or long; (2) They must rhyme, and (3) Need to write at least twenty per month .... So, yes, the quality varies (sigh), but I've stuck to it and have by now accumulated over 3,800 entries .... I do not write for recognition or money, rather, for some other reason I guess ... Best luck & health to you -- JPN    

Inspiration

Mining the muse's

Mother lode,

Art unleashed,

Brains explode,

New ideas,

Creations, abound,

While hardly

Making a sound...

Sayonara

It's one thing to understand,

Accept, and know,

But another to actually

Watch them go...

Recollection Mechanism

Like being drawn to the

Scene of a previous crime,

Cringe memories 

Surface from time to time,

Past pains better off

Forgotten or hidden,

But they continue to

Bubble-up unbidden...

限界村

Due to a lack of young people,

Able to practice and perform,

An ancient festival was abandoned,

Leaving us empty, forlorn,

Our village disappearing,

Slowly, no one left to mourn...

Undetected

As things changed, we

Remained blissfully unaware,

Unable to detect the

Changes, here and there,

Like a subtle shift in

The quality of the air...