空気を読む

In Japan, one learns

To "read the air",

Learn from words

That are not there...

And the meaning

Of how, or what,

Is ultimately

Sensed in one's gut...

Hemingway's Hint

Edit, while sober, what

You wrote, while high,

Seems to work, but

Not too sure why...

Travel Advice

Sometimes, a thousand-mile-journey, 

Begins not with a step, but a fall,

Followed by getting back up, and

Sort of reassessing it all,

Then, resume the trip, knowing

What might twist or appall....

Some Kind of Cure

Alas, survey the moment,

The state, you are in,

More likely to lose,

Rather than win,

Well, abandon the thought,

And just take your medicine...

ゲリラ豪雨

Late afternoon, and some

Convectional perturbation,

Pushes, cools the muggy day,

With wind, precipitation,

Water puddles and streams,

Asphalt glistens, steams...

Investment

Invaders, dressed as businessmen,

Came from Outer Space,

They purchased craftily, and no one

Knew it was taking place...

Mumbai

Still warm, from yesterday's

Sun, the square of concrete,

Where he curls up to sleep,

On the side of the street...

Authoritarian

Trade away our freedom, and

In security we are wrapped,

Convince ourselves we are

Happy, while being trapped,

We are comrades, and we

Bend to fit what we belong,

Bow to our father dictator,

Who can never be wrong…

Flesh

Human behavior, driven,
In no small measure,
By biology, and the
Promise of pleasure…

Geopolitics

Hearing the first Cicadas' cries,

While wars are fought over gas,

And territory, the Kudzu vines

Don't care, "This too shall pass",

Underling words unspoken, as 

Elephants trample the grass...

Saved By Public Transport

Slumped on the back of the

Bus seat, under the vent,

Blowing down cool air on

My fevered neck, heaven-sent,

The awesome feeling of relief,

As my sweat evaporates,

And the curse of the

Too hot humidity abates...

Septuagenarious

Right around 70 was the

Beginning, the start,

Of her body slowly

Falling apart…

Inductive

Artificial intelligence,

Not quite the same as

Common sense...

For wisdom

Is corporeal,

Grown from what

You see and feel...

冷夏

Wilted Hydrangeas,

Droop and bend,

Sayonara, rainy

Season's end...

Thanks

With the rising Sun,

Our spirits lift,

Each new breath,

Each new day, a gift...

Negotiation

Truce time and talks,

We hoped they would forgive,

Bury the hatchet,

Live and let live,

But we could tell from

The looks in their eyes,

That they had no

Desire to compromise...   

Imaginary

My room, a rectangular box,

Filled with restive air,

Host to mental adventures,

But nothing really there…

Hamamatsu Tragedy, 7/7/2026

Jilted, and his ego could 

Not stand the mental pain,

So, he killed, and then

Jumped in front of a train,

Only fumes of a

Broken romance remain,

Blood on the tracks can

Neither repent nor explain...

Safe Haven

Survive in the shadows,

Away from the noise and glare,

And thrive in the cool,

Calm, and quiet there...

Air Strike

Crow chased by Swallows,

Harried, pestered, no rest,

Flies away, after getting too

Close to their nest...

抱っこ紐

Baby crying,

Unable to rest,

Goes quiet, harnessed

To mother’s chest,

Soothed by warmth

And smell of breast…

90-Something

Old one, her body a

Bag of aches & ills,

Kept alive by

Handfuls of pills,

Still thankful to

Breath the morning air,

Out in the light

In her wheelchair…

The Wager

Showtime, game on,

So it begins,

The dice are rolled,

A bottle spins,

Only gods know

How one wins...

How It Often Happens

It’s a race against time,

As things tend to diminish,

Sometimes disappear,

Before one can finish…

On The Sidewalk

Intact bird’s nest, lying on the ground,

Fallen from the tree above, I suppose,

So did the baby birds grow, or fly,

Or survive -- who knows?

煽り運転

Expressway, where drivers

Who speed in the fast lane,

Are impatient, aggressive,

And a type of insane…

Constrained

Hidden, roiling, boiling,

Deep, deep, inside,

Is where your passions,

Hunger, desires, hide,

Waiting for the chance,

The moment, of release,

And when that happens

There can be no peace...

Unclear 不透明

When it comes to the truth,

Interpretations can apply,

What is said to be gospel,

Can also be deemed a lie,

The search for truth, elusive,

Despite how hard you try...

夏至 2026

That the Druids gathered at Stonehenge,

Most did not notice, nor comprehend,

Longest day of the year commemorated,

Summer's beginning, and Spring's end...

Sheltering Sky

Breathless stories about aliens

Landing, invaders from Mars,

But in reality, there is only

Emptiness beyond the stars,

Or so it's assumed, because

There is no way to know,

And there still might be

Spacemen watching though...

Comfort Zone?

So, I'm skating on thin ice,

As I write this verse,

But Moskow is burning,

Things could be worse...

Fire on a distant shore,

Somehow doesn't feel

So distant anymore...

Scorched Earth

We fled to the north, with

All we could carry and heft,

Later, returned to our town,

But nothing was left,

The rubble the cost of

Giving a fanatic a gun,

Who used us as shields,

Until it all came undone,

Drug us in a blood feud war

Which couldn't be won,

And now to survive, we must

Pack up and run...

Peace, of Sorts

The sound of rain gently 

Falling from nighttime sky,

Outside the barred window

Of the room where I lie,

Bathed in blue light,

Computer plays the lullaby…

猿島

Monkey Island, lonely guardian of Tokyo Bay,

Used to be ready for artillery action,

A fort to keep the Western barbarians away,

Now forgotten, a tourist attraction...

掃除当番

No custodians in Japanese 

Schools, to clean up the mess,

So, students do it instead,

Assimilating cleanliness...

Do The Right Thing

It takes a real effort, and

A certain kind of strong,

To have the painful courage

To admit you were wrong...  

Aerobatics

An amazing, magical sight,

The speed and precision

Of a Swallow’s flight…

Sinking In

Month after month, year after year,

It happened and happened,

Before the meaning became clear... 

Property

On an ancient hill,

Stands an olive tree,

Which, at one time,

Belonged to me,

And my ancestors,

Until recently,

When all was seized

And occupied,

By those who came

From outside...

６月上旬

Listless days,

Cool, gray, and numb,

Waiting for the

Rains to come...  

Automatic

Action taken

Mistakenly,

Based on advice

From ChatGPT...

日没

Violets, grays,

Oranges, pinks,

Spectral beauty

As the Sun sinks...

A fleeting

Fabulous sight,

Made by the

Dying light...

Rest

Hug my pillow,

Lay on my left side,

Then slowly, into

Sleep, I slide,

Float away on

A quiet tide…

Fossil Fuel

Convenience,

Freedom, mobility,

Dependent on petrol

Availability,

For God save us,

Angst and alas,

If we ever run

Out of gas...

Companions

Unnoticed, but

Always there,

The assumptions

And trust, we share... 

Air Force Solution

Hiding in a high rise apartment,

They found the targeted man,

So they destroyed the entire building,

Efficiently, according to plan,

Huge guided munitions,

Deployed from the sky,

Like using a sledge

Hammer, to kill a fly…

Mysterious

As if holding its breath,

The new day,

Is deathly still,

Quiet and gray,

A morning which

Has lost its way…

地震

It comes without warning,

Sways, bounces, shakes,

Things fail, fall down,

In the chaos it makes,

And all you can do

Is hold on for the ride,

Hope you are lucky,

With no place to hide...

Freeway Fear

No bus, no train, only

Cars for the age-impaired,

Caught in frightened, hostile

Traffic, driving scared...

Awoken

One’s view of things,

Consciousness, RPM,

Much different at noon,

Than at 2 AM…

Insomniac 

Spooky power,

Of a dark

Ghostly hour… 

Adroit?

OK, my poems are clever,

You say, which is all

Good, all right, whatever…

Cold Front

Trees swaying, hissing,

Whispering sighs,

Plied by Siberian winds,

Restless skies...

梅雨の前

The coolness, brought by

A north wind is here,

The last chilled air

For this time of year,

And next week, the humid

Breeze will appear...

Contact

Hello, you, reading these

Words, how do you feel?

This moment, caught,

In diminishing time, is real,

A small, sentient experience,

If you know what I mean,

Gazing at letters I've left

On this glowing screen...

Natural Selection

It was the timid wolves,

Who were fated,

By eating human food,

To become domesticated,

Whereas the aggressive 

Wolves, would bite,

And howl, and avoid

The campfire’s light,

So, that is how man’s

Best friend, dogs, today,

Have carried along the

Timid wolves’ DNA…

Descartes

Act, react, and eat

Digest and drink,

But I am,

Because I think...

Drift

It takes a while to learn,

To come to know,

That sometimes it's better

To just go with the flow...

Suspended 躺平 / 寝そべり

No deadlines to meet,

No boss to satisfy,

Rather, just lay flat,

Let the world go by...

Endless

So sad to realize that

Hate makes no sound,

As it festers, and revenge

Just goes round & round...

Listening

Morning, and the absentminded 

Song she sings,

And the sense of comfort 

That brings…

Daybreak

Sirens of ambulances,

Hurrying on their way,

Break the silence of

A still asleep day,

Joined by the hungry cries

Of manic crows,

And moaning engines,

As morning traffic flows...

How Does It End

A war will follow

Its cruel course,

Bombs and missiles 

Have no remorse,

Power expended

Until depleted,

Stops when one

Side’s defeated,

Or too bloodied 

And tired,

As the last rounds

Are fired…

不眠症の現実

Nighttime brain waves,

Dancing, effusive,

Hence, restful sleep,

Elusive…

和

Backstreet bar in Shinjuku,

We are like foreigner fools,

Adrift in a country, where,

Everyone follows rules,

Inherited, from long ago,

Rules to establish harmony,

The invisible "Wa", which

We, outsiders, may never see...

Unsatisfactory

Both parents work, and

Just cannot be there,

In their empty home, full of

Lower middle-class air,

Their toddlers raised by

Strangers in day care,

Such being the state of

A modern family affair...

雑草

After April rains, and the

Green grows fiercely, fast,

Surging, clinging, covering

All, a verdant biological blast…

Coping Technique

Neither surrender nor succumb,

To the social madness, rather

Be watchful, quiet, numb…

Countermeasure

Outside was a bit too

Chaotic, unsettled, uncertain,

So, she closed the door

And pulled the curtain...

Maybe with a new day,

All the mess will

Somehow go away...

Seeker

Want to be a philosopher?

Well, give it a try,

Look at everyday things,

And start asking “Why?”…

最終電車

Springtime Tokyo,

Cold night rain,

Sleeping salaryman,

Slumped on the train…

Suddenly

Life administered a

Pop-quiz, a test,

Thereafter, scrambled,

Improvised, stressed,

But now it's solved,

Now we can rest...

右翼

This day, the anniversary of Japan's war

Defeat, right-wingers’ trucks, cruising around,
Blaring old martial music, and filling the
Summer day with their angry nationalist sound,
Trying to resurrect, I suppose, lost pride and glory,
And Imperial lust, best left buried in the ground,

They honor, in a nasty noisy way, the Shrine

Where the warrior souls are bound…

(Revision of a poem written on August 10, 2013)

酒の力

With the first glass,

Man drinks wine,

All good and fine,

With the second glass, 

The wine drinks the wine,

Fun minutes pass,

But savor the buzz,

While one can,

For third glass of wine

Will drink the man...

Safe Haven

Always watching,

Eyes in the sky,

It's so hard to hide,

But we try,

Carry our small

Ones underground,

Now silent,

Unseen, unfound...

交通事故

Too much speed,

Lost control,

Last thing seen

Was a telephone pole,

Purgatory welcomes

Another soul…

Spontaneous

Wave my fist,

For all to see,

Ignore, for now,

The futility,

Curse the 

Inevitability…

Visitor

Small spindly green figure,

Big head, oval eyes,

It scans me closely, but

Is gone before I realize,

A being, perhaps, from

Somewhere beyond the Sun,

Now disappeared, someplace,

In Area Fifty One…

Unrecoverable

Moped taillight moving away

From where I watch it,

Up on a condominium 

Balcony, silently I sit,

And that little red light,

Down on the dark street,

Fades away, carrying

A rider I will never meet…

Reset

Cursed is the tendency 

To mope and fret,

Healthier is the ability

To simply forget…

Good Morning

Roll off bed, stretch,

A new day’s start,

Big yawn, rub eyes,

Belch and fart,

Drink coffee strong

Enough to raise the dead,

Gird loins for

The crazy day ahead…

春の色

White-pink cherry blossom

Petals, fallen on the ground,

Now multi-shades of

Green, emerging all around...

Soon colors of Azaleas and

Hydrangeas will abound,

White. pink, magenta, and

Blue they will bring,

Those magical, transient,

Flowers of Spring...

常識

After a long while,

You learn

When to smile,

And keep your

Mouth shut,

No if, and, or but...

Our Current Reality

I sometimes wonder why,

It's become normal & accepted

To bloviate and lie,

Finding truth becoming

Too hard to try,

Media and demagogues

Selling pie in the sky...

Loss Of Control

Sometimes smiles

And laughter hide,

Harder feelings

Which burn inside,

In a brain's dark

Nook, they reside,

Temporarily trapped

In a neutral mode,

Until the terrible

Time they explode...

特殊訓練

Special uniformed training,

Arranged by my nation,

Sitting in my plywood

Box, mild hallucination,

Due to lack of food,

And sleep deprivation

No choice but to grimace,

Grind-through, the situation...

台風4号

Missing landfall, the typhoon

Howls in disappointment offshore,

Then growls and stalks northward,

Dissipates until it is no more…

戦争の現実

Once a geopolitical

Fire is lit,

It's difficult

To stop or quit,

Or quell the brimstone

Pain and hate,

No off-ramps

To deescalate,

Just wait for

Killings to abate...

Cure Varieties

Escape from

Hangover's thrall,

Strong black coffee

And Tylenol...

Or, alternatively,

Imbibe a bit more,

Of the booze you

Had the night before...

夜雨

Soothing sound,

Out of sight,

Spring rain falling

In the night…

Yearning

Why is it

So strong?

That, for which

I long...

The slow burn,

Soul ache,

My unfed

Feelings make...

Let Go

Thankless burden of

Worries we carry,

Better to jettison,

Or bury…

Looking at Tokyo Bay

Morning ocean view, and waves

Which undulate before my eyes,

Ever shifting, static patterns, waves

Which sooth, almost hypnotize...

Good Morning

The struggle to emerge from sleep,

Overcome gravity, meet the new day,

Prepare to manage whatever

Will come my way,

Roll with the punches,

Keep the ball in play…