観光地

Tourists arrive, purchase, 

Pass through,

Our country, a theme park,

A zoo...

Reversal

Everything changed in our war,

When we got to the point where

We could not back up anymore... 

Visitor

What arrived from outer space,

Wasn't a group of little green men,

Rather, buried in a meteorite,

Was a microscopic pathogen,

Which rode the rock, unnoticed,

Down into the angry ocean surge,

And now it lies among the

Whale bones, waiting to emerge...

Scut Work

Working through a mess,

Relentless stress,

But cleaning it up brings happiness...

Slow Morning

Welcome a morning, which unfolds,

Better than one which explodes,

Drift, flow, into what the day holds...

Kyiv

Be aware, forewarned,

That when you attack,

They might not run,

They might fight back...

月見

Dip brush into the ink,

Wait for it, then write,

While seated outside,

With courtiers, at night,

Inspiration under the

Harvest Moon's light...

祈る

Slow down, reflect,

Pray for better things,

Then wait and see

What the future brings...

Retail Peace

Toddlers in daycare, kids at school,

Parents out doing, giving their all,

And me enjoying the space

At the half-empty shopping mall...

夏の嵐

The sound of thunder,

As a storm comes near,

Oddly comforting

Along with the fear,

It brings cool air to

Douse the heat down here...

Imagination

A surreal surprise,

The world I can see

When I close my eyes...

Pills

New day, opportunity!

Time to begin,

This old body ready,

But before charging in,

Remember to take

Your medicine... 

Transition

Waning summer,

Few cicadas left alive,

A time when

Bell crickets arrive...

Yasukuni

They gather at the Shrine,

In mid-August heat,

On the day of their

Country's long-ago defeat...

Lined up, silently sweating

They patiently wait,

To bow at the altar

Beyond the Torii gate...  

Memories of loss,

Defeat in war,

Linger a longer time,

Weigh more...

Fragile Freedom

They were totally surprised by

The government intervention,

Too high, too busy playing,

Not paying attention...

Taking for granted

Their right to have fun,

Ignoring the politics,

As it all came undone...

東京通勤

Into the East Capitol,

Morning mass migration,

Overcrowded roads and trains,

Samurai commuter nation...

Summer In Ukraine

Huddled in a tunnel,

Under a fearsome sky,

Where Russian drones

And missiles fly,

They then drop down

To blast and kill,

Cruelly, randomly,

Where they will...

Self Adjustment

Refuse to be constricted,

Defined, by one's race,

Or the contours, shapes

Of body and face...

Look in the mirror at

This thing called me,

Then try to understand

What others see...

Gather up gumption

And make a plan,

To adjust, improve,

And change what I can...

Sunset Flights

Day end twilight,

Swarm of gnats,

Soon to be supper

For the bats...

時間の流れ

Usually seconds and minutes,

But sometimes, cruelly, hours,

Are the time units of our lives

Which a day quickly devours...

Humpty Dumpty

Uncontrolled, careless,

Plate dropped and broken,

A morning mess...

An inauspicious way,

I sigh inside,

To start the day...

孫

Babysitting grandkids,

They fight and play,

All good, just fine,

Brighten up my day,

Some of their DNA is mine...

Slumber

So, sleep is something

Into which you fall?

But you're already

Lying down after all...

Trapped

She was unable to

Recognize the obstriction

Of her tendency

Toward addiction...

台風の雨

The typhoon's winds

Slowly weaken and shift,

A cool soaking rain

Its parting gift...