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...

Transition

Pause for a

Moment, reflect,

Wait for it to

Take effect...

Unhoused

I have no money, well

At least not a lot,

So, I live on what,

The things I've got,

Collected from random

Dumpsters, donations,

Hunger always there,

Inspiring hallucinations...

Lunar Bright

A bit overwhelmed, joyous 

Gasp, almost a swoon,

Upon my first glimpse

Of the Autumn super Moon...

Liberty

1980, Tsubaki House, Shinjuku,

Disco dancing, drinking,

Partying all the way through,

From darkness until

The early morning light,

Then ride the train back to

Work, all good, all right...

窮鼠猫を噛む

Well known ancient wisdom

That, a cornered rat,

Will turn around, and

Bite the cat...

9-9-6

Roll out of bed,

Feet gain traction,

Head for the sink,

Time for action,

Splash and wash

And rub and spray,

Prepare to attack

A brand new day...

Out Of Control

Current events

Around the world,

Bombs dropped,

Missiles hurled,

People displaced,

Elections lost,

Too chaotic

To count the cost,

Opinions spewed

By everyone

On social media,

Damage done...

Entomic Tunes

I miss the sounds of insects,

Gone to wherever they go,

Deep into autumn holes,

Away from frost and snow...

Things felt so alive

Hearing their summer cries,

Now it's all dead silence

Until they next arise...

日常生活

Some yearn for excitement,

Mystery, the arcane,

While I prefer to

Revel in the mundane...

Grandpa Duty

Lefthand shoulder of my shirt,

Some small off-white stains,

Made by a hungry grandchild,

Memory of warm hug remains...