A friend heard me say;
“Our bodies
are a vessel of flesh and bone
but we are mostly made of water.”
are a vessel of flesh and bone
but we are mostly made of water.”
I continue internally digesting life
and life's eventful life experiences.
and life's eventful life experiences.
I tell my friend ...
“Nesting liquid heated to the atom,
our bodies are a chilled glass container.”
our bodies are a chilled glass container.”
Then I say,
“Eventually our souls become transparent
and then our bodies non-existent.”
I take a walk ...
Barbarian-subduing General.
I currently am the barbarian
being subdued by the Shogun,
and so I read
some words from the year 1300
written by (Lalla) (Lal Ded) Lalleshwari.
“Where did I come from, and how?
Where am I going?
Will I know the road?"
"This life is empty breath.
If I can hear one clear truth,
I’ll be fortunate."
"Who can hold the drippings in freezing mid-winter?
Oh, who can hold the wind in one’s clenched hand?
He and only he who crushes the five sense-organs and tears them into shreds.
He alone can hold the sun in the midst of pitch darkness.”
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime after 1929
Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke and wrote;
"We must accept finite disappointment,
but never lose infinite hope."
and then our bodies non-existent.”
I take a walk ...
Day-end darkened weary features
of people crowding dessert shops
of people crowding dessert shops
eating samples at the door,
mixing green tea
and sweet red bean aromas
mixing green tea
and sweet red bean aromas
into the already
scented puddles
of freshly fallen rain.
scented puddles
of freshly fallen rain.
On the streets I pass
fresh sushi riding conveyor belts
in circles at restaurant counters.
fresh sushi riding conveyor belts
in circles at restaurant counters.
Neatly sliced raw pinky fish on white rice,
priced by the color of the plate.
priced by the color of the plate.
I stop to watch
the recently deceased flesh
travel around the world
of the customers.
the recently deceased flesh
travel around the world
of the customers.
Fish smells are inhaled up my nose.
I exhale,
the seafood of ocean life,
into the path
of another passerby’s nose.
the seafood of ocean life,
into the path
of another passerby’s nose.
Life passes backwards
while I walk forward
towards home.
while I walk forward
towards home.
I think I smell Hollywood:
Mexican tamales, Ethiopian bread, Thai noodles.
Mexican tamales, Ethiopian bread, Thai noodles.
My feet hurt from hitting the day-long concrete streets.
I soften
as I contact
the wooden walkway
leading into our garden.
as I contact
the wooden walkway
leading into our garden.
I firmly plant myself in the ground
by slipping on wet balsam tree planks.
by slipping on wet balsam tree planks.
I pick up
a round energetically vibrant stone
hiding under the garden shrubbery.
a round energetically vibrant stone
hiding under the garden shrubbery.
My hands are red cold,
dripping wet;
home is where the heart is.
dripping wet;
home is where the heart is.
I am home,
home is governed
by my Shogun landlady.
home is governed
by my Shogun landlady.
She owns her own post-war-Tokyo
construction-worker’s boarding house.
construction-worker’s boarding house.
She respects women
and she thinks men are big baby bears
with large calloused paws.
and she thinks men are big baby bears
with large calloused paws.
No matter,
in her world,
her reality
is providing each guest
with their own paper room.
in her world,
her reality
is providing each guest
with their own paper room.
There are house rules
for the worldly guests:
for the worldly guests:
Singles only,
No coupled sex,
Self serve only.
No coupled sex,
Self serve only.
Free hot green tea.
Free hot water for instant noodles.
Free hot nightly baths before bed.
There are many rules to govern
our code of conduct,
our code of conduct,
the regulations assure
clean inner functions
to ensure outer cleanliness.
Legend says ...
the Emperor Keiko
was the first person with the title of Shogun ...
the word Shogun means was the first person with the title of Shogun ...
Barbarian-subduing General.
I currently am the barbarian
being subdued by the Shogun,
and so I read
some words from the year 1300
written by (Lalla) (Lal Ded) Lalleshwari.
“Where did I come from, and how?
Where am I going?
Will I know the road?"
"This life is empty breath.
If I can hear one clear truth,
I’ll be fortunate."
"Who can hold the drippings in freezing mid-winter?
Oh, who can hold the wind in one’s clenched hand?
He and only he who crushes the five sense-organs and tears them into shreds.
He alone can hold the sun in the midst of pitch darkness.”
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime after 1929
Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke and wrote;
"We must accept finite disappointment,
but never lose infinite hope."
