deep kernel
***At the Shinto shrine near Mt. Fuji,
I meditate on the white tatami mat, and I listen
To the swirling sounds of the wind.
My spirit ebbs and flows through the red maples.Under the glass pagoda,
I quietly sip my green tea
As I reflect on the wonders of dawn.
The shadows of the pandas restOn the slow-moving blue rivers
While they feast on their bamboo shoots,
I take their natural essence
And merciful bodies as a lessonTo live with complete purity
And tranquility, to embody grace
And good etiquette. I hum solemn hymns
Among them. They preserve my gracious jewelsOf contentment, they rise to the milky-white clouds
With glittering hues of gold,
And therefore, adorning the emblem
Which is my soul.I wear the necklace of wisdom around my neck
Along with my emerald green kimono
To see a different light of the world,
One that can heal and breakThe barbed-wire fences that encircle
The red spider lilies from opening
Their clean bodies and petals
On the sacred grounds of this place.I take out my green paper fan
And sway it across the misty air
To seek the peacock
For compassion and guidance.***
muted iron
mystic plover
near pasture
tribal canopy
hollow pollen
nova cedar
finite plank
bitter kernel
frigid stream