Kasen: The Wild Plum Budding Out


                                 mandala

February 8, 2009 - October 24, 2009
Tina, Anne, D.Horse, Mandala and Nightinmale



   in twos and threes
   the wild plum budding out---
   a drowsy moon
                    Tina

     nightingale in silhouette
     air is still bit cold
                    Anne

   listen, my niece started
   a new career as a nurse
   what is the best gift for her?
                    D.horse

     time flies and soothes
     all human sufferings
                    Mandala

   with cards, coffee in the cup,
   palm or anything
   fortune told
                    anne

     a sinking piano singing
     in the deep sea
                    Nightinmale


   yo ho ho
   we are pirates
   off Somalia
                    mandala



     why do grownups take
     dreaming so seriously ?
                    tina

   damn the alarm clock!
   my prince was
   just about to kiss me
                    d.horse 

     here is a wand
     left among the pumpkins
                        anne

   an old woman
   looking for the sickle moon
   disappeared into the kitchen
                      nightinmale

     a black cat sharpens claws
     a long night of autumn
                       mandala




   the house has been
   under construction
   since 19xx
             tina

     no subway wanted
     underneath
           d.horse

   figures dancing on
   invisible strings
   of the marionette
           anne

     who knows…
     I’m detective
           nightinmale



   draw and shoot
   while a petal flutters
   to the ground
             mandala

   
     
     a sweet girl named Kaoru
     swaying on a swing
                 tina

ナオ
   dozing over a book
   was an old lady on the bench,
   a breeze brushed her gray hair
                 d.horse





     Mt Yari is the spiritual mountain
     of spears for pilgrims
                  anne

     
   look!
   a quivering egg
   on a stone table
                  nightinmale

     in this way began
     Pompeii’s last days
                  mandala

   while
   the lion tamer
   puffed smoke rings out
                  tina

     the clown took
     his white makeup off
                  d.horse

   amigo!
   darling!
   kisses and hugs innumerable
                  anne

     thy name is frailty
     therefore I love thee
                  nightinmale

   who is reciting
   the swan song
   the late poetess wrote?
                  mandala

     under an elm
     playing the lute
                  tina

   the moon evinces some pain
   as I recall my old folks
   left in the remote home
                  d.horse

     ambitious student sighed
     at evening class
                  anne



ナウ

   on a bookshelf
   timing an explosion
   a lemon
             nightinmale

     'count me in skull and bones'
     said someone in the dark
               mandala

   I'm sure of
   the seminar at Shirahone
   a superb sucess
               tina

     heavy thing dumped from roof
     thawing season has come
                   d.horse

   can you hear the postman
   coming with mails
   to the flowers ?
                   anne

     like a paper plane
     spring’s landed softly
                   nightinmale





    ――The End of Kasen: Wild Plum Budding Out――