extinct

extinct

another
patient in
that ward who
had long hair
like a girl you
kept saying
and walked
or rather glided
you said, like
a girl you kept
saying over
evenings
and evenings,
would say if
asked who he
was that he
was JC, the son
of god, but
would never
answer why he
should be shut
in there with
bleach for
the floor,
and bleach
for the brain,
he told you

Lydia from the kingdom

Lydia from the kingdom

The ruins of the temple of Artemis at Sardis, capital of the kingdom of Lydia

knowing you
from the longing.
the long closed avenue
of dream
i wandered of young
afternoons unmoving
time eternal autumn
a road a shore
i abandoned.

knowing you
from the root of time
i needed only
to close my heart in
yours
when our time came.

turnstile

turnstile
july 2013

Acknowledgements to http://www.deepjapan.org for use of this image

higashi-koenji
subway station
marunouchi line*
the station master
had a floral knot
from the local
ikebana* club
placed evenings
at the turnstile
long leaf
dry twig
sprung flower
a spare plenty
that
left the eye
hungering for more
when more would
be too much
in the concreted