Hana the owl
Oh tell me Hana!
Why do you brood those eggs?
“A plum does not resent the hungry man, but the farmer who planted the tree.” - from ‘Bullet Train’
~
breath …
of Aokigahara
shadowed … solemn
pressed upon twilight’s demise
as rouge on the face of dawn
like a plum blossom
perfect … pure
fallen from Fuji’s proud shoulders
to blush the cheek of
a water, tranquil
cool glass of grace and depth
giv’n such beautied blemish …
petals’ pink ballet
fouetté en tournant to welcome the
sun on a mirrored sky -
devoted dance for the new day
once …
among many million more
trembling a-branch
but now, for a whisper of wind
a princess, divine
blooming, bowing, waltzing for
the lord of the lake, Saiko
and the promise of
an early …
spring.
~ for my dear friend Sachiko ~
Copyright © Gregory Richard Barden, June 1, 2024
Crabs
Small feet pounding the pebbled path,
Desperate to escape
From imminent danger.
Eight legs and two claws
Advance in their thousands
Upon their prey; the child.
Refuge is sought in an adult's arms,
High up and away from
The frightful crustacean march.
Roman
Crimson red and blinding gold
Balanced upon ber small head.
Blonde hair cascades from beneath
In trestles of tight curls.
She leads her troops around ancient streets,
With a smile as bright as the rays
Of the almighty Sol's coronet.
Her lips uttered words of old
That soon resigned to memory.
Hong Kong
The humidity of warm daytime
Gives way to icy harbor air of nighttime.
Man-made neon dances on the water's surface
While natural moonlight seems to target her,
Illuminates her.
Tsim Sha Tsui's streets are hectic,
But its back alleys provide shelter,
And shaved ice with its sweet, milky taste,
Melts on her tired tongue.
There's a blood-stained tatami house
and it rest peacefully near the cherry blossoms and pond
It has an ancient roof that aims for heaven
and a foundation built in hell
There's a small child in the house
and he sits alone with his welts and wounds
The room has a rather unique smell;
presumably rotten veggies
There's a breeze blowing the cherry blossoms
and near it lies a box
Ever so neatly tucked away in the trunk;
a knife and a rope
There's a beautiful pond shimmering
and in it lies the bodies
Carelessly tossed in;
the boy pushes me in as well.
Check out oheo pools
And the bamboo forest
Where the wind hums
Through the bamboo
Check out the water falls
That flow with mica stars
Check out koki beach
Where locals & other surf
Check out Haleakala crater
Which is10,000 feet straight up
Above cloud level & the view
Is breath taking
Say hi to my sister Aelana
N tell her I love n miss her
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.