by Belle Ling Hoi Ching

Adventure in the countryside

Soles rasp mud, stench
flinches, bubbles subdivided—
footprints are carved.

Stunk curds, caked in milk jars,
tempt no one; flies discuss—
poo here.

Red berries—bread-pressed, blush
leaks, starry stains in the starless
night—shy in my palm.

Two unlidded bottles, slanted,
necks-clung: liquids linger,
exchanging secrets.

Crooked fingers on crossed
legs convulse in chill—
I, as Lotus, bloom on futon.

Catch the dark with sparks—
fireflies—outspread a sparkling net—
are the most artistic hunters.



A Sketch of Nihon
1.
Ginkaku-ji [1] perches under the moon.
Lanterns, tracking spirits,
ruminate in mantra’s croon.

2.
Dense bamboo woods,
black heads subside,
breath deposits.

3.
Matcha [2], thick,
muddles incense. Temple bell strikes,
matcha ripples, pushes incense up.

4.
Sakura's [3] minor which Koto
plucks burdens history
with no melancholy.

5.
Sushi:
pressed lumps, gapless,
A neat craft.

6.
Fuji refines snow in smoke
Hot springs, under Fuji, remind
us of being nude in water.

7.
Geishas' snow-white cosmetic
cannot cover their blood-red lips.
Their time is man’s.

8.
Pink blossoms scatter—
Nihon, a petalled mosaic,
is too beautiful to complete. 


 
[1] Ginkaku-ji is the "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. 
[2] Matcha is a fine, powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony.
[3] Sakura is the name of a traditional Japanese folk song depicting Spring.