there’s a stone
a crystal
in my hands
luminous
aglow
I rub it
polish it
hold it
feel the heat
emulating
from this crystal
in my hands
and am warmed
inside
a fire spreading
like magic
from my hands
to my heart
Author: zdunno03
from Fisherman’s Songs: Poem 2 by Chang Chih-ho
Oh, about the joy of owning a crab hut at Sung-chiang!
A dish of wild rice and watercress soup make a repast taken in company.
The maple leaves drop,
The flowers of the wild chrysanthemums are dry,
Drunk on a fishing boat one does not feel the cold.
translated by Hellmut Wilhelm
in threes
Wes said
everything
good or bad
happens in threes
so two accidents
the head the arm
and then the tooth
that makes three
the new job
is one
don’t count the move
Ali says
that’s part
of the same thing
so Eastern teahouse
are you two
and if so
what oh lord
could possibly be
three
unpacking memories
opening boxes
separating items
these memories
of an eventful life
in my hands
soon to be placed
on shelves
while music plays
from decades ago
and though I thought
I was safe
from pain regret remorse
there is no escape
from memories
in one’s hands
outside of boxes
laid bare
like one’s heart
decades ago
decades ahead
the here and now
from Fisherman’s Songs: Poem 1 by Chang Chih-ho
Near the rim of Hsa-sai Mountain, white egrets fly;
Peach blossoms, flowing stream, and perches full grown.
Oh, for a broad-brimmed bamboo hat, and a cloak of straw!
Slanting wind, fine rain, one need not go home.
translated by Irving Y. Lo
basic relationship: cat & man
the cat sleeps
on my arm
anchors me down
with his love
basic relationship
no misunderstandings
no mixed messages
he wants
he gives
he gets
cat and man
at home
together
in peace
what sits opposite: for Michelle
within my heart
someone resides
how this happened
I don’t know
karma kismet
divine intervention
take your pick
what good are
explanations
at this point
for here I stand
eyes focused
on a table
in a teashop
a scent wafting
in the air
and life
no longer a question
just an answer
sitting opposite
me
from Fisherman’s Songs: No. 3 by Chang Chih-ho
Before dusk on the lake, the moon just full,
The fisherman from Pa-ling chants incessantly his boatman’s songs.
Fishing gear,
A boat with an up-turned bow,
To be happy in wind and waves one need not be a saint.
translated by Hellmut Wilhelm
Looking in the Mirror the Day Before the Advent of Autumn by Li Yi
Everything fades away beyond oneself.
Life is all here in the mirror:
Just that my temples are covered with snow,
With which to front the autumn winds tomorrow.
translated by William H. Nienhauser
eyes toward the West
the clock
does not move
the morning
seems to never
arrive
my eyes turn
toward the West
thousands of miles
away
and a sigh
escapes unnoticed
by everyone
but me
Leonard Durso 