empires wax
they wane
the past
will be the present
one day
a lesson
constantly relearned
and ultimately
it all turns
to grass
inevitability
the knock at the door
death comes
for all
no way
to avoid
the knock
at the door
morning
although
not requested
here again
The Shadow of Flowers by Su Tung P’o
It piles up, thick and formidable, on the marble terrace.
The pages, called again and again, try to sweep it away.
Just then, the sun comes out and carries it off.
But never mind, the next moon
The shadows will come back.
translated by Kenneth Rexroth
night
night
falls
regardless of how
we think
about it