ALL around my house,
pond frogs, from the beginning,
sang about old age
[S.H.]
AT the flowerpot,
the butterfly listens:
true Buddha dharma
[S.H.]
BUDDHA beside a field,
and blooming from his nose,
a long icicle
[S.H.]
THE winter fly
I caught and finally freed
the cat quickly ate
[S.H.]
THIS suffering world:
the flowers will blossom, but
even at that . . .
[S.H.]
HERE in Shinano
are famous moons, and buddhas,
and our good noodles
[S.H.]
THE distant mountains
are reflected in the eye
of the dragonfly
[S.H.]
THE old dog listens
intently, as if to the
worksongs of the worms
[S.H.]
DON’T kill that poor fly!
He cowers, wringing
his hands for mercy
[S.H.]
FROM the Great Buddha’s
great nose, a swallow comes
gliding out
[S.H.]
A WORLD of dew,
and within every dewdrop
a world of struggle
[S.H.]
IN the midst of this world
we stroll along the roof of hell
gawking at flowers
[S.H.]
A WORLD of trials,
and if the cherry blossoms,
it simply blossoms
[S.H.]
AFTER a long nap,
the cat yawns, rises, and goes out
looking for love
[S.H.]
THE field worker
wipes his snotty fingers
on the plum blossom
[S.H.]
LONELINESS already
planted with each seed in
morning glory beds
[S.H.]
IN early spring rain
the ducks that were not eaten
are quacking happy
[S.H.]
FROM birthing’s washbowl
to the washbowl of the dead –
blathering nonsense!
[S.H.]