April 4:
before a pilgrimage in Japan
Due, dew,
Do, too
(To do two)
heart’s dues
as dew dews.
Soon, we will walk, strengthen legs, heart, be visiting henro, the word for pilgrim and pilgrimage, perhaps holding a staff, tsue. I will look for circles of temples in the shape of lotus blossom and mist draped peaks, and clear my mind so that darkness can pass through without sticking.
Dew’s due
To do
What dews do.
April 5
50 words, soul-first
scrubbing the insides
So no churning stomach
No out-of-bound heart pound
(Not that organs are ever temple silent)
Such noise invites darkness to stick:
black tar
anger taut in the torso,
compressed sorrow
collapsed saltblocks in the throat.
Two days of scrubbing.
Ah! All’s clear!
-- even borrowed scenery.
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