Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Alan Catlin: Scenes from Hiroshige’s Emperor’s Road

              Scenes from Hiroshige’s Emperor’s Road

stated editorial assistant, and sage, the Froster: 'Tama, our friend Alan Catlin is a very gifted poet'  
and assistant ed. Tama replied, 'yes, of course he is! and let's do another post of his poetry"
        and thus, gentle readers, poetry from Alan. . .
        

        Merchants and travelers
        seek refuge in village                            

        alongside the floating
        river. The journey is long

        and the temptations are
        many along the way.

        Tradesmen and women
        display their wares;

        long are the nights
        spent in reverie and joy!
                                            

                               

              Gagaku Dream                                                                         

              Court musicians dressed
              in ceremonial robes wear

              Noh masks; hands move,
              strings quiver, taut drum

              skins are tapped; not one
              sound is heard.

              In the hearth, a fire is burning.


  


         Sudden rain squalls
         on mountain roads

         to the village;
         only the rich

         can afford fine
         woven silk jackets,

         everyone else
         wears straw!                                    

             

             
             


Along windy beach
fishermen haul

their nets from
the sea.  As night

falls the human
chain is unbroken;

the catch still far
from shore.



                                                         
                                   
    Miya

    Pilgrim disembark from 
    chartered sail boats

    near the Atsuka shrine
    where one of three scared

    treasure of Japan is stored.
    Here the sword, outside,

    someone has planted
    chrysanthemum

                                                               




          Terminus
                                                 
          Crossing the Great Sanjo
          Bridge, temples and geisha

          huts await.  In the distance
          high mountains surround


          the capital, Kyoto.







thank you, Frosty and Tama, thank you, Alan





see you in a moment

ayaz daryl nielsen
                           darylayaz@gmail.com (and/or) darylayaz@me.com

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