Bonsai of Thought: Seventy-Five

1. Among those four hills
that afternoon
only this stirred...
the feathers of a yellow bird whose name I did not know.

2. The bird flew away.
Left behind
only some semicircular memories.

3. At twilight
the waves of heat
set each day without fail.

4. After rain all night
in the solitary dawn
what clear sky this is!

5. Even the blink of an eye
bows its head
to the butterfly's dance.

6. In the red red light of lanterns
even the graveyard's face smiles!

7. In winter's gentle breeze
the heart's sorrow grows.

8. The river's calm, cool face
called to me and said,
will you take a kiss?

9. The snow-maiden melts and falls
on the sun's furious furious breast!

10. Walking through the forest
step by step
I arrange the rows of trees.

11. Spider's web,
old memory,
new doubt.

12. Some dry leaves
fall
right before my feet
to be crushed and crumpled in an instant.

13. Pointing to the moon in the sky
a poor mother tells her son,
look, one day you'll touch that moon!

14. Ghosts emerge from cinema
and make cinema.

15. In the water bucket
a dead lizard floats
upside down,
face hidden.

16. If you punch ice
the ice doesn't melt,
only the hand breaks.

17. Empty playing field.
There two sparrows play.

18. Night descends.
Noon's veil
calls to the moon.

19. Under my shoes
no dirt.
I walked in the rain.

20. In the medicine box
the old fly
died
for lack of medicine.