Bonsai of Thoughts: One Hundred and Five

1. When pulling a nail
out of wood,
even the nail weeps with attachment!

2. The demon cloud
devours
an entire mountain!
Then...falls asleep.

3. For the bird I never saw,
the mere tremor of a branch
is not enough
to know it.

4. After plucking a rose from the garden
to place in my beloved's hand,
if a more beautiful rose blooms,
what use is regret!?

5. Once the coveted red rose
is in hand,
the black rose
seems more beautiful instead.

6. Dreaming of another task
while doing one
will surely lead to mistakes!

7. With mosquito bat in hand,
when there are no mosquitoes in the room,
temper flares instead.
Man is such a bloodthirsty creature.

8. The grasses left uncut
remain bowed in dew upon dew,
heavy with love.

9. In fog's wound,
the lantern swaying
in the wind...suddenly dies.

10. An old man's young wife—
at the flicker of flame
she dances in the old man's shadow!

11. Mist on distant mountain slopes,
the girl's eyes on shadow's skin—
these two create distance.

12. Beneath the full moon
the sea's calm back is like
the smooth body of a mirror.

13. On the river's serpentine body
summer cloud shadows are like...
at twilight
a shepherd's peace.

14. When desire ends,
love ends too.

15. In summer's storm,
in heated wind,
in the canyon's heart—
rain.

16. On winter days,
coming to funeral rites,
even at the cloudless sky
they look with suspicious eyes.

17. Storms never
fall harshly
even upon
children's bodies.

18. This has no end;
and whatever may happen,
sweetness will never come to it!
...I speak of the crow's call.

19. What darkness this is!
Even the bats cannot be seen!

20. Through the gaps between these fingers
moonlight enters,
awakening thirst...
to flee!