Kōyō
Yanaka Bochi 1
Atop the fluttering gold of the gingko,
a crow chases away small birds.
He wants the glory all to himself.
Yanaka Bochi 2
In keen November,
gravestone flowers grow steely—
at last, skeletal.
Late morning by the Katsura River
Sunlight sparkles on the water
lapping the rocks
beneath the little egrets’ feet.
Hogon-in
Maple tree, you have drawn
quite a crowd with your bursts
of cinnabar stars.
©F.L. Blumberg 2024
Tofuku-ji 1
Moss on old maples—
the sturdy, grey trunks become
ever more handsome.
©F.L. Blumberg 2024
Tofuku-ji 2
A slip of the moon
murmurs near the temple eaves:
it is time to leave.
Nison-in
The bell blankets
the burial grounds
in resonance.
©F.L. Blumberg 2024
©F.L. Blumberg 2024
Renge-ji
The maple trees by the pond:
cardinal, carmine pink, faded oxblood.
Which of these were you?
