Bricks

Brick by brick, let us
lay down civilisation,
tame this wild frontier.

  

Original Hokkaido Prefectural Office Sapporo

  

Reflection

When sun emerges,
and the tourist hordes disperse,
the water reflects.

  

Otaru Canal, Hokkaido

Age

May age weather you,
may moss spring from all your cracks,
you remain your own.

Lantern at Zuihoden Mausoleum, Sendai

Lords

Here lie the children
of lords, who were never lords
but in their playtime.

Children’s graveyard at Zuihoden Mausoleum, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture

Homecoming

The air fair crackles,
just as the earth in August;
spirits heading home.

View from Risshakuji temple, Yamagata Prefecture. The obon weekend is a busy time for travel, when people (and their ancestors’ spirits) visit household altars.

Nature

Even the righteous
must occasionally face
nature’s displeasure.

Risshakuji temple, Yamagata Prefecture

Narrow roads

In Basho’s footsteps,
the way takes me deeper north
along narrow roads.

Risshakuji temple, Yamadera

Prayers

Prayers take many forms,
and the gods may choose to grant
wishes that amuse.

Risshakuji temple, Yamagata Prefecture

Mountains

I could only make this work in Japanese.

山伏の
白岩山羊の
キャロライン

Mountain ascetic,
mountain goat:
Caroline

Risshakuji temple, Yamagata

Rocks

These rocks, so steeped in
the ages, are more poets
than this mere mortal.

Approach to Risshaku-ji temple, Yamadera, Yamagata Prefecture