Step

a tiny pebble—

Buddha lodging in my shoe

step by painful step

Sick

sick of the journey

seeking healing at day’s end

in a dreary inn

In a lonely place

a clown in whiteface dances—

only one hand claps.

a hidden courtyard—

underneath a lemon tree

old men playing chess

In the flowerbed

a lizard hides at midday

from the blinding sun.

faded blue jacket

torn from the scarecrow’s shoulders

by a random gust

frog at the millpond

hoping to catch one more gnat

to round out his meal

hiding the full moon

in his basket of apples—

the wily farmer

scarecrow’s old straw hat

knocked to the ground by a gust

of midsummer wind

scarecrow’s old straw hat

falling down over his eyes—

winged thieves mock his plight