on a wooden bridge
 
in the Japanese garden:
 
one dry maple leaf

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Loss

 
 
 

Deepening autumn—
 
the old Japanese maple
 
loses its last leaf.

Rake

 
 
 

Little granddaughter,
 
the leaf rake’s calling to us—
 
how shall we answer?

Stripped

 
 
 

In the plum orchard
 
not a single leaf remains
 
after last night’s wind.

Balance

 
 
 

Blackbird, O blackbird,
 
how do you balance your song
 
on that falling leaf?

Leaf

 
 
 

Autumn afternoon—
 
a blind man crossing the bridge
 
stumbles on a leaf.

Faded

 
 
 

first day of autumn—
 
in the old stone Buddha’s lap
 
one faded plum leaf