Gifts

A barefoot woman

enters the temple courtyard

bearing gifts of rice.

Cranes

before the cranes fly

gleaning every stray rice grain

from harvested fields

rice harvesting days—

rats in the paddy waiting

to snatch some stray grains

Part of a rice field

keeps appearing in her dreams,

the part choked with weeds.

beggar’s outstretched hand

skating across the surface

three small grains of rice

on the stove

early rice bubbling

for breakfast