Home

Samurai Amidst Cherry Blossoms 2 [Lantern of Below]

by Alastre Zidler

Voices.

Encircled by virtuous ladies,
A beautiful song-devil.
Lovers tell that the river
Is the mirror of his vanity.

Festival lanterns bathing water,
A moon-face in sun-hues.
He could be a poet,
Oh, oh,
He could play the biwa*!

From beneath
A poison ghost.
To gaze into his eyes is to
Fall into a deep well
In winter.

Petals scatter,
The demon-flower
Wilting in a
Memorial pyre.
Acrid prayers in
Tongue and tears.
In a sunless valley,
Half an echo.

The wing unfurls.
Red snow-ripples
In a calm pond.
The steel portrait
Of a swan
Painted with a brush
Of bone and fountain.
The scent of jasmine.

Shadow of a dead phoenix
Welting the inverted sky.
Singed black water,
Bereft of lantern light.

05/27/2003

Author's Note: *The biwa is a traditional Japanese instrument similar to the mandolin.

Posted on 05/27/2003
Copyright © 2024 Alastre Zidler

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Agnes Eva on 05/27/03 at 07:32 PM

enjoyed your delicate crafting of imagery here

Posted by Graeme Fielden on 05/28/03 at 04:13 PM

delicate & subtle imagery painted to the page...Another nice one Al!...looking forward to more!

Posted by JD Clay on 05/29/03 at 08:48 PM

This is a well-crafted piece, Alastre. Interesting message and concise free verse form. Peace...

Posted by Kimberly Bare on 01/08/04 at 06:24 PM

words escape me as i am still caught up in the scene playing before my eyes...i love the surreal feel of this...Great Writing!

Return to the Previous Page
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.2 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 0 member(s) and 2 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2024 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)