A Monk's Journey

[miyako73]

To the left,
the poplar tree
by the river
that murmurs.

To the right,
the bamboo hut
on the hill
adoring the sky.

Behind, the road,
wide,
empty,
barren.

Ahead, the temple
of incense,
of saffron,
of nothing.

[Delta40]

what a poem! I felt I was standing there with a camera zooming to the left and right snapping the images you penned!

[miyako73]

Thanks, delta. I was experimenting on 360-degree imagery.

[Delta40]

well you captured it, if my comment is anything to go by

[hillwalker]

A very mystical piece, as if you are not only describing all four compass points but also bowing to each one

[miyako73]

you are right, Hill, about the bowing.

[PrinceMyshkin]

I don't know how I missed this when you first posted it, but how fine it is, how delicate but firm.

[Haunted]

I like the sparsity in the imagery, it fits so well. Also like how it ends with a positive note, when nothingness is the goal.

[dafydd manton]

Loved this one, Miyako. The brevity is astoundingly strong. Lovely - Thank you for sharing it.

[ThyUrbanMonk]

Love this! Love it, my inner soul got touched! Loved it! When the mutual minds get in touch,hence reveal the talks of quotes.

To the left,
the poplar tree
by the river
that murmurs.

To the right,
the bamboo hut
on the hill
adoring the sky.

Behind, the road,
wide,
empty,
barren.

Ahead, the temple
of incense,
of saffron,
of nothing.

[qimissung]

I love it, too! And thanks to ThyUrbanMonk for finding it again!

[DocHeart]

Yep. Thanks to whoever bumped this.

Miyako, definitely one of your best. I read a deliberate contrast between the monk's emotional reaction to the tree and the bamboo hut and that to the road and the temple. The temple stanza especially overflows with a sense of futility which carries on from the emptiness of the road and culminates in a possible realization that the pilgrimage might have been for nothing.

It's all very re-readable.

Regards

[ThyUrbanMonk]

Respect and love

~*joy*~