Poetry

I’ve been wandering some time
Far from the words I’ve so often
Skimmed
And rarely truly delved in

My mind has been away
Out in Vietnamese rice paddies
On a grey and cloudy day

The smell of water and earth
Underfoot
And tangled up in
The greenery of flower
And tree

See,
My soul’s been dancing round
The Korean capital nightlife

Mesmerized by neon Hangul
And street hawkers,
Wondering at words
I barely comprehend

Even my own kitchen
Now lacks the dreamy smell
Of buttery fresh bread

The oven brings heat
When it’s on,
But little comfort

I look to the bookshelf,
Where linger
Cookbooks and novels,
Foreign dictionaries,
A dusty Bible,
And poetry too long neglected

I look to the clock,
Though it’s frozen at 10
And needs to be wound again

Perhaps tonight
I’ll finally
Return to middle-earth,
Or Persephone,
Or the quiet countryside
Far from Tokyo’s railways,
Where the scent of Heaven
Is just a breath away