Autumn

Autumn leaves curl up,
Shrink, shy away, flutter down
To a red carpet,
Scrape past on a dying breeze-
Golden tribute to green days

Tears in Japan

Tears fall silently
In earnest desperation
Cherry blossoms bloom
On soft aizome squares- held
By ikemeso danshi

This morning I woke
To a regular heartbeat
For the first time in
A long time, for the last time
This long year – 2015.

The long week winds down.
Time slows, compulsively so
Silence settles in
Dull lethargy mistaking
Languor for quiet labour.

“Hello,” she replied,
Smiled, then asked me, unprompted,
“How’s your family?”
“All good!” I replied to her-
The stranger I meet daily.

Last night, or rather
This morning, I had the most
Wonderful talk with
A complete stranger in white
I met at home in my dream

And so I appeared
In someone’s dream unbidden
And yet it was I
Who was more than surprised- both
In the dream and out of it