Our Neighbor

On special occasions
he wears his sash and frilly hat
to indicate he is the representative
of a strange and uninhabited country.
He shuffles through the yard
introducing himself
to each and every tree and shrub
with a deep bow and muttered obsequies.
They say he hasn't been the same
since his wife died. There are children
who live in distant cities but never visit.
The rest of the time he can be seen
sitting at the kitchen table in his bathrobe
staring at the calendar, waiting
for the next day circled in red
to arrive.

Variant, 18

 Look in the forest.
Examine the trees.
Question the rabbit
and the skunk.
The answer
is in a thousand places.

Variant, 17

The grass is sheltering in place.
It's secrets all exposed
to the weather. Rabbits, squirrels,
chipmunks pick through it
like seagulls on a trash scow
or relatives at a funeral.
I am happy to die
so I don't have to hear
what people say of me.

Variant, 16

My friends don't want to leave
but I have nothing left to say.
I can hear the moth tapping his wings
against the back door screen
asking to come in.

Variant, 15

House building tip:
flowers and mountains.

Walls are mountains,.
Windows are flowers

always opening and closing.

Variant, 14

The valley between wonder and doubt.

Variant, 13

Let the wind go.
Abandon your dreams.
Tomorrow is already here.

Hints to Strangers

Avoid eye contact.
In fact, avoid all contact
wherever possible.
Beware of charletons and grifters.
Do not give money to strangers.
Clutch your packages
and handbags close to your side.
Don't talk with a foreign accent
to avoid sounding, well, foreign.
But don't forget
to enjoy

your visit
to our fair city.

Variant on Kokin Wakashu, 12

Song about the song about the song
of the imperial castle.
Flowers tousled by the wind
as it sneaks through the valley
disguised as a peddler.

Variant on Kokin Wakashu, 11

Baby's freezing,
it's her first song.
She sings while
the cold radiator keeps time
banging on the hollow pipes
deep within the house.