to: those days,
Do you have a favorite childhood memory?
three seconds pass
a new world appears
for the goldfish
…
we spent outside
our first day of school
receiving a gift
playing with friends
going on vacation
thanks for these childhood memories we call important
from: our not-too-distant future selves
lines, scribbles and squiggles
What’s your point?
valley opening
over the horizon
a dragonfly glides
…
lines show us a clear path
scribbles appear carelessly rash
while squiggles twist and turn
wasn’t the point to learn
instead, take time
to appreciate how each have
a beginning, middle, and end
till the cows come home
What comes next?
trodden grass hill
daisy petals wisp by
the cattle’s tongue
…
spending our days and nights
performing to the peak of our abilities
takes serious commitment
learning and feedback
yet thinking we can do this forever
might be misleading
after the herd moves on
disconnect
What makes you vulnerable?
cracked shells
leftovers from the
hermit crab exchange
…
the motion of unplugging
ourselves from the daily
troubles and worries
in hopes of finding
renewed perspective
sometimes works best when we
leave behind ego and accept being vulnerable
brushing teeth
What methodologies do you follow?
fresh cut flowers
placed in water
placed in pot
…
what’s so special about
a mundane routine
we unconsciously partake in
morning, afternoon, and evening?
while our minds wonder
we appear to have forgotten
each of us have our own methods
backstage pass
What do you need?
faint vibrations
the spider circles
around the drain
…
how does a piece of paper
enclosed in plastic
attached to lanyards
represent status
when the value of experiencing life
draws not from public eyes
but from our nose, lips, ears, hands, and feet?
homecoming
What’s home to you?
summer clothes
made of rice paddies
reminds me of home
…
we all can relate to
revisiting our places of origin
physically, mentally, or spiritually
after a storm
yet, what’s buried beneath
layers of debris
longs to be found
repair not replace
How do you fix what's broken?
lacquerware
golden powder coats
the cat’s tail
…
deeply resonates in
the Japanese artform kintsugi
which literally translates as
“golden joinary”
for mending broken pieces
with gold acting as the glue
for cultivating strength, resilience, and forgiveness
two squirrels
How do you resolve disagreements?
hollow oak tree
rain droplets form
a pool for squirrels
…
sit in a querelle
when it comes to collecting
acorns, walnuts, and hickory nuts
before the sun comes up
one prefers to sleep
while the other tinkers away
for surviving summer
subtract one
What have you lost?
on sandy beach
crashing waves lift
empty crab shells
…
when one of our senses
we regularly depend on
is taken away
people are prone
to feel lost as losing
a piece of ourselves
isn’t what we were taught to do
will we remember
How do you want to be remembered?
moss covered lamp
along the walkway
foxes dance home
…
the missed calls
honest mistakes
would’ve beens
and what ifs
when we figure
the one thing worth internalizing
is that we lived through it all
unfold
Do you practice visualization?
shall we fly today
paper cranes arranged
inside the portrait
…
these creases
that make origami
for visualizing our destination
gives us a framework
to make decisions
learn new skills
and appreciate our crafts
obsolete
What will never become obsolete?
carrying timber
beaver’s develop
another masterpiece
…
as technology advances society
objects like fax machines
wired earbuds
buttons on phones
once purchased off store shelves
find a new home
in the garage sale pile
in the well
How do you stop overconsumption?
weedless fields
baring the mark
of goat’s teeth
…
how much water
do we take out
to quench our thirst
for knowledge
before we realize
the power we seek
rests deep within ourselves?
flipping coins
What are your confirmation biases?
sitting at temple
burning incense sticks
the child’s first breath
…
our heads amplify
all of our biases
towards justifying
how we perceive the world
maybe it’s time
we pay attention
to our tails too
stabilizer
What balances you?
worn horse saddles
capturing the last
moments of sunlight
…
when we examine
how we teach
others new skills
our instincts lean on
fastening routine training wheels
for protection while neglecting
letting us find our own balance
the cherry, plum, peach, and apricot
How do you practice oubaitori?
growing plums
across the garden
we skip rocks
…
bloom alongside each other
for antsy audiences seeking their beauty
draws parallels
to the concept of oubaitori
amidst our growing comparison culture
nourish what makes each of us thrive
on our own schedules
not a ton
What assumptions do you make?
summer gallery
flattened on the floor
cardboard boxes
…
at surface level
describes objects
thought as heavy
when in reality are lighter
than we believed
shouldn’t shock us
but rather, keep our judgements at bay
down the aisle
How were you raised?
…
row after row
we pass by products
with labeled expiration dates
fancy titles
and crisp packaging
all to act as a reminder
for how they shaped our lives
replay
What is sonder?
arboretum stroll
swirling winds shake
the heron’s nest
…
check the tapes
run it back
rewind it to the exact moment
we felt sonder
for it’s this strange realization
we can begin to see and look
at others with peaceful eyes