Both from October Palace. Not my favorite collection, but a few pieces stayed with me.
The Kingdom
At times
the heart
stands back
and looks at the body,
looks at the mind, as a lion
quietly looks
at the not-quite-itself,
not-quite-another,
moving of shadows and grasses.
Wary, but with interest,
considers its kingdom.
Then seeing
all that will be,
heart once again enters -
enters hunger, enters sorrow,
enters finally losing it all.
To know, if nothing else,
what it once owned.
Ripeness
Ripeness is
what falls away with ease.
Not only the heavy apple,
the pear,
but also the dried brown strands
of autumn iris from its core.
To let your body
love this world
that gave itself to your care
in all of its ripeness,
with ease,
and will take itself from you
in equal ripeness and ease,
is also harvest.
And however sharply
you are tested - this sorrow, that great love -
it too will leave on that clean knife.
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