Alone, in this place of peace,

silence drifted through my mind.

Snow flakes in the wintertime,

blossoms in the early spring.

Koi mouthed rings upon the lake.

White crane waited on one leg

in the image of the temple’s –

gold reflection on the water.

Under willows, head bowed low,

mossy banks soft to the hand.

Quiet fills this pleasant sanctum,

echoes of stark rocks that breath.

 
 

David Garlick, Japan, December, 1995