Seeds in the Heart

Foe unvanquished, I won't perish in the field;
I'll be born again, to take up the halberd seven more times.

Sick and feverish
in the gleam of cherry blossoms
I keep shivering.

It isn't the cold
nor the dying leaves, just
that the birds have flown.

Losing its point:
the spire fades into
midday mist.

The sea at springtime
all day it rises and falls,
yes, rises and falls.

Crisp and clear blue sky
alighting on a tree branch
a goldfish.

Can it be that the moon has changed
Can it be that spring
Is not the spring of old times
Is it my body alone
That is just the same

Earth and metal...
although my breathing ceases
time and tide go on.

The world now unchanged from ancient times
leaves that are words retain seeds in the heart