a society in self-isolation
people bow at each other
to keep a respectable social distance
like basho
all by myself
in a paper coat
rain-soaked
in a pair of disagreeable zori sandals
i will waddle into
a love hotel
amenities are abundant
in quietude
i will listen to loudness
of lotus leaves
the backside of a frog
leaping into a pond
might get me enlightened
or maybe not
between bites of exquisite whale, tuna and eel sashimi
i will reset my palette
with a shot of fiery sake
whenever i like
i will go ride
the great waves off kanagawa
taking a walk in the cemetery i
hope to meet again erika
the six-year-old girl
who has been called to rest
that’s how
i will tide over my woes
that’s how i want to go
at the end of the day —
you won’t be such a bother
under the swords of the zombi samurais
shall i begin with
unlearning how to live
be it pestilence, or
auschwitz
what’s the point of solidarity
from solitude
when a wayward world
sways you and me
if i could accomplish
the deed of dying i
might at least learn to appreciate
the cost of timber
for my own coffin
should i have a wet shave
and a warm bath first
to part with the fun of
my own company