Sweet Silence Of Time

Sweet Silence Of Time
© Surazeus
2025 01 25

Listening to rain splatter on maple leaves 
on the mountain slope by the rocky stream, 
Kuro stares blindly in the moonless night. 
Holding the warm black stone in his left hand, 
he hears kerplash in the old silent pond 
when the frog leaps into silence of time. 

After writing poem on paper of his heart 
that describes wind blowing in leafless trees, 
Kuro eats persimmon sweet as lost hope. 
Though cicadas cry near the river shore, 
wrens noiselessly hop in the wind-blown grass 
and swallow their song in silence of time. 

"My life is brief as the cold moonless night," 
Kuro whispers to the wren on the sill, 
but I will wait till the moon shines again." 
When gold sun rises over hills of pine, 
he sees face of his father in the pond 
that shimmers with breath in silence of time. 

Red shadows of autumn evening transform 
into three men with swords that glint with fear 
as stars appear bright in the window frame. 
When the hawk descends from high mountain pine, 
Kuro twirls and swipes blade of courage quick 
that gleams drops of blood in silence of time. 

On sweet plum blossoms splattered with red blood 
dawn sun of hope shines with sudden surprise, 
exposing footprints on the mountain path. 
Thin layers of mist swirl slowly in pines 
as red plum blossoms fall on dark still lake, 
concealing sorrow in silence of time. 

Reaching out his hand with cautious intent, 
Kuro catches water from morning rain 
that spills from cup of the camellia. 
Gazing at the ripe plum cold in his hand, 
he listens to blue rain talk about home 
composed of blossoms from silence of time. 

When bush-warbler on handle of the hoe 
sings in plum-tree village by the field fence, 
children crowd around hut where Kuro sits. 
Bamboo-grass shadows on thin sliding doors 
flicker while he plays shakuhachi flute 
which enchants their hearts in silence of time. 

Voice of the river increases soft roar 
as Izumi climbs mountain trail of hope, 
wild-cherry blossoms spotting her black hair. 
White butterfly returns to thin plum branch 
as Kuro embraces his wife and cries, 
and they kiss to seal sweet silence of time.