Gogyohka*

I think of him
rarely
it’s something
I loathe
to do


a soft breeze
blows
over the pond
and cattails
flicker


mist settles
on the lawn
setting
an eerie stage
for dusk


we want so much
so fast
we forget to give
like stingy children
on a playground


in the arid
desert
showers are
manna
from rain clouds


Venus
when aligned
just right
is the Moon’s
beauty mark


dandelion puff
set free
a thousand
wishes
take flight


mockingbird
showers
in my sprinkler
spreads his wings
to the sun


horses graze
under
fruit tree
bobbing
for apples

*Gogyohka is a new form of Japanese short poetry,
founded and pioneered by Japanese poet Enta Kusakabe.
Gogyohka is pronounced go-gee-yoh-kuh
(the “g”s are hard as in “good”), and literally translated
means “five line poem”. Gogyohka is five lines of free verse
on any subject matter. There is no set syllable pattern,
however the poem should be short and succinct.
The goal is to compellingly capture an idea, observation,
feeling, memory, or experience in just a few words.