late summer
the water
in one ear

ikebana
the space
where the lily was

moonrise
over marshlands —
the hissing geese

full moon . . .
    shadow on shadow
    of prickly pears

her grave
the names of flowers
escape me

rain-soaked turf
echo of a gull’s cry
blurs against the hill

a final bulb
the warmth of garden soil
just after sunset

standing naked
in the moonlight —
the taste of a nashi pear

cemetery —
the scent of muskmelon
from the next hill

hopscotch grid
faintly visible
first stars