D’s Bones

It is impossible
to pedal my bike
through morning air
carrying sadness or anger.
The light is alive,
my knees young
and Queen Anne’s Lace
doilies
the roadside.

(No. 44 in a series of responses to Han-Shan’s Songs of Cold Mountain)

Most arguments leave you a little wasted, especially those that go on, repeat and don’t seem to resolve. Which points to other problems, of course. For basic self care it’s important to stay sane even in insane situations. How remarkable to feel the clutch of argument dissipate, at least for a while, like a dank fog in sunshine. Those morning bicycle commutes are worth a lot, gentle reader.

(Numeric reference to Han-shan’s poem reflects the order of presentation in Burton Watson’s translation, presented as Cold Mountain, Columbia University Press, 1970.)