Alive

27th Mar 201927th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

My Picture: Part of railway that took Chinese prisoners to Unit 731: a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development wing of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and World War II.

Humanity’s gift, a creation by love.
A life of spirit, branches, leaves, water.
Sailing in the sky and pardoned centuries ago.
For there is no core to throw away.

Words whirring over wide plains
Somewhere else, somewhere here
beyond the reach of your presence.
Already forgotten and born again.

A moments decline

26th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

My Picture

Uncertainty,
trotting timid minds out
in a closed space.

A pale gray train appears
stirred empty on the silent outskirts,
proclaiming a second coming.

His life, a kind of a freeze frame
a non-thinking matter.
Smothering the earth with a fast silver-whitewash

Not too unpleasant, these days.
The beauty and fun of it all,
a quick free trip with no return.

Stillness

25th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

My picture of a photograph I took in Vietnam celebrating the role of women in the history of this country.

saying nothing
has become part of the English language
held by it
like flashbacks in a forest

across the tables
conversations grinding away
a petal falls
and the afternoon drifts along

when I look up
migrating birds show the way
giving loneliness
in the taste of white peach

Kodokushi

24th Mar 201924th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

Kodokushi (孤独死) or lonely death refers to a Japanese phenomena of people dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time…. sadly… this is not just a Japanese phenomena .. My view is that we need to talk more about why many die alone.. and quality in death…..

Last night I read about ‘Kodokushi’,
the politics of despair.
Grunts and strains upward,
counting the stars alone.

A 69-year old man
discovered three years after his death
….. no death poem, only the longest night.

An indented grey pillow,
on a winter sickbed.
No one to watch the threads of a life unfold,
many not even knowing.

I though, how will I die?

A soap bubble, before it bursts
or a chill before moonlight
….. the end of a long day?

An exhausted me, timeless drudgery.
Confusion, misery and apprehension
with only the slurping sounds.

Maybe I will write a poem, just before.
A simple happening…..
and yet, a drop of hope grown
…..a man’s end and mound of gleaming words.

Understanding

23rd Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

A picture sent to me by a friend in England.

I talked with my friend from Anyang this morning.
Upon a background of fading moonlight,
and recalling times gone by.

Once, we both had pure and romantic hopes… and lost them someplace.
You walk…. I walk.

Now there remains a heart in deep sadness….. estranged from this yellow land.

So I sent her a daffodil, from England…..
to pull along her threads of worries
and clean up these ancient wounds.

The Voice of the Cicadas

22nd Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

My Picture

It’s the edge of the world,
and I am tired.
The sound of water
says what it thinks.

Fish are walking
and sparrows singing.
Too often hinting of past things,
how far-off they are!

The moon taps at the window,
tap, tap, tap…..
Searching for the spotlight,
a slatted loneliness.

By the mountains, graceful
a kite ascends…
As the wind beats the wind,
pitying a lonely cicada voice.

Somewhere over here

21st Mar 201921st Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

A picture sent to me by a friend in Harbin, China. Northern China is experiencing late winter snow……..

Everybody run, run, run…..
a friend told me about death today.
Already naked
my dreams go wandering.
A vast empty autumn night
…..my very own constellation.

It reached the clouds in the sky,
an empty sickbed
and impotent doctors…..
watching the clock dial glow.

I awoke before the end,
a split second spirit.
And cast a cold eye….
I will not sell death today.

Midnight Road

20th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

rhdr

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My Pictures

During this time and through it all,
falling free from a lazy sky.
A sole evening star glows to the left,
overlapping the trouble I’ve seen.

The armies of the day, a mirror …..
reflect soft seeds of spreading hope.
Across the towering Taihang Mountains,
reigning heights….. echoed by a silent sound.

Now warming lights blink sober red,
and gather in the throat.
A voice that strives to strike the senses dumb,
floods its beauty to the sky.

Afterglow

19th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

My Picture: A accident on the way home this evening…our coach hit a car…all is well…but the fragility of life is all around us.

He sung this song

‘Sometimes I feel like a motherless child….. a long way from home…..

It took me back…..

Apples….. bruised apples

late October’s final song

an old dog by a cracking fire

nursed toward a loving light

grasping at the sky

even your life is tender

And then the call is made

a dull material world

numbed by mouth

and the song…..

‘call my brother…….’

A quite room

18th Mar 201918th Mar 2019 / Rugby Lion / Leave a comment

http://www.forbes.com

Humanity’s gift, a creation by love. A life of spirit, branches, leaves, water. Sailing in the sky and pardoned centuries ago. For there is no core to throw away.

Words whirring over wide plains Somewhere else, somewhere here beyond the reach of your presence. Already forgotten and born again.

Uncertainty, trotting timid minds out in a closed space.

A pale gray train appears stirred empty on the silent outskirts, proclaiming a second coming.

His life, a kind of a freeze frame a non-thinking matter. Smothering the earth with a fast silver-whitewash

Not too unpleasant, these days. The beauty and fun of it all, a quick free trip with no return.

saying nothing has become part of the English language held by it like flashbacks in a forest

across the tables conversations grinding away a petal falls and the afternoon drifts along

when I look up migrating birds show the way giving loneliness in the taste of white peach

Last night I read about ‘Kodokushi’, the politics of despair. Grunts and strains upward, counting the stars alone.

A 69-year old man discovered three years after his death ….. no death poem, only the longest night.

An indented grey pillow, on a winter sickbed. No one to watch the threads of a life unfold, many not even knowing.

I though, how will I die?

A soap bubble, before it bursts or a chill before moonlight ….. the end of a long day?

An exhausted me, timeless drudgery. Confusion, misery and apprehension with only the slurping sounds.

Maybe I will write a poem, just before. A simple happening….. and yet, a drop of hope grown …..a man’s end and mound of gleaming words.

I talked with my friend from Anyang this morning. Upon a background of fading moonlight, and recalling times gone by.

Once, we both had pure and romantic hopes… and lost them someplace. You walk…. I walk.

Now there remains a heart in deep sadness….. estranged from this yellow land.

So I sent her a daffodil, from England….. to pull along her threads of worries and clean up these ancient wounds.

It’s the edge of the world, and I am tired. The sound of water says what it thinks.

Fish are walking and sparrows singing. Too often hinting of past things, how far-off they are!

The moon taps at the window, tap, tap, tap….. Searching for the spotlight, a slatted loneliness.

By the mountains, graceful a kite ascends… As the wind beats the wind, pitying a lonely cicada voice.

Everybody run, run, run….. a friend told me about death today. Already naked my dreams go wandering. A vast empty autumn night …..my very own constellation.

It reached the clouds in the sky, an empty sickbed and impotent doctors….. watching the clock dial glow.

I awoke before the end, a split second spirit. And cast a cold eye…. I will not sell death today.

During this time and through it all, falling free from a lazy sky. A sole evening star glows to the left, overlapping the trouble I’ve seen.

The armies of the day, a mirror ….. reflect soft seeds of spreading hope. Across the towering Taihang Mountains, reigning heights….. echoed by a silent sound.

Now warming lights blink sober red, and gather in the throat. A voice that strives to strike the senses dumb, floods its beauty to the sky.