Poetry / 1186

feudal japan, 1186
two samurai at dawn
face off in a showdown
under the willow trees
two swords, sharper than wit
lie compulsively in sheaths
five solemn paces
on brown autumn leaves

one
two
(he smells steamed salmon through the paper walls of his home)
three
four
(for a second, his thoughts wander, admiring the houses in the valley below)
five
six
stop.

silence but for the deafening sound of a rising star
fingers like wound up rubber band pistols
trace beelines to wooden handles
a bonsai tree tumbles by through the gap
then a twig signals the start with a snap.

draw! and rush headlong into the fray!
pink petals swoon and fall.
dancing warriors play hide and seek.
dancing blades cut through the salmon haze.
the screeching cry of a broken heart.
and a distant bird breaks the silence.
he dies over and over.

the other lets out a primal yell
teeth bared
fists in the air
head in the clouds

while the willow trees yawn
and the autumn leaves shrug
at one samurai at dawn

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