The constellation Cygnus lies along the Milky Way. Cygnus, the swan, flies westward. Arcturus lies to the west, Capella to the east.

 arcturus and capella are the comings

           and goings of cygnus

one says 'this is where you were'   

          the other says 'this is where you will be'

~

everything seems so simple until it

isn't   today is sort 

of isn't   it's like adding to seven   how 

hard can it be   six plus one equals seven

then mr wise-guy says 

what about five plus two   and

miss smartypants says three plus

four   and the guy

upstairs who sings in the shower says

four plus three   and you get 

the idea   today is sort

of four plus three   i'm almost afraid to go to

bed   afraid of letting down my

guard for even a few restoring hours

~

When one thing is uneasy, then all things become uneasy. Terri's ebullient nature either masks or obviates the feeling. Marketa feels it, and rises above it. She's asleep. 

~

Across the street, and below, is a CVS store. I've been looking at that store, and in particular the CVS neon letters, for almost three years now. I've watch sparrows build nests in the "V" in the spring. I've watched a current of shoppers go in, come out, day after day.

I have, before me, a book of Gary Snyder's called, "No Nature." He is a contemporary of Professor Eliot. They both lived and studied and wrote in Japan. 

He writes, and I quote:

"Hakuni Zenji put it 'self-nature that is no nature/ . . . far beyond mere doctrine.' An open space to move in, with the whole body, the whole mind. My gesture has been with language." (March 6, 1991)

The poems seem simple enough. He writes about what he's thinking and seeing and wondering and doing. It isn't always linear, and life is linear, but life isn't linear in retrospect. Having said that, this seems linear:

He writes:

On our way to

             Khajuraho

the bus stoppt, we ate

             guavas

cheap.

i write:

across the street the neon letters

            remind me of spring

 people come and go

~

I am reminded of Japanese Noh dramas

~

I'm tired and I'm uneasy.

can someone

            be the everything of me

noh

~

I come to bed. I lie next to Marketa, thinking and listening. No matter what, good or bad, I am a little sad. It is my nature. I know my nature. No nature. 

~

across the street the neon

            sign reminds me of spring   

sparrows dream of sweet trills   

           of nightengale song

 arcturus and capella are the comings

          and goings of cygnus

           one says this is where you 

were   the other says this is where you will be

~

Thoughts cycle. What is eight plus the opposite, the negative, of one? 

~

i crawl into bed

           i try to find something 

to hang on to

           marketa reaches out 

just to be sure

that's all i need 

            or want