Mother mountain gives up her yellow and red
Leaves
to seek her daughter
A wooden doll lies
in a pretty white box
the spirit of the child
dead
Inside
dreaming
Residing and
Displayed on a mantelpiece
Far away
sick for home
Kawaii kokeshi
In a pretty white box
White paper horses galloping
silently in the mind
I watch the crowds gathering
at the temple
Huddled at the shrine, drinking sake and laughing
Three old woman in their New Year's kimono
Burn incense
twice
clap their hands in Prayer
Persimmons
borrowed early
from Christmas trees
The crane glides past the white trees and snow
so Swiftly so
It makes me doubt
my memories
sitting by the Kamo River
Tiny white pebbles and
falling snow
reveal themselves with the sun
a circle of stones and a
prayer to Mary here
connects in time
Lady Godiva's rosary and mine
on this Mount Ogura
Against the white sky
speaking softly
the blossom blushes
In a vast and yellow green expanse
Pouting red lips fixed on sticks
The wigmaker's heads
scares the crows
long rice stalks tickling their feet.
Ready for harvesting
The rice stalks rub the tips of their fingers,
Wordless
the wind wafts through
Strange acoustics to be heard by
Clotilde Lopez is a practicing artist, playwright and poet writing in both English and Spanish. She is deeply interested in Jungian analytical psychology, symbolism and inner work. She worked in Kyoto, Japan for a period of three years and studied and practiced Nihon Buyoh (Japanese dance) and the koto (the Japanese harp).