Day takes off her dress br hangs it on an horizon. br Naked now as night br her rich black skin glittering br with many stuck on stars...stars. br br ******* br br Storm knocks on the door. br No one there except a moon. br Too fat to get in! br Stars sitting in window panes br wonder where...all humans are? br br ******* br br Video slows to br slow...mo...as I move through t i m e br watching myself take all br the time in the world just to br get from one second...to...the next. br br br ******* br br Giant of a man br squeezed into little teashop br as if a mountain br had come to have cream tea. br Sips cup...extends his pinkie. br br ******* br br Losing the head...hair! br Bald as billiard ball now. br Growing more hair on br his chin for compensation. br His head...looks upside...down now! br br ******* br br Vines escapes concrete br does a runner up the wall. br Meets Death at child’s hand. br All that effort ripped away br idly in a child’s play. br br ******* br br Gravestone so old gray br gives birth to the exquisite br tiny strawberries br running riot with a life br of their own...laughing at Death. br br ******* br br SALAD DAYS br br I gaze at flowers br as horses graze on flowers. br Both loving flowers br each in our separate ways. br I nibbling a nasturtium. br Horse looking at a thistle. br br ******* br br Scarecrow set alight br becoming a WICKERMAN. br Moon saying nothing. br An owl doesn’t give a hoot. br Scarecrow smiling to the end. br br ******* br ONE LITTLE JAPANESE WORD br br Down on my knees I br whisper: “Fuwa! ” & “Fuwa! ” br Keep on keeping on br even though I can’t go on.