from sleeping with Bashō
david trinidad

Fleabag

 

Oh great—

a horse just pissed

next to my pillow.

 

*

 

Before Air-Conditioning

 

Here I sit,

on a rock

in this river,

pretending to fish.

 

*

 

Marginalized Voice

 

The toad

under the shed.

 

*

 

Cosmetics Counter (1)

 

These lovely new

safflower blossoms

can be used as

an eyebrow brush.

 

*

 

Choosing Your Battles

 

If I thought it would

do any good, I’d throw

rocks at the cicadas.

 

*

 

Those Priests Are Great Shots

 

All around the temple—

dead cicadas

and stained rocks.

 

*

 

And Then There Were None

 

Silence, at last.

 

*

 

Teaching Poetry

 

I’ll consider myself

successful if

at least one student

surpasses me.

 

*

 

Ice Cave

 

The casket

where the snow

queen keeps

her precious stones.

 

*

 

Cosmetics Counter (2)

 

Would you like to sample

our exciting new fragrance

blowing in from the south—

Summer Wind.

 

*

 

Cosmetics Counter (3)

 

Or this scent

just off the mountain—

Snowdrift.

 

*

 

Cosmetics Counter (4)

 

Or one moving in fast—

Cold Front.

 

*

 

Cosmetics Counter (5)

 

Or one guaranteed

to take him by surprise—

Avalanche.

 

*

 

All in Black

 

Except for her crescent—

sparkling like

a rhinestone pin.

 

*

 

Unfinished Business

 

As surely as

the moon, his soul

will return to

shed light on this mess.

 

*

 

Inevitably

 

Whenever I read poems

about flowers and the moon,

someone in the audience

starts to snore.

 

*

 

Highest Peak

 

As close as

I’ll ever get to

my beloved moon.