Leaves Which Call On Water

And water will respond

Poem by Sarumaru Dayū, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse, by Katsushika Hokusai, c. 1839, Public Domain

Three drops of water
landing on a leaf,
Three acts of kindness,
bright tropical fish
swimming to a reef.

Things pass slowly
on cold December days,
Sun on hold, just dozing,
sad eyes and mine now closing,
with sailing ships from times gone by,
rocking…