Theresa Williams

Song for Ryokan

He asks me to climb into something warm and come outside. We step onto the patio, shutting the door behind us, the warm fire. Milky darkness; Earth covered in mist. Cold seeps through my thin shoes. I hold my coat shut, too lazy to button it. The yellow cat mews and rubs against his thin legs. Nearby, a bird bursts into unknown song. Ryokan: too spellbound to leave.

gaunt maple
leaning toward
the sound