Edward Dewar
The Small Things
Late at night it’s common to see a spider the size of my fist scale a wall
and disappear into the rafters. Early in the morning I have to be careful not
to step on slugs the size of my thumb. Most of the time my legs are numb
and full of pins and needles. My greatest fear is that I will embarrass myself
in front of the other novices and not be able to stand. Any breeze is most welcome.
I actually enjoy raking the leaves on the temple grounds. The best part is the smell
of the rice the monks prepare for the mid-day meal and the salty pickles they add for
flavour. Whenever we go into town the bears at the Kumamoto zoo aren’t the only
attraction.
hubbub
of the market
sour bean paste
in the pastries
wide-eyed neighbourhood kids
About the Author
Edward Dewar’s poetry has been published in Haiku Canada Review, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Bottle Rockets, Presence, and others. He has recently started to write haibun and tanka prose and enjoys the challenge and creative freedom of combining prose with haiku and tanka.