In Basho's house
there are no walls,
no roof, floors
or pathway -
nothing to show
where it is,
yet you can enter
from any direction
through a door
that's always open.
You hear voices
though no one
is near you -
you'll listen without
knowing you do.
Time and time
you get up to greet
a stranger coming
towards you.
No one ever appears.
Hours and seasons
lose their names -
as do passing clouds.
Rising moon and setting sun
no longer cast shadows.
Sounds drift in
like effortless breathing -
frogsplash, birdsong,
echoes of your
own footsteps.
It all ceases
to exist in Basho's house -
the place you've entered
without knowing
you've taken a step.
Sit down. Breathe
in, breathe out.
Close your tired eyes.
Basho is sitting beside you -
a guest in his own house.
~ Peter Skyzynecki
Old/New World: New & Selected Poems
ed. note: Matsuo Bashō (松尾 芭蕉, 1644 – November 28, 1694), was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form
photo: Ofuna, Japan
bruce behnke 2012