He crushed the clover's purple crown, Eclipsed the daisy's sun, And ground the vetch into the ground, Until his hate was done. They left the broken place, And mourned for them and all women, Whose freedom was erased. Community of Tivoli, Said no to Freedom's end. Dalbo Portable Shrine Shoki, squat and bloody above his origami armor-boxes, glares from ricepaper pennants. Yoshitsune is pierced by fish-kites above the battleground of taxis where the shadow of Sanbancho skyscraper swallows pedestrians.
Children shriek from chrome bumpers, their brown arms basketing iris, tulip, natane.
Under a crash-scarred cherry an old man brushes a monkey from the shoulder of his kimono. They stand waiting to eat until she is finally able to buy boiled eggs, rice cakes, paper cups of sake. The old man sings The moon behind heaven burns blind under the sun, a very popular song four hundred years ago. The monkey catches his thumb, masticates it like an ear of corn. The old man chokes the monkey to release, then cinches the red sash tighter.