A Man Needs Enemies

December Days Under The Trees

When you get down to it, Life is two friends Sitting by a river on a cold day Reading the words of dead men And basking in the glory. ...................... There are times When your body shakes From the pulsing blood, From the conscious thought, That this is your life. There is nothing you can …

Single Serving Pleasure

Modern men Dig their own graves. Deep Deep Down. Single serving cups Single serving love. Women they use And throw away Single serving pleasure Caring for no one.

Drinking With Friends Amongst The Blooming Peonies

We had a drinking party To admire the peonies. I drank cup after cup till I was drunk. Then to my shame I heard the flowers whisper, "What are we doing, blooming For these old alcoholics?" -Liu Yu Hsi Translated by Kenneth Rexroth

Country House

I planted a hundred mulberry trees And thirty acres of rice. Now I have plenty of silk and grain, And can afford to entertain my friends. In the spring I plant rice. In the  Autumn I gather chrysanthemums And perfume the  wine with their petals. My wife enjoys being hospitable. My children like to serve. …

2AM

2AM And the drunks are stumbling into each other As they leave the bars. I slouch in my trusty chair, Legs up against my loyal desk With my journals and books And poems of long dead friends. These early hours Have become so dear to me Through the years. Reading hungrily Whatever poems I could …