Difference between revisions of "Takanata's Poems"

Latest revision as of 14:55, 8 June 2011

Book One

The Shadow of the Wall

Two mice jump and tumble

Pale as the moon, brown as a leaf

Yet the same

Two mice freeze beneath the sky

Hearts fluttering in terror

The claws descend

The memory of light moves away from the shadow

The Providence of Coincidence

The journey of a thousand li

Begins with one very bad day

A handful of stones from the river bed

Were not born together

Did not shape each other

But are placed into the wall together

To hold back the storm

Ghost Hunters

Sand stretches in all directions

Footsteps lead south in dashed lines

An arrow pointing into the past

A trail to be followed

The Price of Good Fortune

The web shivers with dancing strands

The butterfly struggles and launches free

Wings sparkling in the sun

Heavy with the golden prize

The bird waits, poised

Ship of Gold

The river runs clean and silver

The golden ship drifts like a leaf

The reflection of the ship shines as brightly

But cannot be touched

Fire and Ice

Ice which does not melt, but burns

A touch of Winter at the heart of Summer (this line has a shadow underneath it)

The truth is in the shadow, the action in the light

Whispered Secrets

A mask is always beautiful

Smiles with perfect grace

But shows nothing

Beneath the mask lies the skin

Beneath the skin lies the truth

Beneath the truth

Lies the secret

Bureaucracy for Beginners

trouble in the foxruns,

from both near and afar,

far

beyond the watered gate

blankets covering truth

or lies soon to be,

the map reckons secrets,

and lets the Hunter see.

near

royal spire, and golden reach,

the Marked hand is arrived,

seeking pawns of one who flits

to save the lord survived.

freedom in water, safety in the rain,

when ink runs down the page,

the Hunter's sight will strain,

and the Marked will flee the stage.

Unwelcome Invitation

A seed sown in the north grows to bear a bitter fruit

A seed planted by my hand in its shade grows as well

Corruption seeks to destroy even those not its enemy

But makes enemies of those it does not destroy

Monarch Butterfly

Body

Ravaged by venom,

Salvaged by love.

Far travelled, long sought,

First key is the draught.

Mind

Inquisitive and cunning,

though assaulted by all,

Memory's salvation

needs those cross'd the wall.

Soul

Peerless connection

twixt body and mind.

Off on a journey,

Its plans to unwind.

Recover the heart of the

Butterfly's pawn,

though spirit and demon

will fight till the dawn.

Book Two

Death Blossom

Origami: a paper flower folded from paper with skeletons drawn upon it.

On the River

A paper chain with raindrops painted on one side, water on the other.

Serpent's Egg

A little puzzle out of folded colored paper - an egg with a serpent patterned in maze-like colors, wrapped around it, and a little heart. The puzzle is how to get the heart into the egg.

Travelling with the Butterfly Prince: Part II

Hide Outside
Tong Throng
Other Brother
Fated Hated
Girl Whirl
Sleight Fight

Phoenix Hearth

Other people have made prophetic art for him: a clay figure of a woman riding a horse, a phoenix painted in

orange, a tiny watercolor of a cherry blossom drifting in mist, a folded paper flower (each petal a different color), a tiny sitar player carved in ivory, and a wooden netsuke of an octopus.

A River Befouled

Redemption blooms as an opening flower

But bears a single seed alone

(the second half of the poem is torn away)

Compass Rose

Fox in Socks

Page 1
Page 2

The Eighth Name

Lifedeath

Lahjen na murkkya hautuak kanssa on totta.

Ampanen on viholln, mutta ala lo pesa

Jakaa kumalen khydistyi.

Translation: A face that has not known joy can only grimace, not smile.; Even if the wasp is your enemy, do not strike the nest.; The split lifedeath united.

Book Three

Whale Hunt

A watercolor landscape of a seaside. There is a fuzzy, smeary town pictured, with three large docks sticking into the water, and a fuzzy picture of a grey boat docked at one of them.

Opening Cages

The Real Inspector Fu

The pellet with the poison

In the vessel with the pestle

For the chalice from the palace

With the brew that is true

So the potion of emotion

Aims a sting at the king

While to spill out the pill

Turns suspense to offense.

Ancestor Spirit

An Offer could be an Opportunity, or make an Enemy

An enemy could be an opportunity, with an offer

An enemy's opportunity opportunes enemies in the offing

Over the Mountains and Through the Woods

Might is important, but balance is key.
A wall in the wilderness tells you there is something behind it.
Metal carries water, but water rusts metal.
The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step, if you can but take it.
It is easier to fool a good man with a bad reason than a bad man with a good reason.
To spurn a fair fight suggests you wish to cheat
Watch your step before you become lost, rather than after

Three Ring Yoshi

The hunter may admire the prey;

the man who would buy the pelt

sees only the color, not the life.

The man who sees a paragon

in one mirror

will break another mirror

who shows him a fool

Every boy counts it a victory

to stand in the shoes

of his older brother

and not fall

Children of the Bamboo

She who owned it knew it not

She who wished it owned it not

She who owned it wished it not

He who found it sought it not

He who needs it has it not

He who has it needs it needed

It was what it is not

It is not what it may be

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+==Book One==
 ===[[The Shadow of the Wall]]===
 :Two mice jump and tumble
@@ Line 47: / Line 48: @@
 :Ice which does not melt, but burns
 :<code>'''A touch of Winter at the heart of Summer'''</code> <small>(this line has a shadow underneath it)</small>
 :The truth is in the shadow, the action in the light
+===[[Whispered Secrets]]===
+: A mask is always beautiful
+: Smiles with perfect grace
+: But shows nothing
+: Beneath the mask lies the skin
+: Beneath the skin lies the truth
+: Beneath the truth
+: Lies the secret
 ===[[Bureaucracy for Beginners]]===
@@ Line 77: / Line 87: @@
 :Corruption seeks to destroy even those not its enemy
 :But makes enemies of those it does not destroy
+===[[Monarch Butterfly]]===
+:;Body
+:Ravaged by venom,
+:Salvaged by love.
+:Far travelled, long sought,
+:First key is the draught.
+:;Mind
+:Inquisitive and cunning,
+:though assaulted by all,
+:Memory's salvation
+:needs those cross'd the wall.
+:;Soul
+:Peerless connection
+:twixt body and mind.
+:Off on a journey,
+:Its plans to unwind.
+:Recover the heart of the
+:Butterfly's pawn,
+:though spirit and demon
+:will fight till the dawn.
+==Book Two==
+===[[Death Blossom]]===
+Origami: a paper flower folded from paper with skeletons drawn upon
+it.
+[[File:skeletons.png|300px]]
+===[[On the River]]===
+A paper chain with raindrops painted on one side, water on the other.
+===[[Serpent's Egg]]===
+A little puzzle out of folded colored paper - an egg with a serpent patterned in maze-like colors, wrapped around it, and a little heart. The puzzle is how to get the heart into the egg.
+===[[Travelling with the Butterfly Prince: Part II]]===
+* Hide Outside
+* Tong Throng
+* ''Other'' Brother
+* Fated Hated
+* Girl Whirl
+* Sleight Fight
+===[[Phoenix Hearth]]===
+;Other people have made prophetic art for him
+: a clay figure of a woman riding a horse, a phoenix painted in
+orange, a tiny watercolor of a cherry blossom drifting in mist, a
+folded paper flower (each petal a different color), a tiny sitar
+player carved in ivory, and a wooden netsuke of an octopus.
+===[[A River Befouled]]===
+:Redemption blooms as an opening flower
+:But bears a single seed alone
+(the second half of the poem is torn away)
+===[[Compass Rose]]===
+[[Image:propheticflowers.jpg|200px]]
+===[[Fox in Socks]]===
+<gallery>
+File:Fox-socks-1.jpg|Page 1
+File:Fox-socks-2.jpg|Page 2
+</gallery>
+===[[The Eighth Name]]===
+[[File:Poem-edit.png|300px]]
+===[[Lifedeath]]===
+:Lahjen na murkkya hautuak kanssa on totta.
+:Ampanen on viholln, mutta ala lo pesa
+:Jakaa kumalen khydistyi.
+;Translation
+:A face that has not known joy can only grimace, not smile.
+:Even if the wasp is your enemy, do not strike the nest.
+:The split lifedeath united.
+==Book Three==
+===[[Whale Hunt]]===
+A watercolor landscape of a seaside. There is a fuzzy, smeary town pictured, with three large docks sticking into the water, and a fuzzy picture of a grey boat docked at one of them.
+===[[Opening Cages]]===
+[[File:Bee-rain-sun.png|300px]]
+===[[The Real Inspector Fu]]===
+:The pellet with the poison
+:In the vessel with the pestle
+:For the chalice from the palace
+:With the brew that is true
+:So the potion of emotion
+:Aims a sting at the king
+:While to spill out the pill
+:Turns suspense to offense.
+===[[Ancestor Spirit]]===
+:An Offer could be an Opportunity, or make an Enemy
+:An enemy could be an opportunity, with an offer
+:An enemy's opportunity opportunes enemies in the offing
+===[[Over the Mountains and Through the Woods]]===
+* Might is important, but balance is key.
+* A wall in the wilderness tells you there is something behind it.
+* Metal carries water, but water rusts metal.
+* The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step, if you can but take it.
+* It is easier to fool a good man with a bad reason than a bad man with a good reason.
+* To spurn a fair fight suggests you wish to cheat
+* Watch your step before you become lost, rather than after
+===[[Three Ring Yoshi]]===
+:The hunter may admire the prey;
+:the man who would buy the pelt
+:sees only the color, not the life.
+:The man who sees a paragon
+:in one mirror
+:will break another mirror
+:who shows him a fool
+:Every boy counts it a victory
+:to stand in the shoes
+:of his older brother
+:and not fall
+===[[Children of the Bamboo]]===
+:She who owned it knew it not
+:She who wished it owned it not
+:She who owned it wished it not
+:He who found it sought it not
+:He who needs it has it not
+:He who has it needs it needed
+:It was what it is not
+:It is not what it may be
 [[Category:Poetry]]
 [[Category:Prophetic Art]]