James Woodham spent his first few years in Japan in a six-mat room in the grounds of a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, studying Japanese and writing poetry while working as little as possible. After a further ten years in the hills to the north, he moved to the wide open spaces of Shiga to bring up his kids. He is looking forward to retiring from a full time job at a Buddhist high school and spending his days writing and translating novels.
Rainy Season
Emerging from sleep
on the Hankyu train,
platform a warm dream –
suddenly
to find oneself
inside a poem!
Under grey cloud
a spirit-lifting wind –
the imminence of rain.
Drink can gleams in a hedge,
the squeal of bicycle brakes,
leaves in the wind.
Ankle bracelet on a leg –
that golden skin,
fine down of hairs.
Following the ghosts
of beautiful girls
down under Umeda.
***************
voices of birds
coming through the rain
the garden listens
Photo by John Dougill
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