Music and ceremony
to correct my faults
mountains and forests
to addle me with joy
I nod till my silk cap
starts to slide off
the sun that warms my back
brightens my bamboo book
when the fall wind knocks down pinecones
I gather them
when the weather turns cold
I open the hives to collect the honey
a few last flowers
here and there
in my sandals I stop
to inhale their fragrance.