To a Friend

Ai, let us not spoil a moment wondering
about who of us will die first
and let us not talk
about all the things we hate and fake.
As long as a wide-winged lark keeps singing,
his God will forgive us all we have done.
As long as we can see cherry trees softly blooming
we do not harm anyone.
Ai, let us forget the hurt done to us,
God will know,
and let us not spoil a moment wondering
about who of us will die first.

-- from Johanna M. Bedford's section Fissure


next poem