Parting moon

Clear and austere stands the embracing air;

trees stretch their bronze-gold branches,

wine winds purple chains around the walls,

prematurely falling leaves

rustle on the narrow path.

Sweetly suffused by apples’ scent,

so rich and ripe this summer’s end,

shining like a last bouquet of flowers,

announcing early autumn days.

The wounds of life are burning,

no herb can ever heal.

Hard strikes the hand of death,

but lays to rest a tired man.

Sombre behind the treetops

fades the last afterglow.

Life’s burden, it weighs heavily;

it almost seems to me

it’s even easier to die,

finally.

---

Geometry is nonsense

Homage to Friedensreich Hundertwasser

I am a tree, with epidermis,

clothed in bark,

my leaves show printed theses,

my roots are in the earth,

the branches like an ark,

humus…constant rebirth.

Were men to stay in tune with nature,
to become one with pasture,

the first rule is individual design…

Not confine
yourself to the straight line,

which leads to the downfall of mankind:

geometry is not the mastermind.

The straight line is undivine and dogmatic.

No unevenness or circular bends,

no Celtic scrolls on age old stones and sand,

no unfurling fern sporangium,

bestowing a seed quantum,

leaving multitude in our hands.
 

Organic cycle of matter, fermentation.
In harmony with nature, transformation.

Key to happiness and beauty

the path of inspiration.

Let nature decorate the walls 

and open our souls.

Let algae rule.

May mould take over, fern, mosses and lichens

in the infinite intuitive fullness.

---

AGAIN

one of those sleepless nights

when books become cushions

and memories haunt the minutes

which are sheep in other nights

and are unable to be counted

with all the thoughts

foreboding shadows

and expectations,

desires.

Morpheus the god of sleep,

the son of Hypnos and his brother

Phantasos

play jokes with mortals

and turn the hour glass

provide more time

for night watches

and pain.

---

Artist:

Eduard Schmidt-Zorner is a translator and writer of poetry, haibun, haiku and short stories.

He writes haibun, tanka, haiku and poetry in four languages: English, French, Spanish and German and holds workshops on Japanese and Chinese style poetry and prose.

Member of four writer groups in Ireland and lives in County Kerry, Ireland, for more than 25 years and is a proud Irish citizen, born in Germany.

Published in 71 anthologies, literary journals and broadsheets in UK, Ireland, Canada and USA.