Himeji Castle

It glides like a white bird
On a mountaintop,
Gently swaying in the wind,
Touching the clouds,
Immaculate,
Waiting to be invincible,
Watching secretly
The comings and goings
Not only of the enemy but
Of powerful clans and,
Loving families.

Beating its
White flawless wings
In the stillness of the sky
It climbs higher
On the bamboo-scented breeze
Remembering the sliding shoji,
The delicate hand of princess Sen,
The box tree comb,
The whizzing of arrows,
The closing of huge doors,
Moving, yet not moving.

June 2006, Tokyo