Guzlowski-Stepek: The Never-ending Poem

The river listens to the forest's heart beat A prayer of rhythmic silence,  the march of morning.   The river flows its usual path past where memories are,  past moments of a monk's life that still wash downstream centuries after the day of his dying. The river wants to feel life but knows Heaven will not grant it.   It knows infinity unlike any man or woman  who comes to its shore.  They are just pilgrims of death walking to their foolproof destiny.

 The river listens to Ikkyu’s heart.  There is silence there,  the drift of morning.   The river wonders  where the memories are,  the moments of Ikkyu’s life that he will hold in his hands  on the day of his dying.   The river wants to know  but knows Ikkyu will not tell it.   It knows Ikkyu  like every man and woman  that comes to its shore  is a mystery as great as death.