lost in a sky
of strange and far places
a hint of a house
and treetops in the mist
guide my way to you
she gazes
into the same skies
as you do
may your thoughts also
come to be one of accord
if you answered
the tapping of every
water bird
even a wandering
moon could enter
if the haze had not
come out to go in between
the moon and flowers
otherwise even the birds nests
might have burst into blossom
boat upon high seas
if you are drifting without
a harbor or course
give me a call and I'll row
out to teach you about ports
not even knowing
the meaning which the color
of lavender has
but watching it carefully
this one's heart is deeply touched
Murasaki Shikibu, *A String of Flowers, Untied...
Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese court lady. She is the author of the Tale of Genji written one thousand years ago. In eleventh century Japan the highest form of literary effort was poetry, the 31 syllable tanka.