SAY GOOD BYE TO THE ANCIENTS

by Dr. Rick McGrath,Ph.D.
(Modesto, CA)

Sayonara is how they say good bye.
In ceremonial custom and folk lore,
Beyond the mountain at Fujiyama,
Heroic spirits of the past soar.

Warriors by the sword they live and die.
The breeze of time that comes and goes
As the geisha dance the traditional kagura
To appease the deities as the story shows.

Cut to perfection is the Japanese bonsai.
Trained in the ancient ways of Zen,
The mind, body and soul is imagined.
The essence of nature captured within.

The crane appears high from the sky,
A messenger from the gods high above.
The symbol of luck, longevity and fidelity,
Flowers of life bloom with the scent of love.