Back alley

Walking out of the address

toward the back door

of the district

a small stretch of passageway

with a variety of scenery

that sometimes

warms the spring

and connects dreams

mostly there’s unremitting vitality

chartreuse of the persimmons

is always conveying some secret

totem of of the season

language of nature is variegated

grains of fruit on the camphor tree

will fall and touch the senses

with divine providence

life is just

spending some time to fall

in love with something

like a little back alley

now only the bare branches

of the magnolia are left

it’s as if the encounter

i had with it last time is forgotten

little black puppy whispers “woof”

reminding me to perceive

something close at hand

the fundamental thing is

I tried to unravel the pace of life

to accomplish trivial tasks

like buying a bag of produce

meeting someone

hailing a cab

enjoying the nightscape

just occasionally

the lights fill this void

like sea water

and later

it becomes infinitely wider

a small segment of time

and backstreet

i strongly believe

in all of this.

©2023, ChinHooi Ng.