Two Crickets
after a painting by Zeshin
Inside the fine-ribbed lacquer cage
the shadow of a cricket climbs the bias
of the pale rear bars
where vague stalks float in blurred arcs
until the colorful heads
of balloon flowers, pampas grass,
ominaeshi’s curly blond wigs,
pop up over the top like puppets.
Off to the side, a pewter-blue cricket pauses
on a leaf of mustard-colored grass,
its two glorious, long antennae
swimming upwards in a wavy V,
while in feathery parallel
an almost invisible hind leg
is kicked up and held
as if the insect were mesmerized
by a remote grace within,
the subtle, ghostly unfolding
of paper-thin wings.