(four haiku with a tanka couplet)
She knocks on the door,
a simple gentle tapping:
Why am I afraid?
Again, she arrives.
Her cup is never empty.
Dare I take a sip?
Fish swim in this lake.
Do they know they’re in water?
Do I know I’m here?
Would I understand
if the fish started to speak?
They don’t, so I don’t.
I take a deep breath, then sigh:
Happiness is not a verb.
(August 30, 2023)
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