Here are four poems of Kyoto poetaster and gadfly shakuhachi Master, Preston Louis Houser, selected by a former writer in Kyoto, Fil Lewitt:

LAMENT

air and earth the academy
fire and water the gurus
ether and gravity the lessons
authentic education
for saintly and stupid alike

mountain or pretense
come off it
amounts to the same thing
get moving

* * * * *

Keeping Close to the Horizon

Blind in one eye
Deaf in one ear
Counting the rhythm of far and near

Lame in one leg
and left to hop
Close up shop
And learn to beg

* * * * *

“Corrosive Causalities”
A way to look upon the world
no objects          no desires

How to map the gaps in the sky
no doubt           no dark

Learning how not to fall then falling for it
no words           no wonder

Epidermal demarcation destroyed
no sex                no fear

Even self confidence is a “con”
no rejection       no ignorance

Exchanging one cage for another
no vows            no bars

I only know where I am when I’m lost
no here               no way

* * * * *

“blah blah blah”
Meanwhile life goes on…

No cosmetics to camophlage
no beard to brook
the scorn the bliss

Inanities all

* * * * *

animal mist moving
through the material world
manifest as music
thus thou art

* * * * *

And here’s an extra one by former Kyoto poet (33 years), now living in Bangkok: Fil Lewitt:

What’s the Matter?

toe in the water
inch of life
what do you get?
lots of strife

most of what you do,
completely unintended
the problem is,
can’t be amended

no matter what you try
there’s often no alternative
sometimes things are crummy,
sometimes they’re superlative

when all is said & done,
you’re gone and simply one