My Hermitage

My hermitage is home to a cat and a mouse;

Both are furry creatures.

The cat is fat and sleeps in broad daylight;

The mouse is thin and scampers about in the dark.

The cat is blessed with talent,

Able to deftly catch living things for its meals.

The mouse is cursed,

Limited to sneaking bits and pieces of food.

A mouse can damage containers, it is true,

But containers can be replaced,

Not so living things.

If you ask me which creature incurs more sin,

I'd say the cat!

-Ryokan

Autumn Road, Afternoon

The Great Way leads nowhere,

And it is no place.

Affirm it and you miss it by a mile;

"This is delusion, that is enlightenment" is

also wide of the mark.

You can expound theories of "existence" and

"nonexistence"

Yet even talk of the "Middle Way" can get

you sidetracked.

I'll just keep my wonderful experiences to

myself.

Babble about enlightenment, and your words

get torn to shreds.

-Ryokan