Dean Okamura

A song of ephemeral waterfalls when raindrops fall down

   

I wish that my weight would fall down 

at least forty pounds. 

I fear that my house may fall down 

in a big earthquake. 

I hope that I do not fall down 

a cliff on a hike. 

How did silly Alice fall down 

a deep rabbit hole? 

Why do sandcastles fall down 

by morning tide? 

When will raindrops fall down 

on my head? 

Down fall 

Alice, 

Sandcastles, 

Raindrops. 

Down fall 

I, 

My house, 

My weight. 

Feel 

A 

Little 

Loose 

& I 

Do 

Odd, 

Weird, 

Nervous… 

Things 

in the middle 

of ephemeral 

waterfalls 

when raindrops 

fall down. 

The center 

of the world. 

The creation 

of living things. 

Wow, what am I doing down 

here? 

Thank God, I stopped fall- 

ing! 

Somewhere in the fallen forest

   

Somewhere amidst the fallen trunks 

stands my trusted friend 

who works the earth 

to plant the trees 

for future groves of forest. 

I could not see the fresh growth 

when people scattered round 

plastic pots 

they liked so much 

the forest disappeared. 

We no longer miss the forest 

because we see the trees. 

We do not see the forest 

but a dumping ground for friends. 

They fall down into her web

   

How many more times must they fall down? 

Collapse weak as ones who 

fade in virility. 

Caught in webs spun by fiery, thin-legged 

Black Widows who would not 

consume their heads for sport. 

Left to contemplate shortcomings, 

torture far beyond any 

lost love or betrayal. 

Why do they fall prey to fierce deceit? 

Trapped in addictive games, 

sexy, seductive lies. 

Wild lure of multiple sex partners 

proves too hard to resist, 

downfall of male spiders.