seed planted,

thoughts become bricks

and walls.

unobserved, non porous, unfiltered

sake sinks to the bottom,

spirited men sweat it out in sauna

throwing more water to hot coals.

unaware, pores open up, filtered

thoughts make way for small chats

and then silence.

untrained, pay no heed to what is not broken,

said the absent minded man

peering, scrutinizing the last letter of a contract.

sprouting away in damp soil,

the first green leaves show themselves, budding flowers

blossom

as sweet rice thickens, hardens, a layer of white

being scraped while pens scribble away,

mouth masticates, working on soft sweetness, bliss.

a stem hardens, bark is crusty, uneven

and plain smiles show signs of tension for the foggy

brain tries to catch what is amiss.

catch nothing, the mind dismisses what is unknown,

unfounded fears, nerves, that’s all it is. is it?

maybe, maybe not,

the coal sizzles again as more water is thrown in,

there is nothing to scrape now, it is all gone,

spirited men find walls and bricks

at the bottom of unspoken words, hearts laden

with regret when spirits no longer comfort, evaporated,

lost like the conversation that has now grown cold.

the journey at an end, the path behind revealed,

of callous talks, nudges, smear campaigns,

smoke, smoke, to cover up what was evident

of steam hissing away – and the smiles that plastered

on faces, like clowns wearing masks, it was all a lie

accepted when spirits were high!