water koto cave
in the gardens of japan
there is a kind of fountain
called a suikinkutsu
literally
‘water koto cave’
which is an upside down jar
buried in the ground
it has a hole
in the bottom
which allows water droplets
to dripdripdrip
down
into a shallow pool
enclosed by the jar
their splishsplashsploshing
is amplified by the jar
which echoes like a cave
which chimes like a koto
a water koto cave
of course
the fountain needs to be tuned
like an instrument
i mean
no one wants to hear
the sound of a horse
pissing into a bucket
for example
so you could say
perhaps
that the gardeners who craft suikinkutsu
tune water droplets
well
just imagine
tuning a waterfall
Silly String Theory
Do you feel the cold hands warm heart of glass window to the soul-destroying work/life balance sheet music of the spheres? My present state of mind the gap year of the snake in the grass me up up and away with the fairies. To be honest, there is no alternative lifestyle choice of words fail me. But don’t worry: we can work it out in the sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.
Robin Boothroyd’s poems have previously been published on The Literateur and DOG-EAR. Last year he won the COMPAS Poetry Prize, judged by Ruth Padel. On Valentine’s Day he self-published an ebook of anti-romantic poems called Before the Cheesecake Arrived. He likes to read books and ride bikes but never at the same time.
@rfboothroyd
thebohemyth.com 