When the ronin chose his path
He walked it bravely
To cast aside tradition
To become his own master
Is a lesson that resonates through time
No matter the situation
Relationships, jobs, money
All fall to the wayside
In the pursuit of inner peace
A priceless feeling that can never be replicated
The stake that sticks up gets hammered down
And rises again
Stronger than ever before
From the moment of first bloom
lost love is ignited
in bursts of pink and magenta
flower of contemplation
falling in a gossamer stream
each petal tinged with a memory
for those who came before
hold a five-sided promise
while Maiko wave branches
tipped with fleeting glory
it is the time of Hanami
where temporal beauty grows
thin as paper
song and companionship
are the colours of spring
honour takes root beneath trees
that echo the old proverb
whoever finds a three-sided cherry blossom will always have love in their lives
Yamato Magazine 