Hama Rikyu Poem by Andrew Cuthbert

On the last day
Of a three-week stay in Tokyo
A boat trip along the river
Reveals the city skyline-
A random scattering
Of upended shoeboxes.

The boat docks at Hama Rikyu,
A park with a tidal lake,
Wisteria-draped pergolas
And a three hundred year-old pine tree.

Crossing an intricate wooden bridge,
The visitors queue for the tea-house.
Looking out over the lake,
They kneel on rush matting
As they wait to be served.

A woman in a kimono
Approaches with a tray-
Small cups of tea and sweetmeats.

She kneels before them,
Places the tray
And bows deeply.

The simple gesture,
Free of any hint of subservience,
Unaccountably moves him.

He's reminded of uncovering
The last in a a nest
Of Russian dolls.

Within the hubbub
Of a frantic city,
The sanctuary
Of the lovely park;

Within the park,
The simple building
Surrounded by water;

And within the tea-house,
In the ageless care and attention
Gifted by the simple bow,
An almost spiritual
Sense of peace-

A hint of the endless vistas
Of inner space.