Harvest Moon Poem by Suzanne Hayasaki

The full moon consoles me
As I walk along the lonely road
Lost in thoughts of springtime
As I watch migrating geese fly by.

Another season of growth has ended
The seeds have been gathered and ground.
Now is the time to sit in the shade of haystacks
And make plans for the coming months of seclusion.

The rivers and lakes will freeze.
The snow will pile high in the passes.
The roads will disappear completely.
All will be still until the April thaw.

And so I lengthen my stride as the slope climbs.
I carry on my back all I need for tonight.
I want to sleep alone in the open one more time
Before winter descends to imprison me again.