Joy Now

And once we round the bend?

Once all that the horizon is ours?

 

Is there something waiting there

grander than the vast open road

 

with its trees glinting in the sun

stone structures mounted for gods

 

Mountains just off to the side

ready to cushion your dreams

 

The clouds, too, shifting shape

always waiting to tell you a story?

 

May we not wait for what comes

but bring joy to everything we meet. – TS

Japan Photo Diary: 335 (travel protection friends in orange)

These guys are encased in a small shrine area on a very busy road, one of my common bike routes. The encasing is concrete on top of a concrete ground, right under a very busy Shinkansen train line. They are deity idols, “jizo”, meant to protect people on their travels. Every time I get here, the stillness and peace emanating from this little oasis makes me pause, stare at them, and say a little thank you. I love how their “outfits” match the orange of the “mikan” (tangerine) offering here.