Haunting

Do not darken white

Blooms on the hedge with your light

From paper lanterns.

~ Hōrō  [Englished by Phillip Whidden]

When artificial light is turned on, white

Of tiny blossoms, white themselves in dark

Of garden realm, retreats.  An almost blight

From paradox of lantern lightly stark

Dims, seems to dim the slightness of the flowers.

This seems a trick in human eyes when they

Are forced to look at light on leaves.  The powers

Of midget blossoms seem to fade away.

They nearly disappear as if they turn

To twilight from their mini noon of strength.

They darken, so it seems, when lit leaves burn

From lantern beams that wilt the slight dove strength.

  This isn’t really real.  This artifact

    Makes eyes’ nerves think that white blooms ghost-retract.