Dusk by the beach

Etched in my memory are shadows from the past.
Regret cannot chase them away.

Butterfly

Enticed by the bright city lights,
a butterfly quietly flits;
one of the more colourful sights
that throng the dark but vibrant streets.

She flutters about red lanterns
with a fine shamisen in tow;
she plays in teahouses and taverns
pausing only to take a bow.

The bright hues of her kimono
fill up the emptiness of night;
gay and chatty, she seems to know
how to raise her tipsy clients’ delight.

Regretfully, when daylight breaks
in this Land Of The Rising Sun,
the sleepy butterfly slowly makes
her way back to the cocoon she spun.