Paula Bohince – II
Monkey and Wasp
In a column of near-
nothingness, the monkey sits
in wonderment, head tipped back
as a child’s often is.
Above him, the wasp spins—
obscure, beyond reach—
fairy of flight and sting,
delighting the primate, his almost-
human eyes unblinking.
A loose fist betrays his wish
to catch and keep awhile the tiny
other, to rock that noise
in his palm’s small cradle.
–after “Monkey and Wasp” by Mori Sosen, 1747-1821, Japan
In a column of near-
nothingness, the monkey sits
in wonderment, head tipped back
as a child’s often is.
Above him, the wasp spins—
obscure, beyond reach—
fairy of flight and sting,
delighting the primate, his almost-
human eyes unblinking.
A loose fist betrays his wish
to catch and keep awhile the tiny
other, to rock that noise
in his palm’s small cradle.
–after “Monkey and Wasp” by Mori Sosen, 1747-1821, Japan