Perfect Cherry Blossom

When snows still seethe
after the vernal equinox,
To the maiden's dismay
first petal of spring
comes not from the shrine of flower viewing,
but far far into the heaven.

Of duty and annoyance,
the red white sets aside her tea and broom;
Of desire and adventure,
the black white takes up her hat and broom;

And one more,
maiden of the scarlet nights,

follows her master's bidding.

First comes the lingering winter,
the coldness too spirited to sleep.
Then shows the straying cat,
the bristling confusion against intrusion.

The rainbow colored puppeteer
jubilantly exhibits her masquerade of dolls;
The trumpet, violin, and keyboard
trio symphony that invites into the netherworld.

Alas, the culprit of the lost spring,
the gardener gathering the essence of warmth,
the treachery of a ghost, or the love of a human?
one ancient sword of faith
amid thousands of falling blossoms
to guard the princess,
who gives a toying answer,
let me show this spring
to whom resting under the blossom
of that one
refusing the flowing time.

Through dances of death's invitation,
wings guiding to the next realm,
Over the border of life,
she rises and she rests.
All the spring,
for the few seconds of blossom.
The truth sounds disheartening,
The ultimate truth even more so,
yet and yet,
the friendship that has transcended
the boundary of life and death,
the courage that has sealed
the darkness and its resurrection.

To the end,
though the cherry blossom was not perfect
it was far more splendid
than anything he has ever seen.

Images from Variant Youyoumu from FLIPFLOPs and Two by this Side, Three by the Other Side from Personal Color. See original post here