Night Sounds [shi]

Sitting in front of Amsterdam Falafel
at two o'clock in the morning with my cheroot
the traffic yet flows   there's always the noise of people
we attend to the branch   but nobody knows the root

a million scenes   appear on the screen of thought
if the tale is bitter or sweet   who can complain?
there's someone who strums a guitar   across the street
I don't know the tune   and can't make out the refrain



=======


Chinese poems, late summer, no. 3