I have come to see
Mount Fuji—Fuji-san
the sacred mountain

In morning Alpenglow
seekers look up at you,
a deity’s incarnation

On this misty early morn
I won't tread your trails
while among others

I will wait; visit dancing cranes
at the pond's shore and listen
to distant temple bells

Then, by the rising sun
I can submerge myself
in you at my journey’s end.

“Misty rain;
today is a happy day,
although Mt. Fuji is unseen.”
(Basho)

© 2016 Jerry Kemp