Lost on the feng shui highway
I am directed by colour and texture 
towards the eternal purchase
of goods, the bads and the other;
I am buying dreams
(red mules and voile reams)
Enchanted by the image of me,
the haunting silhouette
who escapes the bed, the blankets, the heat -
to become that other, the free.
Somewhere across the ocean
in a village by the sea
My sister is paring her nails
and humming softly
Preparing herself
for a little baring of the self
later
with the visiting wind
and
the tree.
image from my journal
Hiroshige's 'The Pedicure'
The contrast between the harsh black of the scissors and the delicately drawn toes is particularly striking. The herb in the bowl of water is Nazuma, used to soften the nails before cutting...