Dogo onsen
Hot spring, Matsuyama, Shikoku
Beneath the throbbing orange sun, leg trailing,
the egret drops to earth in search of easement,
stretches damaged toes into the sulphur spring.
It shudders through the geothermic scalding,
scorching membrane, searing bone and sinew.
Sweat soaked it slowly rises skyward, healed.
Far away in time, suburban dusk falls
as women saunter by the iron railings
past the line of beak-chipped egret finials,
to wallow chin-deep in Kami-no-yu.
They sit, skin soaking up the steaming water,
gifted by the gods from ancient legend.
Two guardian Buddhas perch there, back-to-back.
Myopic sight cannot detect the focus
of their unmoving orbs: do they lech on pert
refracted breasts or uplift eyes roof-fixed
towards the white cast wing-stretched egret
as it strains to lift its welded feet and fly?