Bronze Lanterns And Lotuses

The enraged yet dreary yōkai draw near

A Rōnin has lost himself in his hiatuses

With his painful grin slit from ear-to-ear

He reminds himself what self-restraint is

I find myself to be fortuitously dialectical

As I find my struggles to be lamentable

So you could guess it’d be a bit subtle…

Because I’ve no interest in being placed on a pedestal

I’d rather not question if my actions are always credible

And I’d never ask if anyone’s poetic process is conventional

So I remind myself that most of my efforts are commendable

Since I’ve spent so much time trying to be symmetrical

Adrift on a fantastical voyage to uncertainty

A Rōnin filled with ubiquitous pensiveness

Searching for undying peace and harmony 

Amongst the bronze lanterns and lotuses

I would love to have friends who claim they are indispensable

But I’ve found few who can reciprocate the three-dimensional

It leaves me wondering if it’s me or if it’s unintentional

As I struggle to be perceived as socially acceptable 

Therefore I must ask if it’s purely neurochemical

As the underlying messages are somewhat parenthetical 

For I’ve made dreams and aspirations that seem hypothetical 

Because reading between the lines can be painfully antithetical

Lonelily perched upon a vermillion torii

A Rōnin scorns, scowls, and stands

Preparing to face the yōkai for old glory

With a curved blade drawn in both hands

© Niklen 5/27/24