Roshi and the Crickets

       


     Roshi poured me a glass of Courvoisier. We were in a
                     cabin on Mt.Baldy, summer of 1977. We were
                      listening to the crickets.
                   - Kone, Roshi said, you should write a cricket poem.
                   - I've already written a cricket poem. It was in this
                      cabin two years ago.
                   - Oh.
             Roshi fried some sliced pork in sunflower oil and boiled
                      a three minute noodle soup. We finished one bottle
                      of courvoisier and opened another.
                   - Yah, Kone, you should write a cricket poem.
                   - That is a very Japanese idea, Roshi.
                   - So.
               We listened to the crickets a while longer. Then we
                     closed the the light so we could open the door and
                     the breeze without the flies coming in.
                  - Yah, Cricket.
                  - Roshi, give me your idea of a cricket poem.
                  - Ha ha. Okay:
                dark night ( said Roshi)
                cricket sound break out
                cricket girlfriend listening.
                 - That's pretty good, Roshi.
                Dark night ( Rochi began again)
                walking on the path    
                suddenly break out cricket sound
                where is my lover?
                - I don't like that one.
                cricket ! cricket !  ( Roshi cried )
                you are my lover
                now I'm walking path alone
                but I'm not lonely  with you.
                 - I'm afraid not Roshi. The first one was good.
               Then the crickets stopped for a while and Roshi poured
                   Courvoisier into our glasses. It was a peaceful
                   night.
               -  Yah, Koen, said Roshi very softly you should write
                    more sad.

                                                         Leonard Cohen

You can see a beautiful clip of Leonard Cohen speaking about
            Sasaki Roshi  Here