From The Estate of Mrs. Banks

I bought a book of

Japanese haiku poetry

from The Goodwill for $2.00

Basho, Issa, Buson

with their gentle suggestions

of falling blossoms

bamboo shoots and dragonflies 

on pages of beautiful 

wood block paintings

could not compare 
to the inscription on the inside cover

written in wobbly grammar school cursive

that was more lovely than any poem offered

by the ancient masters:

     "To Mrs. Banks:

          I love poems, and I love you.

     Allaire Imhoff, 1998"

My joy at reading 

her heartfelt profession

quickly saddened when I realized

if they had taken more time 

when cleaning out 

Mrs. Banks' book shelf

they would have found 

this simple eulogy 

as testament 

to her teachings 

of love and poetry.

Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press   April 2017