The Oneness of Eternal Water

In Issue 1 by Jan McMillan


Hokusai’s wave
Stands still in time,
Each tiny drop perceived,
Its foamy edges clear,
Far off Mt Fuji
Fixing its location,
That single wave
That certain day.

Hokusai’s wave
Has been around the world
One hundred thousand million times
And touched the shores
Of every land with bordered shores.
From beginningless time
Hokusai’s wave’s been drawn to heaven
And joined the procession
Of clouds that drift and sail
Across deserts, mountains, valleys.

Fallen to earth on one hundred thousand million journeys
To join the bodies
Of rivers and seas.
Fallen as snow
On frozen steppes in uncountable winters,
Penetrated the skins of tropical trees
In hurricanes that bear human names.

I bow to Hokusai who chanced to catch the wave
As it came together for an instant
Before rejoining the oneness of eternal water.

About the Author

Jan McMillan

I began writing poetry in college in a creative writing class. After college my writing lay dormant for several years while I raised my family. It came to life again after I came out to my family and friends when I was 37. Coming out seemed to release my creative self and I became a more active writer. I've never been a prolific poet, nor a very disciplined one. I let the poem emerge and have always tried to let it arrive in its own time. The subjects of my poetry centers mainly around nature, human relationships and spirituality. I also write haiku in keeping with my connection to nature and Zen Buddhism.

Read more work by Jan McMillan .

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