This morning a lovely conversation inspired me to write a poem and a love letter to a beautiful woman. Her gentleness and kindness exude from every word she writes; you can find her work here.
Asuka in Japanese: 明日 (asu) meaning “tomorrow” and 香(ka) meaning “fragrance”, or from 飛 (asu) meaning “to fly” and 鳥 (ka) meaning “bird”.
youthful, natural, wholesome, strong, refined
Asuka
Neither grandiose nor boastful
subtle, a soft sigh,
the warmth of wool on a cool day,
lingering fragrance of a pressed flower,
the scent of rain that’s waiting in the sky.
The promise of dawn, pink gentle light
not yet arrived but deeply yearned.
A page marked, waiting for its turn.
A candle wick, waiting for its flame.
A petal curled, before it is unfurled,
blooming without shame.
It is the memory of flight,
the small bird in its tender arc,
wings fluttering, pressed against the wind
a dream once thought.
a memory gently preserved.
a quiet shadow on the grass,
so light, reminders to nod to the light.
Presence that does not demand,
but simply is, like your own hand
resting, open, ready to please
to write the words with longing
in a silent understanding of being.
A quiet space where you can be,
space perfected in time, with grace,
cultivated for peace, meditative ease.
mementoes of a soft, quiet life
a perfect, gentle certainty.
明日香
既不宏大也不自夸
微妙的，轻轻的叹息，
凉爽的日子里羊毛的温暖，
压花的挥之不去的香味，
天空中等待的雨香。
黎明的承诺，粉红色的温柔光芒
还没到，但深切渴望。
一页标记，等待它的回合。
蜡烛灯芯，等待它的火焰。
花瓣卷曲，在展开之前，
毫无羞耻地绽放。
这是飞行的记忆，
小鸟在它柔软的弧线中，
翅膀扑腾，迎着风
一个曾经想过的梦想。
记忆温和地保存下来。
草地上一片安静的影子，
如此轻盈，提醒向灯光点点。
不需要的存在，
但只是，就像你自己的手一样
休息，打开，准备取悦
带着渴望写下单词
在对存在的无声理解中。
一个安静的空间，你可以在那里，
空间在时间上完美，优雅，
为和平、冥想的轻松而培养。
柔和、安静生活的礼物
完美、温和的确定性。
A Visual Asuka as I imagine it…
Neither grandiose nor boastful
subtle, a soft sigh,
the warmth of wool on a cool day,
The promise of dawn, pink gentle light
not yet arrived but deeply yearned.
A page marked, waiting for its turn.
A candle wick, waiting for its flame.
A petal curled, before it is unfurled,
blooming without shame.
It is the memory of flight,
the small bird in its tender arc,
wings fluttering, pressed against the wind
a dream once thought.
a memory gently preserved.
a quiet shadow on the grass,
Presence that does not demand,
but simply is, like your own hand
resting, open, ready to please
to write the words with longing
in a silent understanding of being.
A quiet space where you can be,
space perfected in time, with grace,
cultivated for peace, meditative ease.
mementoes of a soft, quiet life
a perfect, gentle certainty.
By the way Asuka is a beautiful name.
Thank you for reading I appreciate your times.
Many Blessings and today an egg tart for you.
~Dorie
I wish I had the kind of inner peace it takes to write a poem like this.
Oh, Dorie… this is so beautiful. I actually just met Asuka yesterday and have been having the loveliest exchange with her. Your words capture the exact energy I felt from her. Gentle, grounded, beautifully soft. She's just darling. You both are. 💛