If you were a shaman,
the old crow told me,
you would know what
this calligraphy means
the moment that you
set eyes on it.
My own interpretation,
he went on, is that the
ancient legend is true
that says elves collect
materials this time of year
for decorating the Festival
drums. You might have
heard that story before.
If you see a scattering
of pine needles on the
sawn trunk of a tree, noting
the colors and textures,
and think of all the stories
this one small patch
of ground might hold,
you are gifted and lucky.
That’s what the old crow
told me.