The suitcase is packed, but not closed. Piles os stuff seem very hopeful that they contain something useful. How to plan my needs of the future when I am so committed to letting happen what will, I am amazed that I am as quiet as I am! and very grateful that my body is allowing this trip.
The house is cleaner than I thought it would be. Somehow packing seemed to take longer and use up more energy than I had planned for the job.
When I was able to put away the last of the laundry and fold up the vacuum cleaner, I sat down to compile a booklet of my tanka as a small gift for Harue-san. I had made the pages from old sumi drawings and some leftover banana fiber covers. I found this poem I had forgotten about, but it seemed to fit today as if it was just written.

incoming waves
all of the beach days
rolled into one

absence is no longer

erasure but fulfilling