Mark Young

AFTER HAN-SHAN

On a sumi-e painting of Han-Shan
& Shih-te by the Zen monk Sengai

Han-Shan, old chinese poet madman,
tramp & hermit, a true poet of the colloquial.
Often he came down from Cold Mountain
to visit Shih-te at the Kuo-ch’ing Temple.
The monks there cannot understand them;
these two madmen laugh at everything — Ha Ha!
Their laughter rings out, loud & clear
as the black-ink brush strokes of this painting.

© Mark Young

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Last updated 10 March, 2004