I would live in that sort of space
if would were could.

Instead, I take off my shoes at the door,
feel my bare toes on the polished woodwork,

settle into the chair, take out
the big square book entitled ‘Japanese Style’,
and with the contented sigh of one
who knows that solitude is
a status symbol in Japan,

give the body a rest, while the mind,
with its clever skills, no sweat,
as into a loose cotton robe,
feeling the air against the skin,
slips easily into two dimensions
contemplating three-dimensional space;
lives in these mindful geometries,
and feels a million yen;

goes to bed refreshed,
wondering whether waking up
a Japanese would be acceptable.

Maybe I’ll write a poem,

‘This quiet Spring evening
I sit in solitude
and love the unseen passers-by’

and take it to the calligrapher’s shop,
hang it outside the front door
for no-one to read
but all to see -

for in solitude, all is possible.

Michael Shepherd

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-rich-interior-life-with-style/