When I was a child, I had a strong fascination with astronomy. In fact, some of my earliest memories are of standing in my backyard with a flashlight in one hand and an encyclopedia in the other as I tried diligently to match the constellations in my book to what I was seeing in the sky. This hobby has stayed with me as I’ve become older. And now that I’m a man, I see the constellations less as patterns of flickering white light, and more as close friends who visit me from time to time. For example, Orion comes every winter when the days are short and the nights are cold. His bow and arrow are always nocked and ready as he continues his eternal search for prey. When I’m feeling brave, I’ll take a cup of tea out to the backyard, and chat with him for a bit. He likes to reminisce about my stint working on an organic farm when I would look up at him from the bunkhouse porch, and wonder aloud what tomorrow would bring. I’m also good friends with the vain queen Ca
by Sensei Alex Kakuyo