When Temperaments Get Tempestuous

The thread

一
a samurai sword/
cuts silence like
thin bamboo
split by, the sharpened
steel-toe kick
of the west

二
before execution
a man spit in the face
of a would-be undertaker
and escaped
due to a witty girl
who saw the advantage
of Ronin blades
against an oppressive edge

三
keep smiling
dumpling lady

while a ruckus
rages in the tea house
a hidden samurai
explains to idiots outside
about
'how to conduct oneself'
'in an appropriate manner'

before tea spills
and blood
spills

四
he might help
Kitty Genovese
and reverse the wheels
of time, the samurai outside

questions
honor, a medal of
worth, while conflicts
inside are dealt with
violence, a hasty way
to create silence

五
he gathers coins back
from the governor
who oppressed the land, and drained
the people of water
and rice

六
Vagrant Story
threatened their captors
and dodged crows
with skilled acrobatics

七
once the wage is sealed
with their savior
an innocent soul
is protected

is cut