Sepukku

The tatami mat creaked as the man placed his knees upon it, the carefully groomed stone garden shifting underneath. The man breathed in deeply and gazed upon the four items arranged on the tray before him. His hand slowly reached out to hover over the first object. Never before had he fully appreciated the grainy texture of pressed bamboo, but this moment was greater than all the others that had gone before. Each sliver of the once-living wood pulled gently at the lines of his fingertips as they softly caressed, then embraced the sumi brush handle.

A silken strand of Autumn breeze lifted a lock of the man's hair and tickled the back of his neck. With a smile on his face the man dipped the brush into the cup of ink, then brought it down onto the paper.

"Winds wash over me
Taking my life's breath away
Feeding Spring flowers"

He let the brush fall from his grasp as he picked up the fourth object. Reverently he folded the paper and wrapped it around the blade of the wakizashi in his hand. With smooth determination he tightened his grip and touched the razor tip to his lower right abdomen.