stubby pencils

Ryokan made me remember this:

One mile from town, I found a small home.
I traveled back and forth on the road that's
lined with corn fields and patches of cotton.
In winter the aroma of chimney smoke-
In summer the smell of things green and juicy...
We sat on the porch until moonrise then inside to
light the lamp on the kitchen table, writing our
verses with stubby pencils on old school tablets.
...