Disclaimer: I have no claim on these characters. In point of fact, they are the enviable property of one Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: These four poems are acrostics. The first letters of each section spell out a word. In Shinto philosophy, the four souls of the Shikon no Tama (Jewel of Four Souls) are Aramitama (courage), Nigimitama (friendship), Kushimitama (wisdom), and Sakimitama (love). I tied them to Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango respectively.

04.27.08

Four Souls
by Ginger Bits

I. Courage
A staunch protector stands
Rebelliously against
Attacking demons. No
Misgivings sap his strength.
Instead, he bravely draws
Tessaiga—failure's not
An option. Courage sends
Marauding filth to hell
And keeps his friends from harm.

II. Friendship
Neglecting caution's voice,
Impulsive girl unseals
Goshinboku's kept boy.
In splinters, scattered shards,
Midoriko's last wish
Invokes a feudal quest
That binds the hearts of friends,
As future's priestess wipes
Miasma's impure taint
Away with just one touch.

III. Wisdom
Keen-witted holy man,
Uniquely blessed with tact,
Supports the group with schemes
Heroic. Finding strength
In spite of fate's bequest,
Miroku seeks revenge
In order to erase
The curse of nothingness.
A letch by choice, his hand
Meanders. Worldly wise,
A monk with reason's voice.

IV. Love
Surviving slayer, sad
Avenger, partners with
Kirara. Sango's heart,
In spite of tragic past,
Maintains its grasp on hope.
Intending to reclaim
The brother she holds dear
And free him from their foe's
Malicious hold. She fights
As one who fights for love.

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