From Shiki Haikusphere
The following poems were all first published in Shiki Haikusphere (Matsuyama, Japan: Prinart / Okada Printing Co., 2007, page 38 to 41), an anthology celebrating the first ten years of the Shiki list (see its old website), an innovative and influential online haiku discussion list that debuted in July of 1994. I was an active participant on this list, and was one of ten poets invited to contribute to the anthology. I’m grateful to Kimiyo Tanaka for her translations. The poem “nude beach,” although previously unpublished, had received an honourable mention in the 2000 Haiku Poets of Northern California senryu contest. See also commentary by William J. Higginson on the first poem (which originally appeared with Arabic numerals instead of 十四五 for the Japanese). +
disinfectant jar— 殺菌壺
there must be 14 or 15 床屋の櫛
barber’s combs 十四五本もありぬべし
the waiter interrupts ウエイターが遮る
our argument on abortion 中絶についての口論
a choice of teas お茶は何に
moving day— 引っ越しの日
emptiness 子供部屋の
of the child’s room 空虚さ
nude beach— ヌードビーチ
the crowd around 死せる鯨を
the dead whale 囲む群衆
clouding sky 曇りゆく空
my finger 熊の足跡に
on the bear track 触れる指
falling leaves— 散りゆく葉
an oar drawn オール受けから
out of an oarlock はずされたオール
morning stillness . . . 朝の静寂. . .
first snow 初雪
on the tree-bound kite 木に引っかかった凧に
ten below zero— 零下１０度
the thump of the tires タイヤの鈍い音
as we start off to church 教会へ出かけるとき
broken tennis racquet— 破れたテニスラケット
my aging father says 年老いた父は言う
he won’t replace it 買い換えないと
sorting dusty coins . . . 破れたテニスラケット
I save the ones 年老いた父は言う
from my birth year 買い換えないと
