I do not want to toot my own horn, but I feel that they are acceptable homages to the feudal period of Japanese history. Chaos reigned, as it did in medieval Europe, and writing about chaos helps to alleviate the pain from it. In the present, we live in our own troubled period, which I won't get into to--I'll only say that a neo-feudalism will arise if our situation does not change.
Anyway, enjoy these tanka poems. I enjoyed writing them vehemently, and I still feel that they are quite apt for speaking on behalf of chaos.
"They are
manifestations of the ugliness that haunts our land. The sheer amount of blood
that's been spilled in anger during this civil war brought these demons to life
because when you mix blood, violence, and man, horrors are born." - Ushio
Sakamoto (excerpt from my short story "Demons and Men")
一
A
lifetime of prayer
floating
downstream in water,
spotted
by a boy.
He
stumbles away panicked.
Bodies
and war consume him.
二
No
time to ponder—
the
cicada song is mute.
Feet
rush to their homes.
Sunsets
cast long, lank shadows.
They
grab at ankles and pull.
三
Blades
are sharp and cold.
An
indelible hollow
across
her slim chest,
like
an empty river bed—
same
as the left spot in hers.
No comments:
Post a Comment