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wide road of the exterior

entry picture

 

Culture continues

in all corners of the globe

Summer showers’ song


1693

 

Maruyama keep

Yoshitsune’s long sword shines

in poor wretched place

 

Benkei’s lone defence

Summer grass remains today

Sepuku farewell

 

Back wood canopy

Over swollen river flows

Mogami boat ride

 

Teary eyed vista 

Yudono’s vertical drop

words cannot describe

 

Matsuo Basho

Iga Ueno’s bright star

home of the ninja

 

Sixteen ninety four

masterpiece now completed

Basho leaves this earth

 

 

 

 

 

1693: scattered pieces and thoughts on the last year of Basho's life, walking 156 days through the interior of northern Japan.

 

 

 

🌷(7)

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Edgar Allan: Ravenous Poe ►

Comments

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Red Brick Keshner

Mon 20th Jan 2025 01:46

So true Rolph. My sincerest apologies. I was chewed out on another site for this LOL 😂 Really, it was a tough call, haiku/senryu being what it is. I’m putting it down to readership settings and calibration. And when was Japan ever easy to piece together, even on the best scholarship, right? So I thank you and all that waded through this and even tulipped this post, from the depths of my heart 🌷🌷🌷

Rolph David

Sun 19th Jan 2025 17:07

Hello Red Brick Keshner,
I truly enjoyed your poem "wide road of the exterior." The references to Japanese historical figures and cultural elements were fascinating, though I must admit, it wasn’t easy to piece together the stories behind them. The way you interwove figures like Yoshitsune, Benkei, and Basho, along with the references to seppuku and the landscapes of Japan, added a rich layer of depth to the piece. It’s clear that your work requires a thoughtful engagement with history and culture, which I really appreciated. Thank you for this evocative poem.
Regards,
Rolph

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