Japanese Poetry and Pretty Pink Chocolate Blondies
When Life looks like a random romp through Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights; and foggy feelings arise like mist on English moors, what do you do? I reach for poetry. Japanese haiku poets I find are the most poignant. There’s an acceptance that joy and grief are intertwined.
The Japanese cherry blossom is a pretty popular topic in poetry. (Sakura – the Japanese word for cherry blossom – is also more frequently seen than “love” in Japanese song lyrics.) No wonder. As the cherry blossom blooms, there is an awareness that its demise is around the corner.
With the passing of my father, many questions have arisen. My ideas about Love are shifting. Gentleness with myself seems to work best. The 3 mighty masters of the Japanese haiku brigade - Basho, Buson and Issa – bring Light to my struggles.
