owlectomy: A squashed panda sewing a squashed panda (Default)
owlectomy ([personal profile] owlectomy) wrote2006-03-22 07:28 am

Tawara Machi

Someone in the Japanese community was looking for modern poetry, which basically I don't know from a hole in the ground, but I do know Tawara Machi.

I once had a very nice book of modernist-ish poetry by a guy named Jun'ichirou, which narrows it down so much. I lost it in the move(s) and probably will not be able to replace it.

Anyway, Tawara Machi has a bunch of online tanka. She's a good writer, and the Japanese is pretty simple.

「また電話しろよ」「待ってろ」いつもいつも命令形で愛を言う君

"Call me." "Wait for me."
You only speak your love
In the imperative

はなび花火そこに光を見る人と闇を見る人いて並びおり

Fireworks, fireworks.
Those looking at the lights, and those looking at the darkness,
Lined up in a row

[identity profile] nonamecity.livejournal.com 2006-03-22 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
*stares in dismal despair*

I so need to go back to school for Japanese...