もう行けぬかも知れぬ森雪が降る 村越化石
mô yukenu kamo shirenu mori yuki ga furu
the forest
I may not be able to go anymore
snow falling
Kaseki Murakoshi
from “Haiku Shiki” (“Haiku Four Seasons,” a monthly haiku magazine) , December 2011 Issue, Tokyo Shiki Shuppan, Tokyo
Advertisement
Like this:
2 bloggers like this post.
I just typed a note to a person in this very same regard. The human condition for sure.
I did not want to provide too much information, but here goes some background of the poet. Kaseki Murakoshi, born in 1922, lives at a nursing home for sufferers from Hansen’s disease. He was expelled from his home village because of discrimination against leprosy patients. Though he lost his eye sight due to the disease about 40 years ago, he continues writing his haiku.
Dear Fay, Thank you for sending this information. It makes the haiku that much more poignant. Since I’ve been disabled most of my life it immediately struck a cord with me, although I often correspond with people who have never been disabled but old age takes us all down the same path. When I hear a story like Kaseki Murakoshi, I can never understand why some people’s path is so much harder than our own… I can only be thankful for the spirit that keeps the words flowing… clear water for us all. Many thanks. Merrill
Hi Fay. ‘The forest’ must be the same as that written much earlier by the poet:
fruits from trees
falling in the forest
the forest listens
See. ( http://fayaoyagi.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/todays-haiku-august-22-2009/ )
Each of these two gives us deeper insight to appreciate the other.
Hi, Kiyoshi, I missed that one from August and am so glad that you provided the link. It’s a wonderful haiku. But to me it makes this haiku even sadder somehow.