Saturday
Mar192011
Tatsuno Otoshigo
03.19.2011 
Earth slid open.
Poseidon’s waves rose and bit
the seahorse of Japan.
The underworld spit fire.
Kamikaze[1] winds streamed
the terrible news.
Earth’s axis shifted.
The baby dragon[2], in agony, burns.
All across the planet, we bow:
sadness.
Light comes flowing down
from the Milky Way.
(In Paris, all we can think about is Japan.)
[1] Japanese, literally, divine wind. First known use: 1945.
[2] In Japan, they call seahorses baby dragons (in Japanese “tatsuno otoshigo” literally means “baby dragon”).
Reader Comments (24)
Merci beaucoup! Your words have made us happy!
Love,
Kaaren and Richard
It IS heart-breaking, what is happening in Japan, and continues to be. I will look up "Sky" online. I'd like to link to a musical piece for this poem.
Yes, it's true. It's hard to approach such tragedy in prose. Only poetry will do.
Much love to you,
Kaaren (& Richard)
It really feels like home now. I thought of you the other day in the Jardin des Plantes, looking at the tulips. You'll have such a great time with your friends in Holland. Tell us about it when you get home!
Love,
Kaaren & Richard
We love hearing about your enjoyment of the journal. Yes, Mother Nature is not pleased. And how many warnings is she going to give us? They seem to be coming fast and furiously lately.
You must be on overwhelm in your work, with so much relief needed for disasters lately.
It's wonderful that Camille and Emily were accepted at Berklee, but the cost is (gulp) astonishing. If we can help with brainstorming ideas to raise finances, we're on board.
Love to you,
Kaaren & Richard