Thursday, April 23, 2009

Issa is a fine poet


autumn evening--
the hole in the paper door
blows flute


-Issa, 1811

http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Recently my mate Ron Sims, freelance radio producer/photographer/scultor/wine sales buff, came around to interview me re: the great Haiku poet, Issa, for a future ABC Poetica programme. Although poverty ridden and ill much of his life, with tragedies besetting him at every turn, Issa wrote 20,000 haiku. Phew, that's a major feat even with today's technology, but try it with ink tray and brush! Anyway, the web link above will get you the joy of an Issa haiku a day, so put your name down now and enjoy. I particularly liked today's.

The photo: Issa's Residence (actually the warehouse where he lived after the town fire, a year before his death)

No comments: