Tag Archives: Japan

72 Panels

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behind her shoji screen

where protected, felt assured to be naked

no unbidden glances

would spill from a mans eye

gathered in her own mind

and clothed touched the soft panels

each to represent a year of life,

the ones lived and ones to come

patches of existence on a written timeframe,

smiling she moved to the window

hillside and meadow

no sharp intrusions to the eye

looking back she wondered of the last panel

what  ghosts lurked behind

for it was hidden

until the time was right,

a swarm of bees sounded outside

nectar and honey

as she expected love to be

but mother said not,

spoke of not having to worship a man,

his edges not so rounded

where often cruel as father was

to others but not her

not a favorite they just understood,

it did not matter of the last panel

for she knew how long she had

as sliding the door behind

walked out onto a busy street

wordle128

 

sunday whirl

 

United Nations Poetry for Peace Competition 2011

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Until

Time paused
a moment imploded,
the shuddering tremor,
rippled in dramatic light
silence came with pain,
fallen boughs
new sown seeds,
growth blemished in bark
reaching skyward
with gentle  leaves,
the tree had not forgotten
yet learned from it's birth
never to touch
that light
or feel that moment
again.

Kyochikuto/Oleander

from chugoku to the ota
nothing remained
upon the debris strewn
red earth,
in the silence
that  came with time,
shoots with elliptic leaves
to five bright petals,
vivid signal that,
survival is the future
that through resilience
we find a peace
and learn that for
no other reason
it should never
happen again.


With these two poems i came third out of 741 poets worldwide and was presented with a gift from the Japanese government and they where read out at a ceremony at UN headquarters in New York by the Japanese Ambassador which you can watch here http://www.un.org/disarmament/special/meetings/dis_week/ the poems revolve around the Hibakusha survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the poems are also going into a book in New York

Pink Eiga and Koji Wakamatsu

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Koji Wakamatsu died last week hit by a taxi a tragic end to a man who directed and produced many films, his career began in the early sixties his first film Hageshii Onnatachi (1963) would star Tamaki Katori daughter of a Pharmaceutical tycoon and she would become a big star of the pink films that introduced sex and nudity to mainstream Japapanese cinema, Flesh Market was the first in 1962 and the Police intervened and the film was censored but the wave started and Flesh Market became a box office smash made for 8 million yen took over 150 million at the box office.

Koji Wakamatsu made over 20 films at Nikkatsu studio low budget erotica that also dealt with current affairs, social attitudes, disasters and celebrity, but the studio went into decline and Koji struck out alone, not as sleazy or dark as Giichi Nishihara, also Tamaki would appear in other films of his including Sex Jack (1970) that went to Cannes the story was seen as anti social as it dealt with students who wanted to assassinate the prime minister and hijack a plane.

Through pink film many independent production companies found a voice and box office.

Koji rode this wave and as producer found more international success with Ai No Corrida (1976) or In The Realm of the senses this was the first film of his i saw and the film despite being graphic and quite realist, based on the true story of a woman who had a husband that betrayed her sexually in every way that she cut off his penis and was arrested with it in her pocket.

Koji as director made 105 films that would each leave an impression be it good or bad but he was an artist his final film Millenial Rapture (2012) based on Kenji Nakagami ‘s novel which has received tepid reviews.

His work will stand and influence who knows now with his passing what will come next.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/millennial-rapture-sennen-no-yuraku-venice-367624

Torn by Sea

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Earths angry tremors

sends a tide

sprawling over walls

roads ,houses, and hearts

a bitter ocean

leaving debris

shattered timber

shattered souls,

but rise as a reef those

who remain embracing

all touching without insolence

unified we reach out

and hold hands

gathering and standing

as friends

and remember