I wrote this at the beginning of Spring, a few months ago.
—五年却って日本を指す故郷
fifteen years
I now think of Japan
as my home
In Japan, the old calendar started with the spring. Since changing to the Western calendar a hundred and fifty years ago they celebrate New Years during the middle of winter as does most of the rest of the world, yet spring is still considered the true start of the year in many ways, in many events, and in many traditional activities (like haiku).
As I wrote this, I noticed how long I've been here and how I think of that.
I wonder where the next fifteen will find me? Time flies.
Notes:
I'd like to center both the Japanese and English. Is that possible on this site?
Neither the Japanese nor the English fits what you may think of as the meter of haiku, though the Japanese is closer. I am more a follower of free-style haiku in both languages. I've written many essays about this and may share some here in the future.
