Speaking With Eyes
It's not long now
It just won't stop
Gurgling and gushing up
I haven't slept all night and the blood keeps flowing and flowing
It's blue and still out there
It looks like death...and very soon at that
And yet I feel the most magnificent breeze
The pure light is within reach
As this clear wind rushes toward me
Swelling from a blue sky
The blue is the blue of a rush mat scarred by fire
Of waves of autumn blossoms formed
In flowers like hair, like young maple buds
Dressed in your black frock coat
Could you be on your way home from a medical conference
If death takes me now I cannot complain
Seeing how diligently and cleverly you have attended me
Could my indifference to suffering
Despite the constant flow of blood
Be a sign that the soul is now half-departed from the body
My sole torment is that because of this blood
I am unable to tell you this
In your eyes I am no doubt a wretched sight
But from here...after all
All I can see is that clear blue sky
And a transparent wind
Daydreaming On The Trail
A lonely stretch, in the bind of poor fishing and drought
following the ocean
crossing pass after pass,
fields of wild reeds,
I've come this far alone,
dozing in the pale sun
on the sand of a dried-up riverbed
back and shoulder chilled
something bothered me-
I think at that last quartzite pass
I left the oak gate in the fence
of the cow pasture open
probably because I was hurrying-
a white gate-
did I close it or not?
light cool sky,
mistletoe on chestnut floats in vision
many layered clouds upriver
cool lattice of sunlight
some unknown big bird
calling
faintly......
Strong in the Rain
Strong in the rain
Strong in the wind
Strong against the summer heat and snow
He is healthy and robust
Free from desire
He never loses his temper
Nor the quiet smile on his lips
He eats four go of unpolished rice
Miso and a few vegetables a day
He does not consider himself
In whatever occurs . . . his understanding
Comes from observation and experience
And he never loses sight of things
He lives in a little thatched-roof hut
In a field in the shadows of a pine tree grove
If there is a sick child in the east
He goes there to nurse the child
If there's a tired mother in the west
He goes to her and carries her sheaves
If someone is near death in the south
He goes and says, "Don't be afraid"
If there are strife and lawsuits in the north
He demands that the people put an end to their pettiness
He weeps at the time of drought
He plods about at a loss during the cold summer
Everyone calls him Blockhead
No one sings his praises
Or takes him to heart . . .
That is the kind of person
I want to be
Author
Poet Kenji Miyazawa, who lived from 1896 to 1933, depicted his near-death experience in his poem "Speaking with the Eyes." Despite being unable to speak due to excessive bleeding in his lungs, he tried to communicate to his doctor through his eyes that he understood his condition and believed he was transitioning to a better place. It's important to note that Miyazawa did not actually pass away at that moment.
As a devout Buddhist, Miyazawa believed that dying was merely a journey to a different state of existence. He saw it as moving from this world to another. Wanting to die happily is a common sentiment among us all, though it should not be confused with directly stating that one would willingly choose death. Ideally, a natural or old age-related death would be preferred over a sudden and unexpected demise, as very few would anticipate or desire such an outcome.
Miyazawa Kenji, originally known as an agriculture teacher, gained recognition as a poet only posthumously. However, his poems have since gained a dedicated following, particularly among ecologists, Buddhists, and avant-garde literary enthusiasts. Poems like 'Daydreaming On The Trail' showcase a sophisticated form of artistry that reveals a worldview which connects the intricacies of human life to the very essence of nature. They emphasize the interconnectedness of all living beings within the vast expanse of the universe, and highlight how compassion and enlightenment can be derived through observing and understanding nature.
In the poem "Strong in the Rain," Miyazawa expresses his desire to be labeled as a "Blockhead." However, this blockhead, or fool, might eventually be seen as a visionary. According to Miyazawa, the future is closely connected to the present and the past. It is all part of a vast collection of time referred to as "the monstrous bright accumulation of time." Whether one is alive or deceased, or whether it's you, me, or someone else, we all experience this blending of time, solidified into the current moment as we reflect on the past and anticipate the future. Gaining awareness of all time simultaneously is the path to enlightenment. Just as everything within me forms a whole, all individual parts come together to create the entirety of everything.
Other works you may like to read are:
Sources:
Pulvers, R. (2010, November 24). Death comes in many written forms. The Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2010/11/24/language/death-comes-in-many-written-forms/
Roetzheim, W. (112014). Paperback (pp. 337-338). Level 4 Press, Inc.
Journal, A. P. (n.d.). Homage to the Life and Poetry of Miyazawa Kenji. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. https://apjjf.org/-Roger-Pulvers/2907/article.html
Home. (n.d.). https://sites.google.com/a/tudza.com/tudzasplace/home
Miyazawa Kenji. (n.d.). University of California Press. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520247796/miyazawa-kenji
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