Cell 2 Soul: The Humane Health Care Blog

Ikkyu - Discovered

It's almost cherry blossom time, and this immortal haiku came unbidden.  The poet, Ikkyu lived in the 15th Century.  His poems, unknown to me previously, are gems of pure serene.

Intern 101 - Haiki

Intern Year Volume 1
By Dr. C*
Caitlin Stiglmeier, M.D.

* Kauai wahine -
Surfer, poet, tita, doc
Mahalo -- Email

A peds intern at SUNY Medical University, Caitlin comes from Omao, Kauai.  Her interests include: laughing, travel, running, yoga, photojournalism, 80's dance parties.

Tiny hand takes yours
Knows nothing of your test scores
Only sees your smile

Raiding the snack drawer
Crackers and peanut butter
Meal of champions

From a patient’s Mom
Homemade chocolate cookies
Like manna from God

Asleep: not enough
Awake: two hours too long
Night shift: 4 AM

More...  Download Intern Year Volume 1-1   .

Every Sky!

After this...It's all clear profit...Every Sky!  Basho

Northwest Hill Rd. 7:00 am 2/20/2012

Two Death Poems and Three Death Haiki

Death Has A Sound
By Marla Lukofsky

Death is the deepest of silence.
It's a quiet unlike any other.
Do you hear that?
Be still and listen.
There it is.
A quiet unlike any other.

See "The Hospice Flute."

GENTLY INTO THE NIGHT
By Sue Mayfield Geiger

I watch carefully as the hospice team changes his hospital gown and rolls him over.

The I.V., catheter, and oxygen are removed. Deep breaths heave in and out of his body.

I stroke his forehead and thank him for being a wonderful father.  I go home.

The phone rings early the next morning, and I know.

 

Comment:  Writing death haiku was a tradition in Japan.  The three greatest haiki poets, Basho, Buson and Issa's Death Poems follow.

Basho
    Sick on a journey,
my dreams wander
    the withered fields.

Buson
    Winter warbler --
Long ago in Wang Wei's
    Hedge also.

Issa
    A bath when you're born.
A bath when you die.
    How stupid.

Summer Haiku

Hot July blue sky

Deep dark tree shade pools on lawn --

High summer is here

by Mrs. B. Geer

Bennington, Vermont

Basho - Violets

Star Magnolia

very brief --
star magnolia blossoms
punctuate the Spring

10,000 Buddhas

On a recent visit to Japan, Ginny Tanji captured a vivid image:

the hillside temple's
paper lanterns burn brightly --
10,000 Buddhas!

Splendor in the Grass

speechless before

    summer's green leaves and grass

in blazing sunlight   (after basho)

 

"Splendour in the grass" is from Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations for Immortality which Mike Lacombe recalled for us.

Issa Lives

from now on, it's all clear profit, every sky.  Issa