English translations by Ban'ya Natsuishi and Jim Kacian
Falling from a waterfall
in the sky
the Pope begins to fly
Out of an old pond
the Pope
flies in the sky
The Flying Pope
stuck by
a thousand needles
The Flying Pope
the ocean
is a grave of pagan
Flying Pope
visible only to children
and a giraffe
Waiting
for the Flying Pope
on the cliff
Holding
a long long letter
the Pope is flying
Flying Pope!
The fire of war
is a jumping flea?
Aurora quakes
at the parting…
Flying Pope
Spawning coral
in the sky
the Pope flying
The Flying Pope’s
eyes:
limestone caves
Flying Pope
even coughs
alone
The Flying Pope
casts his shadow
on the White House
The Flying Pope
throwing gold coins
down to a wolf
The Flying Pope
takes a transit
on the whale’s back
Christmas
the Pope flying
with only one lung
Darkness
the Pope flies
faster than a bullet
Entangled
by Arabic letters
the Pope flies on
Didn’t hear
an explosion?
Flying Pope!
Barely touching the torch
of the Statue of Liberty
the Pope flies
In the sky
between skyscrapers
the Pope flying
Flying Pope!
Your body almost turned
into a skeleton?
Waving hands
the Flying Pope
singing
The wind blows
Flying Pope
looks like a fire
The Pope
flies to Iraq
his head so enormous
Flying Pope!
Are you a messenger
from the moon?
The Pope flies
in the sky of the other world
everybody forgets it
Flying Pope
that cloud
is your classmate?
Fallen asleep
the Pope
flying to the north
Fire on the back of
a gradeschoolboy
the Pope flying
Never vanish
snakes
the Pope is flying
The reason why
the Pope flies:
a dewdrop
His heart stopped
the Pope flying
in the dark red sky
The Flying Pope’s
best friend: an octopus
at the the bottom of the sea
“An election is an election”
The Pope flying
In the gray sky
In the palm of
the Flying Pope
a manhole
Tsunami toward an old woman
deeply asleep
the Pope flying
The Pope flying
for all
the withered roses
Becoming
a sunspot
Flying Pope
Anthology
Tokyo Poetry Festival
Tokio, 2008
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| Ban'ys Natsuishi Medellín, 2011 Photo by Triunfo Arciniegas |
BIOGRAPHY
In 1955, born as Masayuki Inui, in Aioi, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. He saw his first haiku selected by Tohta Kaneko in a monthly when he was fourteen. In 1975 met Avant-garde haiku poets Tohta Kaneko and Shigenobu Takayanagi in Tokyo. Studied French Literature and Culture at Tokyo University where he received an M.A. in Comparative Literature and Culture in 1981. In 1992 appointed Professor at Meiji University where he continues to teach. In the same year won the 38th Modern Haiku Association Prize. From 1996 to 1998 was a guest research fellow at Paris 7th University. In 1998 with Sayumi Kamakura, he founded international haiku magazine "Ginyu"(Troubadour), became its Editor-in-Chief. Secretary General and panelist of the 1st International Contemporary Haiku Symposium held in Tokyo, 1999. In 2000 co-founded the World Haiku Association with Jim Kacian and Dimitar Anakiev. Also he serves as Director of the Modern Haiku Association (Japan). Now he lives in Fujimi City near Tokyo.
Published his 8 Haiku Collections including The Diary of Everyday Hunting (1983), Rhythm in the Vacuum (1986), The Fugue of Gods (1990), Opera in the Human Body (1990), Earth Pilgrimage (1998). English-language edition: A Future Waterfall (1999). Also edited Guide to 21st Century Haiku (1997), Multilingual Haiku Troubadours 2000 (2000) and Transparent Current (2000). Published many texts on haiku: Dictionary of Keywords for Contemporary Haiku (1990), Contemporary Haiku Manual (1996), Haiku is Our Friend (1997), etc.
Ban'yaBlog (in Japanee only)
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