Mike Freiling
Born: 1950, San Francisco, CA
Living in: Kyoto, Japan and Vancouver, WA
Website: www.shimenawa.org
Bio: Mike was a co-founder of MIT’s literary magazine Rune (1976), and a Henry Luce Scholar at Kyoto University (1977). In addition to haiku, Mike translates both classical and contemporary Japanese poetry, and writes on topics including contemporary life, culture, economics, and the search for Transcendence.
you didn’t call –
alone I chew this cabbage
and teardrop rice
long after sunset
I wait for you at Sanjo
counting stars as they appear
nine by twelve they rang
crowds departed, icy breath
emptiness restored
hesitating sun
reveals crags and spider webs
– far off, a temple bell
sunset colors darken –
out of nowhere
a crescent moon
three o’clock am –
soft footsteps
on the cold hard floor
home schooling done now –
worn corners
of the wooden stool
fat white bird
nibbles early berries
branch bowing under weight
Writers in Kyoto Anthology #4, 2021
parting mothers
voice a crescendo
of bye-bye’s and mata-ne’s
Writers in Kyoto Anthology #4, 2021