Kaneko Tōta
(The poet's family name is Kaneko)
Born 1919 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan
air raid
the single well-sharpened
pencil
kūshū
yoku togatta enpitsu ga ippon
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
around the curved torso
of a torpedo the lizard
crawls
goes
gyorai no marudō tokage haimawarite sarinu
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
nights in a foxhole
night: my body naked
wiping & wiping
gō ni neshi hitoyo no rashin fuki ni fuku
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
ant on the floor
be delirious if you dare
plagued by fever
toko no ari madowaba madoe netsu o yamu
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
in a large sailboat
from the toilet window
a night of moon
ōki hobune karwaya no mado ni tsuki hitoyo
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
cassava forest —
lit up army boots
at the edge of fire
kyassaba-rin gun'ka wo terasu hi no hate ni
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
bombed breadfruit tree —
somewhere about
an infant islander cries
hidan no pan no ki tōmin no akago naku atari
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
floating together
songs from canoes and
dead fish bombed
tomo ni ukabu kanū no uta to bakushi no sakana
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
as a spy
struck down at the shore
supai no na no domin umigiwa de utaru
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
before my youthful eyes a soldier twitches away
gunfire
wakaki wa ga ganzen jyūgeki ni hikitsuru hei
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
filling up on
sea cucumber with lemon —
starvation at sunrise
namako no remon de mitasu asahi no naka no kiga
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group(http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
away from slaughter
the image reflects in a spring;
native love affair
satsuriku sarezu izumi ni utsusu domin no jōji
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
into the coral sea the starved dead
buried over buried over
sango no umi e gashisha wo uzumu zokuzoku uzumu
Kaneko Tohta, Selected Haiku, Part 1 (1937-1960) by the Kon Nichi Translation Group (http://goo.gl/NVwCus)
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al
As a POW: Three haiku
lying on my back
there, the moon:
one moon
aomuki shi toki tsuki arinu hitotsu no tsuki
eared reeds —
the landing strip turns dark
we return
ashi no ho ya kassōro kageri warera kaeru
nearly idiotic days
bananas ripen deep
gu ni chikaki hibi ya banana wa irozuki te
Red Moon Press, 2011; Trans., Gilbert et al