Tuesday, August 25, 2015

August 2015

FEATURED POET: Lawrence Matsuda was born in the Minidoka, Idaho Concentration Camp during World War II.  He and his family were among the approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese held without due process for approximately three years or more.   Matsuda has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Washington and was:  a secondary teacher, university counselor, state level administrator, school principal, assistant superintendent, educational consultant, and visiting professor at Seattle University (SU).

In 2005, he and two SU colleagues co-edited the book, Community and difference: teaching, pluralism and social justice, Peter Lang Publishing, New York.  It won the 2006 National Association of Multicultural Education Phillip Chinn Book Award.  In July of 2010, his book of poetry entitled, A Cold Wind from Idaho was published by Black Lawrence Press in New York.  His poems appear in Ambush Review, Raven Chronicles, New Orleans Review, Floating Bridge Review, Black Lawrence Press website, Poets Against the War website, Cerise PressNostalgia Magazine, PlumepoetryMalpais Review, Zero Ducats,Surviving Minidoka (book), Meet Me at Higos (book), Minidoka-An American Concentration Camp (book and photographs), Tidepools Magazine, and the Seattle Journal for Social Justice.

In addition, eight of his poems were interpreted in a 60 minute dance presentation entitled, Minidoka performed by Whitman College students in Walla Walla, Washington (2011)

Lawrence Matsuda by Alfredo Arreguin

NISEI FALL

Fall down seven times, rise up again.
In Rainier’s shadow, sacred torii* beckons like Mt. Fuji,
welcome sight after our release from WWII desert prisons.
Cherry blossoms flutter like snow.

*________


Japanese archway gate


WEDDING POEM
                                               
                                                          for Matthew and Jesika

Who stands on this precipice of life?
Lavender, sage, and thyme--plump bumblebees hover at play.
Rose-entwined fences welcome this husband and wife.

Bachelor spiders spin gossamer threads—rife
with sticky strands fluttering to Elliott Bay.
Who stands before me on this precipice of new life?

Laughing children in the park, a dozen Monarch butterflies.
Sacred vows bind forever and a day.
Rose-entwined fences welcome this husband and wife.
Rings sparkle and shine, illuminate the golden afterlife.

Near pineapple sage, hummingbirds fly away.
Who stands before me on this precipice of new life?

Dark skies and rain--cobblestones on the road of life.
Bells toll and inspire determination to stay.
Who stands before me on this precipice of new life?

Fate unveils surprises, wonderments, cheer, and strife.
Tears of happiness and joy--a blessing, I pray.

Who stands before me on this precipice of life?
Rose-entwined fences welcome this new husband and wife. 

WRITE YOUR POEM!
So why do you write your poem?  Is it political?  Is it personal?  Is it both?

Ancient court poets of Japan gave rise to certain forms to let the readers and listeners know what was their intent.  A renga was a collaborative poem.  The tanka ended up being a romantic form for court poetry.  Sometimes the West gives us some formal forms but when that started to break down before 20th century experimentation forms tell us less about the poet and more about the experiment.

What is your experiment?  Does your reader know?  Does it matter?  Write your poem.  Give it to a random stranger on the bus (try not to get arrested.  Already enough poets that have that problem....)