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Trodden grass
It rises to see
who is treading it
Macedonian poet Nikola Madziron brings to the world of Japanese
short form poetry a fresh voice combining a reverence and respect for
the Japanese heritage of haiku and senryu with surrealism, animism,
empathy, and the cultural imprint that continues to make him who he is.
His haiku resonates, lingering long after one reads them.
Take for instance:
A raindrop in the puddle
has wrinkled
the moon!
The moon is reflected in a puddle of water. It begins to rain.
A single raindrop falls down from the same sky the moon is
is in, wrinkling the reflection. The poet has experienced an
"aha!" moment, seeing something most people would take for
granted or miss altogether. With nine words he puts into words
the epiphany he has experienced; words incorporating meter,
truth, beauty, and mystery to form a haiku that leaps out of the
poet's sphere of understanding into the social context and memories
of those reading the poem. A good haiku is more than an observation.
It germinates thought, speaking to the soul and mind, in a way that
prose cannot.
Hey sunflower,
beware - the moon lies
when it is full
In this haiku I see the influence of Kobayashi Issa. Madziron is
talking to a sunflower underneath a full moon. Like many indigenous
people on the planet, he views the flora and fauna of his locale with
respect and compassion. The poet has been admiring this sunflower,
observing it closely. Its blossom has not closed. Thinking this is because
of the bright light emanating from the full moon, Madziron admonishes the
sunflower to not believe everything it senses, regarding the light. This haiku
makes one think, is easy to visualize, yet leaves room for more than one
interpretation. The poem can also serve as an allegory, teaching people
to go beyond the concrete in one's search for understanding and meaning.
Asphalt, Yet Sky is an interesting title; the poetry inside, an
exploration of a world consisting of the poet's interaction between the
duality of urban life and nature. A concept that could easily become a disjointed
work, tackling two opposites in the same book. A skillful artist, Madziron intertwines
the two, painting with words, a symbiotic canvas, blending them into
one voice.
A raindrop on the glasses,
and you look at the world
differently
. . . A blending of two worlds, the end result, a world seen differently.
Madziron reminds us that one doesn't have to live in the country to
enjoy the beauty of nature; that what we sometimes take for granted in
our busy lives, speaks to us if we take the time to listen and watch.
A leaf falls down . . .
Its shadow dancing
upon the asphalt
The gold fish
in the goldfish bowl has
one wish only
At 33, Madziron has accomplished much in a relatively short time. He
is the editor of Blesok, an online magazine for the Arts and Culture; he
has published short stories, poetry, essays, and translations, and is
the recipient of multiple awards.
He writes haiku, however, like an elder statesman.
Falling stars
I made a wish . . .
to fall somewhere soft
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