my friend served me
a cherry-blossom tea
my heart leapt with joy
the very moment
petals began to open
a boy and his dog
are sitting together happily
in the precincts,
where Deva Kings are standing
with stern faces
I rewind a videotape
again and again
to prevent a man
who is going to leave
from leaving
a Santa Claus
sitting at the back door
of a supermarket
took off his mustache
and drank a can of coffee
Fujiko Sato was born in 1941 in Nagasaki, Japan. After graduating from high school, she went on to Kyouritu Women's Junior College in Tokyo and studied English literature. In 1992, she started to write tanka and, in 2001, became a member of The Tanka Journal of The Japan Tanka Poets' Society. She also translated Japanese tanka into English. In 2007, Fujiko Sato published her first book, A Piece of the Rainbow.
Fujiko Sato was born in 1941 in Nagasaki, Japan. After graduating from high school, she went on to Kyouritu Women's Junior College in Tokyo and studied English literature. In 1992, she started to write tanka and, in 2001, became a member of The Tanka Journal of The Japan Tanka Poets' Society. She also translated Japanese tanka into English. In 2007, Fujiko Sato published her first book, A Piece of the Rainbow.