Japanese Death Poems

Bokusui
A parting word? Jisei nado
The melting snow zansetsu ni ka mo
is odorless. nakarikeri


Enryo
Autumn waters Yoizame no
of this world wake me kore ya konoyo no
from my drunkenness. aki no mizu Fufu

Arimaru
Running shallow Kawa no se ni
with a year's end sound: shiwasu no oto no
river rapids. nagarekeri


Bill Viola is talking on the radio. He is talking about how much he loves Japanese Death Poems. Up until the 16th century, in Japan it was customary to write a Haiku poem moments before or on your death. An idea.... one that I will adopt, imagine the feelings, you cannot imagine.

He is also talking about Love in Postmodernism, or the absence of it. working backwards, like a super sleuth from sensation to theory.
I think I am now in love with Bill Viola