Japanese Death Poems

Zoe is working in home care at the moment, and one of her clients was slowly dying from cancer. So Zoe and I had some conversations about dying via Skype. I didn't and don't have anything particularly helpful to say. Death, like life, sucks.

What I did tell her about (and send her via Amazon) was a book, "Japanese Death Poems", of poems written by Zen monks and haiku poets on the verge of death.

Autumn breeze:
driftwood
landing lightly on the bank

Kanna (1744)

On a journey: ill,
my dream goes wandering
over withered fields

Basho (1694)

A parting gift to my body:
just when it wishes
I'll breathe my last

Ensei (1725)

The foam on the last water
has dissolved
my mind is clear

Mitoku (1669)

And my favorite:

Now it reveals its hidden side
and now the other - thus it falls,
an autumn leaf

Ryokan (1831)

Tim