Poems to Wear: from Japan and Australia
Selections and commentary by Noriko Tanaka, translations by Amelia Fielden and Saeko Ogi
Ginninderra Press, 2016
“Poems to Wear is a wonderful collection – brilliantly conceived, beautifully written . . . Part 1 contains haiku and tanka by modern and contemporary Japanese poets and Part 2 contains haiku and tanka by Australian poets. The poets are at their imaginative best . . . they collect observations from the world of attire and present the reader with poems both thought provoking and a pleasure to read . . . the result is vivid work, animated and illuminated . . .”
(from the blurb) Patricia Prime, editor of Kokako
a goldfish
born from the flames
swims
the slender streams
of my summer obi
Tanaka, Noriko
a coral ornament
in the matron’s hair –
sparrow wind
Mitsuhashi, Takajo
you gave me
rhinestones to wear
at the ball
so many Christmas beetles
outside the hall that night
Hazel Hall
new party dress
four-year-old fizzes
into fairyland
Glenys Ferguson
Poems to Wear: 108 pages, 112 poets. Cost is $10 per copy plus postage. Orders and enquiries to Amelia Fielden anafielden@gmail.com
Australian Haiku Society 