#Masaoka shiki famous haiki full#

Later, he went so far as to criticise against the haiku publicly.

Kyoshi, who was arguably the closest follower of Shiki, was particularly unimpressed. There were only two 'ka-ku' (honourable mentions).

In fact the kukai itself did not seem to fare well, producing no haiku poems deserving to receive the ten-chi-jin (the first, second and third places). Takashi's remark to the effect that the haiku in question was ahead of time and that no one today would be able to appreciate its excellence, was prophetic. It was only Takashi and Mokichi who said anything in its favour. He even had a white sheet placed right behind them in the garden so that he could see them more clearly from distance, namely from where he was permanently bed-ridden. Delightful water-colour sketches Shiki enjoyed painting during the last years of his short life do include the one of cockscombs in a flower pot. Shiki loved cockscombs and from his sick bed watched them grow and change colours. On this particular day, nineteen were present, Kyoshi, Kakudo, Takashi and Mokichi among them.

#Masaoka shiki famous haiki full#

Donald Keene)īy the time this haiku was written, the Shiki-an Kukai had been in full swing. Incidentally, this is the first known haiku to be written about baseball, in 1890.Fourteen or fifteen stalks (tr. From Japanese haiku poet Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902). Today’s poem honors the finest game humankind has seen fit to create: baseball. It’s the finest piece of art near that wretched ball park, way better than that zombie Harry Caray outside home plate. Or is he? It’s a close play and I believe it is meant to make us debate the outcome of the play. There is a great painting at the foot of the stairs coming out of the Addison Red Line near Wrigley Field in Chicago that features Ozzie sliding into second under Ryne Sandberg’s glove. Not to mention the back flips or the sunny disposition.

The way he turned a double play or went into the gap across his body or flew behind second and threw to first in one motion made him a delight to watch. I didn’t grow up a Cardinals fan, per se, but I did love me some Ozzie. It so happens that he is my favorite player of all time. And certainly there are Yankee fans who will rally for Phil Rizzuto, Orioles fans lining up to defend Cal Ripken, even the occasional Reds fan looking to wave the flag of Barry Larkin or Dave Concepcion. My brother, a Tigers fan, argues that Alan Trammel was better. This is a true story, so don’t doubt me, but I swear I got up from that porch swing and went inside to get the newspaper and saw an article in the sports page that Ozzie Smith was going to retire.įor those of you who don’t know, Ozzie Smith is the greatest defensive shortstop of all time. It triggered in me a memory of around 1997, sitting on the front porch at 1118 Grafton (home of the famous blues basement, home of André Hoilette, Mark Knapke, Mark Owens, Amanda Lanier and others…all famous now), watching a cardinal dance along the brick wall. Eating dinner on the back porch with Cindy, I was captivated by two cardinals bouncing around in the garden.