Freud und Jung in the Japanese Countryside

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

A day of April:

Not even one spirit stirs

In the nap’s hamlet.

~ Shiki [Englished by Phillip Whidden]

When no one moves and no one makes a sound,

We wonder if reality has lapsed.

The village maybe dove in underground

At least in naps.  Reality collapsed

For them in hamlet dreams.  To sleep, perhaps

To dream they’ve left behind their daily care

And for the moment folk avoid the traps

Of worry.  Dreaming dreams though unaware

On mats of archetypes the men just sleep,

The women calm because the men have left

Then unmolested.  Yet some nightmares creep

Around in brains and cause a clown-face sleep.

  Unfortunately sleep has left behind

    The cherry blossoms, leaving souls’ Id blind.