POLITICS OF CULTURAL APARTHEID IN HAIKU

POLITICS OF CULTURAL APARTHEID IN HAIKU
(Why is the cultural modification of haiku form /and literature in general/ racist?

By Dimitar Anakiev


Poets create bridges
among cultures, poetasters
create walls - the ELH
- - - Dimitar Anakiev


In the end of long discussion in HMC which followed publishing of my article Taliban of Haiku Community we have final conclusion published in comments by Taro Aizu– his report is supported by Paul David Mena and T.w. Rassmeussen. These three poets openly advocated racist viewpoint during discussion and openly refused to accept International P.E.N. standards in literature which determines: All forms are universal, all cultures are equal. Before answering their conclusion let me say that my article Taliban of Haiku Community in these few days were visited on my blog by about 100 people and no one left a comment or counter-argument even it was also sent to all main leaders of "Talibans Haiku Movement" in US, that is racist movement of ELH (English Language Haiku). It speaks for itself how weak is argumentation of racism in literature. But basically racism is not built on argumentation, it uses lies and manipulation, it counts on ignorance of masses that cannot understand subtle details of cultural politics. The same case is with "conclusion" of our racist friends in HMC. Let me cite the conclusion:


Taro Aizu (supported by Paul David Mena, T.w. Rassmeussen) wrote: "My conclusion of these discussions and aruguments is that all cultures are equal but diffrent and the difference is not a discrimination, nor racism but an abundance. So we have different forms of haiku according to our cultures or our personal ideas."

What we have here is typical racist maneuver that tries to explain racism as something "natural", "organic" and "factual". In last statement they basically say:

The form of JEWISH HAIKU and ARYAN HAIKU cannot be the same. The form of JAPANESE and ENGLISH haiku cannot be the same, the form of HAIKU WRITEN BY WHITE PEOPLE cannot be the same as HAIKU WRITEN BY YELLOW or BLACK PEOPLE... In fact, the last statement of Taro Aizu, his conclusion: " So we have different forms of haiku according to our cultures or our personal ideas", is pure and obviously lie because we all know from everyday practice that haiku in English and haiku in Japanese, and haiku in any other language is not culturaly limited (determined)– we have fixed, 575, form in English (by major poets like Kirkap and Wright) as well in Japanese and all other languages. We have "free form" in Japanese, English and other too. So, the point is that our racist friend do not want to accept that formal abundance is a result of INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM (that means, they do not accept the licentia poetica) and build their politics on false meaning of cultural differences. Quite contrary, the mission of poetry and all arts is to show that that all people are people independently of cultural differences. So racist (and all totalitarian) theories in literature and poetry comes from people that are basically not writers and poets but more and less poetasters which misuse the field of poetry and literature for ideologic work trying to subordinate poetry to culture and other ideological institutions.
Typical method of discussion for such "poets" doesn't come from talking on facts but from their ideas which are falsely presented as "true" and "facts". Anyone following our "discussion" in HMC can easily see that none of my statements in the article Taliban of Haiku Community is answered with counter-argument. Instead, facing arguments and facts they shift escaping the topic and offering "new topics" again and again. They just try to confuse uninformed readers and use this fog as a cover.
In my conclusion I can say that we have serious problem in International Haiku because the politics of subordinating poetry to cultural differences is a clear policy of cultural apartheid. The ELH movement is an expression of cultural apartheid. It is natural that leaders and followers of cultural apartheid do not accept International P.E.N. standards for cultural share similarly as apartheid regime in South Africa refused International human-rights standards. The reaction of multicultural international haiku community must be the same as the reaction of UN: to show and announce the apartheid and to isolate it. I think poets who advocates walls among the cultures in arts and literature do not belong to community of poets of any kind, particularly not international. Poets and artists that are responsible to the poetry and art cannot go blind by such negative phenomena, cannot stay silent. I am happy that our Haiku Master Class serves to educate poets about.

TALIBAN OF HAIKU COMMUNITY

TALIBAN OF HAIKU COMMUNITY

A critical haibun by Dimitar Anakiev


All forms are universal, all cultures are equal

- - -International P.E.N.


Haiku community, as well as any international community of poets, was always built on the unifying power of poetry. The mission of art in general is to show that all people are people independently of cultural differences. Important part of the multiculturalism is existence of two main approaches in haiku: "classical"-" teikei (定型 fixed form), based in original 5-7-5 syllables structure and "modern"based in a "free-form", established firmly by jiyuritsu (自由律 free form) movementin Japan. Like ancient "yin" and "yang" the dichotomy between "fix" and "free" form was always creatively productive in the history of literature (for example, in sonnet). Some people of suspicious knowledge and skills decided that "classical form" in haiku needs to be eliminated, similarly as Taliban decided to eliminate standing Buddhas' statues in Bamiyan. This tendency was grounded in famous quasi-scientific learning of Bill Higginson that Japanese "on" is not the same as Western "syllable" (by up grading this racial theory we will soon find ourselves in logical paradox: "kanji" too are not the same as "letters" consequently the Japanese shouldn't be considered a language!). Completing their "poetic teaching" with some additional cultural reasons (such as mechanical length of poem) and ignoring some others (such as richness in meaning) they tried to establish a separate cultural genre named "English Language Haiku" (ELH) as a quasi-ontological form of haiku. Political power of English would guaranty the domination of ELH with assimilation of others cultures and definitive eliminationof classical (Japanese) form (instead Mr. Higginson suggested English" classical" form of 2-3-2 syllables).
Notable English poet James Kirkup, and American novelist and poet Richard Wright, along with all others poets of English language who wrote classical 5-7-5 form, were completely excluded from the strategy of ELH.

Are the syllables
only "sound symbols" because
the Japanese?

Result of such politics is a conclusion that one writes "free form" not for personal reasons following what is known from ancient timesas "licentia poetica" or freedom of choice, but paradoxically "free form Higginson way" is a result of "cultural belonging", so the reason is racial, it speaks not for personal freedom but on the contrary, for cultural restraints. In the interpretation of Higginson and his followers, poets are not a culture-makers but people subordinate to culture and politics-a kind of national soldiers.
For first couple of years of existence, the most popular American haiku movement, the NaHaWriMo (National Haiku Writing Month) –
whichis held every February– was visually defined as an "Anti-5-7-5movement". This contemporary cultural Ku Klux Klan took for its symbol a kind of prohibitory traffic sign: "Crossed 5-7-5"(“No 5-7-5”).
I complained publicly many times to its leader, Michael Dylan Welch, for its anti-cultural character, but they always answered that they in fact do not prohibit 5-7-5 and that they “even allow 5-7-5 poems...”The position of cultural boss and dominant culture is clear. They "allow" something that must be free a choice, they permit, they have power. And they are in a (not so) subtle way racist. They let you know that poetic rhythm 5-7-5 doesn't belong to Anglo-Saxon culture. Talking to some of NaHaWriMo poets, I understood, that they think “free-form haiku” is a result of American liberalism, result of Western democracy, and they are shocked to learn that “jiyuritsu” movement in Japan “invented” a free form haiku.


Haiku and Palestine
two precious things with the
similar destiny

INTERNATIONAL HAIKU READING KAMNIK, SLOVENIA

ИЗ ИСТОРИЈЕ (И БУДУЋНОСТИ) СРПСКОГ ХАИКУА

ИЗ ИСТОРИЈЕ (И БУДУЋНОСТИ) СРПСКОГ ХАИКУА
Димитар Анакиев

Година 1993 је значајна година за српски хаику. Тада је у Нишу покренут часопис Хаику новине а тада је у мом преводу и самиздату изашла и књижица хаикуа ПЕСМЕ САМОЋЕ јапанског модернистичког песника Сантоке Танеде-то је уједно био први превод Сантоке на тадашњем српскохрватском језику. Ова два догађаја, превод Сантоке и оснивање Хаику новина, наизглед различита, имала су у себи исту тенденцију а то је: отворити хаику поезији на Балкану могућности праве и пунокрвне литературе. До тада, значи до превода Сантоке и покретања Хаику новина, хаику је у бившој Југославији био нека врста егзотичне разбибриге. Апсурдност тадашње популарности хаикуа најбоље се видела у томе што су по свим ћошковима ницали ”зен мајстори” а праве поезије у форми хаикуа није било готово нигде, чак ни тада када су је писали водећи песници. Али одговоримо прво на питање шта то значи ”права поезија”? Поред истинитости, поезија, да би била ”права”, мора бити и ”жива” а то значи да кроз њу проговара време у којем настаје... Такође треба бити индивидуално специфична, ауторска а не плагијаторска, а наравно и идеолошки отворена, плурална. Свега тога тада није било и мене је као амбициозног аутора веома спутавало пре свега једноумље изражено кроз Девидеовско-Блајтовски концепт ”зена у поезији” који је тврдио да је хаику израз зен-будизма. Зато сам био не мало зачуђен када сам преводећи Сантоку, који је био зен-будистички монах у Кумамоту, наишао на социјалистичке идеје и критику јапанског национализма. Било је очигледно да наши тумачи хаикуа као прво, не знају довољно ни о зену ни о хаику, а као друго, и важније: нису били песници по вокацији и нису довољно тачно разумевали функцију и мисију поезије као такве. То је било време превласти културологије над поезијом и превладе културолага, научника, над песницима. Тада се је погрешно сматрало да су културне разлике нас, Западњака, и Јапанаца важније него поезија која те разлике укида. Чекало се је да се појаве песници спремни да се позабаве хаику поезијом као својом вокацијом-кроз које ће хаику проговорити плуралним и индивидуалним гласом. Ја сам те 1993 управо био дошао из рата који ме је као војног лекара водио из Словеније, преко Хрватске до Косова и рат је за мене био најважније животно искуство које сам морао изразити и својом поезијом. Мој хаику није дакле био ескапизам, бежање од стварности (што би зен и све друге религијске праксе биле), већ суочење са њом. У Сантоки сам нашао потврду за своје песничке потребе јер је чак и он, ставарни зен монах, користио хаику поезију да изрази своје идеје о свету који га окружује. Тако се је следећа песма која се односи на јапанске војнике који одлазе у рат у Кину нашла у мојој књижици превода песама Сантока Танеде ПЕСМЕ САМОЋЕ:

Једу свој
последњи јапански оброк-
зноје се

Из анти-ратног циклуса касније сам нашао и много познатију Сантокину песму:

Ноге и руке
остале у Кини, ви се
враћате у Јапан

Превод Сантоке потвдио је моје уверење да хаику не може бити поезија једноумља или чак безумља (како присталице ”зен теорије” виде хаику као ”одсуство” идеја и идеологија), већ да је, напротив, пунокрвна поезија помоћу које се изражавају најразличитије идеје и идеологије. То уверење створило је потребу за покретањем правих књижевних новина које ће служити хаику литератури. То су биле Хаику новине и оне верујем у потпуности данас иду путем литературе и идејног плурализма... Путем хаику се могу изразити абсолутно све идеје, што потврђује разноврсност и разноликост јапанског хаикуа у коме се хаику удружења и њихови часописи формирају по идеолошкој припадности, јер, на пример, аутори ”пролетерског хаикуа” тешко могу да деле свој идејни простор са песницима ”националистима” јер једни се, да мало банализирам, куну у Маркса, Лењина и Троцког а други у Цара Лазара, Вилхелма Другог или Хирохита.. Иако су ти концепти међусобно удаљени и неспојиви, литерарни часопис националног ранга мора имати прилично широк концепт. Ја сам недавно написао неколико серија марксистичких хаикуја и надам се да ће ускоро наћи своје место у Хаику новинама. А то исто важи и за марксистичку ренгу коју сам летос написао заједно са америчким песником руско-јеврејског порекла, Зинови Вајманом. Текст завршавам са три хаикуа из марксистичког циклуса:

Налети кише
потврђују: снага народа
је несаломива

Може ли нација бити слободна
ако угњетава друге народе?*
Приупитах дивљи цвет.

Троцки је предложио
леви фронт уместо десног.
Какав је ”народни фронт”?

*Цитат по Владимиру Иљичу Лењину


Испод планине Стол, 25.08.2013

MENDING THE HOLES OF MY RAINCOAT

MENDING THE HOLES OF MY RAINCOAT
(A Marxist renku by Dimitar Anakiev and Zinovy Vayman)



1.
Mending the holes
of my raincoat–that's the way
I became a Marxist*
. . Dimitar Anakiev

*Trotsky: "Anarchism is like a raincoat full of holes–it only works when it is not needed"

2.
American unemployed
dressed in the utmost finery
hence, my green card!!!
. . Zinovy Vayman

3.
Palestinian
children cry for fineries
of America
. . Dimitar Anakiev

4.
Israeli black shirts:
"Beat up patriot Jews
to scare Arabs!"
. . Zinovy Vayman

5.
Patriotism?
What a nice tool
of imperialism.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

6.
my green years
in the USSR I learned to revere
the underdog patriots
. . Zinovy Vayman

7.
Deformed worker's
state in my memories flies
and a butterfly dead
. . Dimitar Anakiev

8-
Communist League members!
NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE
was our motto
. . Zinovy Vayman

9.
Chauvinism falsely
presented as a nationalism:
dirty snow has fallen
. . Dimitar Anakiev

10.
Guess why
the plethora of languages
a loess monkey !
. . Zinovy Vayman

11.
"theory becomes
a material force when it
grips the masses"*
. . Dimitar Anakiev

*Marx: Introduction to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right

12.
Guess why
my poor Czehoslovakia
is no more
. . Zinovy Vayman

13.
six republics,
sky and Adriatic sea
sold for money
. . Dimitar Anakiev

14.
2013, july
slovakia....slovenia...
still some confusion
. .Zinovy Vayman

15.
The reality strives
towards thought and though,
tends to realize itself.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

16.
love triangle!
a half Jewish Frida, Trotsky
Rivera
. . Zinovy Vayman

17.
Transitional program
step by step walking backwards
mist of spring
. . Dimitar Anakiev

18.
surrender in Stalingrad:
Field Marshal Paulus
becomes a Communist
. . Zinovy Vayman

19.
Gusts of rain
confirm the power of people
is indestructible
. . Dimitar Anakiev

20.
death day of Trotsky
Diego Rivera's truck
parked outside
. . Zinovy Vayman

21.
“Socialism or barbarism?”
asked Rosa Luxemburg before
she was killed
. . Dimitar Anakiev

22.
neither...
charisma, alpha males
rule under the sky
. . Zinovy Vayman

23.
Trying to see things
as clear as my cat seeking prey
I go back to Marxism
. . Dimitar Anakiev

24.
Communist Russia
the most adulterous land
amongst the giants
. . Zinovy Vayman

25.
Stalinism falsely
presented as communism:
Christian Rakovsky killed.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

26.
Walter Benjamin!
Listed as a Western Marxist,
a Jewish prodigy
. . Zinovy Vayman

27.
Camouflaged bureaucrats
presented as Marxists
just as defeatists
. . Dimitar Anakiev

28.
snow dusted obelisk
the eternal flame is off
for the last 14 years
. . Zinovy Vayman

29.
Revolutionary students
of today are waiting in the lines
of McDonald's restaurant
. . Dimitar Anakiev

30.
Boston circa 1980:
more socialism than
in the USSR
. . Zinovy Vayman

31.
Reformed leftists
refused Marxism embracing
“the only reality”
. . Dimitar Anakiev

32.
Susan Sontag
reading her diary
i became harsher towards her
. . Zinovy Vayman

33.
"Can a nation be free
if oppres other nations?"*
I ask a wild flower.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

*quotation by Vladimir Ilich Lenin

34.
contradiction
nation vs nation
nationalismus!
. . Zinovy Vayman

35.
Trotsky suggested
left-front instead of right-front...
What is the “People's Front”?
. .Dimitar Anakiev

36.
crossing Russia
in amazement
of its rebelling slaves
. .Zinovy Vayman

Written in summer 2013

20 GODINA OD PREVODA SANTOKE NA SRPSKI

Godina 2013 je godina jubileja a i godina novih početaka. Pre dvadeset godina, 1993 u Nišu su ne samo pokrenute Haiku novine, koje još traju, već je po prvi put na srpski (tada verovatno još: srpskohrvatski) preveden Santoka Taneda (1882-1940), značajan autor jiyuritzu stila (slobodnog stila), koji je, kako sam to zapisao u Deklaraciji sa ostrva Jakušima (Yakushima declaration), zapravo početak novog žanra - žanra međunarodnog haikua.
Haiku novine ne treba posebno tumačiti jer one postaju raspoznatljiv znak već svojim kontinuitetom u dvodecenijskom trajanju. Međutim prevod Santoke, koji sem štampao u autorskom izdanju knjižice "Pesme samoće" (84 haikua, moto i pogovor) u samo 100 primeraka (koji su planuli) zaslužuje posebnu pažnju iz dva razloga: prvi je taj da su ti moji prevodi u srpskoj literaturi doslovno pokradeni i niko ko citira Santokine pesme ne pominje autora prevoda, već se misli: ili da se je Santoka nekako sam preveo u srpski, ili se autori koji Santokine pesme objavljuju u svojim knjigama nadaju da će oni biti proglašeni donosiocem Santoke u srpsku literaturu.

Lopovstvo nama nije strano, pa se tako moje pesme nalaze i u "eminentnim" knjigama bez potpisanog prevodioca. Događalo se i to da se Santokina uzrečica sa početka moje knjige, koju u toj knjižici navodim kao njegov moto, a ne kao njegovu pesmu, shvatila pogrešno pa je i citirana na jednom mestu kao pesma. A pošto je autor tog plagijata svoju krivotvorinu preveo na engleski, onda se kao "nova Santokina pesma" našla i u izboru Santokinih pesama na nekom engleskom blogu. Štaviše, kada sam upozorio korisnika mojih prevoda Santokinih pesama, da nije navedeno ime prevodioca, bilo mi je rečeno da to nisam ja preveo, već ta osoba koju opominjem da koristi moje prevede a kao izvor (prevoda te osobe) mi je naveden engleski sajt na kojem je Santokin moto pogrešno preveden sa mog srpskog preveda na engleski - kao pesma (objavljen moto u mojoj knjižici se vidi na slici ispod). Pošto dobro znam odakle sam uzeo i preveo Santokin moto, i da je taj izvor nedostupan "novom prevodiocu" željnom Santokianske slave, ostalo mi je samo da se kiselo nasmejem i upozorim sagovornika da me u oči laže...

Medjutim nezavisno od ovih negativnih iskustava, taj prevod Santoke, koga sam u samizdatoj knjižici "Pesme samoće"(sa 84 Santokinih haikua) prelomio i dizajnirao sam, takođe sam sam grafički opremio i povezao u maloj knjigoveznici koja je tada radila u sklopu niške Narodne biblioteke, bila je zapravo početak jednog vrlo značajnog puta koji je vodio u osnivanje slovenačkog časopisa Prijatelj, saradnju sa časopisom Azami u Osaki, zatim saradnje sa Jimom Kacijanom na antologiji balkanskog haikua Knots, zatim osnivanja Svetske haiku asocijacije (WHA) i konačno, ove godine, kao kruna tog puta pojaviče se Kamesanova svetska antologija haikua na temu rata, nasilja i nepoštovanja čovekovih prava a u toj antologiji pojaviće se 904 pesama, na 35 jezika od 385 autora sa svih kontinenata. Kakav sjajan uticaj i domet tako male knjižice. Evo kako su u njoj bile prelomljene pesme:

Knjižica "Pesme samoće" me je ponela samosvojim putem, prema pravcu koga tek sada sagledavam. Svaka i najmanja stvar, pa i najmanja knjiga, može imati izuzetnu važnost. A i to da su je u medjuvremenu masovno pokrali, pokazuje kakva je njena važnost.

JAPANESE GARDEN

International haiku by Kamesan


JAPANESE GARDEN
51 haiku by Kamesan ( September 2007 )






in the pure land Japanese garden grasshoppers

清浄の日本の庭に居る飛蝗

seijô no nihon no niwa ni iru batta

*



following a grasshopper through the Japanese garden

日本庭園出てゆく飛蝗の後を追い

nihonteien deteyuku batta no ato o oi
*



by the monument to Soseki I touch my first bamboo

漱石の碑や我が初めての竹に触れ

sôseki no hi ya waga hajimete no take ni fure
*



over a wet stone a small snail enters the Japanese garden

濡れ石を越えて庭に入る蝸牛

nureishi o koete niwa ni iru katatsumuri
*



pissing in the bamboo forest I become bamboo

竹林の中小便　竹になる私

chikurin no naka no shôben take ni naru watashi
*




on Mount Kimpo I met Soseki, Santoka and Shibata
金峰山にて出会う　漱石　山頭火　柴田

kinpo-zan nite deau sôseki santôka shibata
*




rain-wet naked in the night of the Japanese garden

雨に濡れ日本庭園の夜の裸

ame ni nure nihonteien no yoru no chô
*



from the tatami i wipe my wet foot-prints

畳からぬぐう己の足の水の跡

tatami kara nugû onore no ashi no mizu no ato
*



the night too short for cicadas and me in the Japanese garden

庭の蝉と我には夜は短くて

niwa no semi to ware niwa yoru wa mijikakute
*



before dawn lightning in the Japanese garden

暁の前に雷光庭に在り

akatsuki no mae ni raikô niwa ni ari
*


mosquito and me alone in the tatami room

蚊と己のみなり畳の部屋に居て

ka to onore nomi nari tatami no heya ni ite
*


to Alma Anakiev

ferry to Yakushima a girl's hand stretched to catch a rainbow

屋久島への船上　娘は虹をつかもうと

yakushima e no senjô musume wa niji o tsukamô to
*


coming to Yakushima the Yakushima rain

屋久島に来たれば来たる屋久の雨

yakushima ni kitare ba kitaru yaku no ame
*




appears and disappears in haze Kuchierabu-jima
現れては消える靄中　口永良部島

arawarete wa kieru moya naka kuchierabujima
*



finally a dragon-fly lands on the pine in the Japanese garden

庭園やついに蜻蛉が松の枝に

teien ya tsui ni tonbo ga matsu no e ni
*



smoking i meditate in the Japanese garden

煙草吸い思い巡らす庭の中

tabako sui omoi megurasu niwa no naka
*



stopping for a while a grasshopper leaves the Japanese garden

とどまれば飛蝗は庭を離れゆく

todomare ba batta wa niwa o hanare yuku
*



a Japanese cat steps into the Japanese garden

日本猫日本の庭に踏み入れり

nihon neko nihon no niwa ni fumiireri
*



enjoying every bite of the mosquito

蚊に刺されることをすべて楽しむ

ka ni sasareru koto o subete tanoshimu
*



drinking sake all night in the Japanese garden

夜を通し酒飲む日本の庭の中

yo o tôshi sake nomu nihon no niwa no naka
*

on the day i spoke with Hoshinaga-sensei the moon cut by katana
*

over the edge of a roof moonshine comes into the Japanese garden
*

shadows from a neon light also come into the Japanese garden
*

Keiko the silent kami of the house
*

stepping in the ant's path in the Japanese garden chaos
*

as a flying-fish i penetrate an unknown mind
*

Kagoshima the impossibility of communication by words
*
to Kame-san:

a big wave of the ocean is dropping me out at Inakahama
*
to Terada-san:

listening to the ocean listening to my friends listening to the ocean
*

above Japanese roofs an Islamic moon
*

to Ito Yuki :

Hoshinaga-Ito Dimitar-Ito Jim-Ito Richard-Ito Ito
*

to Jim Kacian:
in the foam of broken Pacific waves thoughts on rebellion
*


a hundred times konnichiwa going through the land of Yakusugi
*

a swarm of dragon-flies above the place where Oko-no-taki pours
*


resisting the big waves of Pacific at Inakahama
*


to Richard Gilbert:

a garbage man at Inakahama enthralled by the ocean

*

from a pole the crow stares at the ocean
*


through the tunnel we go out into the night a way to Hinagumachi
*


coming back from Santoka's bath smiles of yakuza
*

to Judy and Masa:
coming back from Ikkenya gentle rain
*

a rainbow over the rainbow in Kumamoto
*
to Al Gore:
at the railroad crossing a car stopped by the bamboo-barrier
*


Shimabara still in haze of rebellion
*


facing the limits of life a grasshoper lit by sunshine
*

to Izumi and Jeff:

breathing smoking mountain Aso
*

at Minamiaso the Strong Boss saloon
*

Fukuoka walking the Street of Sad People i'm coming back home
*

visiting Japan for two cuttings of my nails
*

the first sun a small cloud departs Fukuoka
*

on the sunny side of the Alps i plant a bamboo from Mount Kimpo
*

young bamboo dreams a view at the ocean from Mount Kimpo
若竹や金峰山からのぞむ夢

wakatake ya kinpô-zan kara nozomu yume
*



Poems originaly written in English by author, polished by Jim Kacian,

Japanese translations by Ito Yuki


DIMITAR ANAKIEV aka KAMESAN ( b. 1960 in Belgrade ) began to write and publish poetry at the age of 13, and began writing haiku in 1985. He is the „father“ of many Balkan haiku projects such as „Haiku Novine“ ( Serbia ) and „Prijatelj“ and „Apokalipsa haiku edition“ ( Slovenia ). He is a co-founder of World Haiku Association and co-editor of „Knots – An Anthology of Southeatern European Haiku Poetry“. Anakiev also editeted Slovenian haiku anthology „Pond of Silence“ and anthology of anti-war haiku „Piece of Sky“. His awards include the European Award: The Medal of Franz Kafka, The Museum of Haiku Literature Award, Haiku Society of Amerika anual Merit Book Award and prizes from Mainichi Daily News, Daily Yomiuri ( both Tokyo ) and Azami ( Osaka ). He also won several film awards including the National Slovenian Award for best documentary film.


Read: Kamesan Haiku Blog:

https://sites.google.com/site/haikukamesan/home