Volcano Fuji
New Year at Toro Village
Looking from Toro on the banks of the Abe river
Fuji's smoke curls upwards into the pale-blue heavens.
(Happy New Year Happy New Year)
The snow bathed in the morning sun glows alpine-rose.


Happy New Year Happy New Year.
How grassy is Wakamatsu's green.
How plump are the breast of little girls
Oh me oh my.


A giant pot.
Bursting fit to bust with hooch.
Serpentine beads all-a-sparkle.


Men and women alike hair everywhere.
Men and women alike drinking one after another from a huge Sue bowl
Oh me oh my.


If they venture outside their huts at dusk.
Fuji's pillar of fire
(Happy New Year Happy New Year)
Ascending straight to the heavens.

Kusano Shinpei, New Year 1971.

From Mt Fuji Selected Poems 1943-1986 by Kusano Shinpei that just arrived today in the post along with some thesis reading. I was working on a post about eggplants but I'll leave that till a latter date. Project Hyakumeizan recently posted another poem from the series.

Photos from the flickr group Mt Fuji by ever_green60 and yehkai, respectively.


Happy New Year!