απαλό βουνό
γη βούλιαξε στο χέρι
λείπει το νερό
gentle mountain
earth’s hand sinks
into lack of water
(Photo:K.Nagamura/haiku :M.Papatzelou)
τράβηξες το φως
σκιές γράφουν στο δέρμα
κρυφή ιστορία
drawing out the light
shapes marked down the skin
a hidden story
(Photo:K.Nagamura /haiku:M.Papatzelou)
new year’s cleaning
in a beam of sunlight
our fingerprints overlap
καθαρός χρόνος
αποτύπωμα χεριών
μια ηλιαχτίδα
(Artwork:M.Papatzelou /Haiku:K.Nakamura)
Snow
and men
and snowmen
end
Χιόνι
και άνθρωποι
και οι χιονάνθρωποι
μαζί στο τέλος
(Photo:M.Papatzelou/ Haiku:K.Nagamura)
ρέει ο χρόνος
ψιθυρίζοντας χρησμούς
στο ρηχό βυθό
time in motion
whispering oracles
at the shallow depths
(Photo:K.Nagamura /Haiku :M.Papatzelou)
κόκκινο κρασί
μέθυσε ο ουρανός
ρώτησες γιατί
red wine
sky got drunk
asked me why
(Photo:K.Nagamura/Haiku :M.Papatzelou)
styrofoam waves
on the wind
the cry of gulls
κύμα φελιζόλ
η κραυγή των γλάρων
προς τον άνεμο
(Photo:M.Papatzelou/Haiku :M .Papatzelou)
oracle bones
a winter’s nest
we must remake
οστά μαντείου
μια χειμερινή φωλιά
να ξαναχτίσω
(Photo:M.Papatzelou/Haiku:K.Nagamura)
Kit Pancoast Nagamura took her doctoral degree in literature before moving to Japan permanently. She co-hosted NHK World’s HAIKU MASTERS for three years, and was the poet/host for NHK’s documentary on Matsuo Basho’s Oku no Hosomichi. Her haiku awards include Prizes of Excellence in the Ito-en Oi Ocha International contest and the Setouchi-Matsuyama Photo/Haiku contest, as well as Honorable Mentions three years running in the Tokutomi Haiku Contest sponsored by the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society. She is a member of the Haiku International Association, The Ginza Poetry Society, and serves as one of the judges for Washington D.C.’s international Golden Haiku Poetry Contest, and the Setouchi Matsuyama International Haiku Contest. Her newest book, Grit, Grace, and Gold (Kodansha International, 2020), spotlights sports in haiku and includes remarkable work from international guest poets.
Maria Papatzelou
Graduate of the School of Fine Arts of Thessaloniki, a visual artist, scenographer, co-curator of international art projects, radio producer of @ Art in the City, www.entropiaradio.gr and art teacher in Secondary Education. She lives and works in Thessaloniki. She has participated in many group exhibitions, in Greece and abroad (India, London, Kobe , Excellent Prize in International Art Exchange Exhibition Kobe 2017, 2018, 2019 and Kyoto, Japan) and has presented 6 solo exhibitions. She writes Haiku poetry and her first book “Inner Connections of the Liquid Sky” was published in Japan, with translation and comments by Professor Mr. Masashi Nakamura.
She is a member of Theater Maiotron since 1994.