This post needs a little explanation. I participated in a poetry class over the last six months. Our fearless leader, Jeanne Rana, invited us every two weeks to try traditional poetic forms: pantoum; villanelle; haiku; dekaaz; the “I am” poem; triolet; sentence down the side; Beatitudes; and today, our final meeting, Japanese death poems.
The instruction around Japanese death poems or jisei: these poems traditionally are spoken on the poets’ or warriors’ deathbed. Their final words.
Jeanne gave us only two minutes to write as many as we could—I believe to get us out of our minds and into our hearts. They are not titled. I have a favorite; do you?
follow
the silken thread
now, now
forever
light blossoms
goodbye
dear world
carry my love
onward!
surprise me
I leave
my warmth
trust, trust, trust
what else is there?
breathe light
instead of air
aha!
this, too
love the
whole catastrophe
2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—they may never turn into anything more or they might flower.
the heart of the matter 
I particularly like “follow the silken thread” 💞
Sent from my iPad
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Nice! My favorite is “breath light instead of air.”
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Loved all them. My favorite? Love the whole catastrophe. It’s a bit of humor.
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Thank you! Finally you made a comment correctly. Good job!
My favorite was “breathe light instead of air.”
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I also love your tagline “This is it. Only now.”
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However you commented on this Japanese Death poems post, this is the way to do it! It’s perfect and readable.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Boudewijn made license-plate holders–many years ago–that say “This is it. Only now.”
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Breathe light instead of air is my favorite ♥️
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That’s mine, too!
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What a marvelous exercise! I love “breathe light instead of air”
Your journey is full of surprises and gifts.
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Rooney, why am I surprised–that’s my favorite, too!
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“Loved the whole catastrophe,” and “I leave my warmth.” And, too, “Breathe light instead of air.” “Loved the whole catastrophe” is more me than any of them!
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Thank you!
My favorite is breathe light instead of air.
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“Breathe light instead of air” penetrated my heart!
“Onward! Surprise me” crinkled my lips up into a smile!
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You picked my favorite—Breathe light instead of air!
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