Tag Archives: Sansei

Liar Liar pants on Fire

(David Abe is pronounced David Abey) Evil David Abe cheated us out of everything he’s doomed in the doorway times about to fall we trusted David Abe a handshake and words enough naive and blind husband walks old fashioned trusting his fellow man a million stars whirling and twirling down the drain sucked by darknessContinue reading “Liar Liar pants on Fire”

Don’t call me Bachan

Uncle George ,Sugie, 2-8-1892 , 1965 ,Sugie & Yaemon,3-8-1880,Uncle Jay, 1918-1960 my grandmother died at 73 the age that I am now her thin grey hair was tied back in a bun was she ever young? coming from a foreign land her songs were of an old Japan coming to America a picture bride “freshContinue reading “Don’t call me Bachan”

this is…

this is my hoodwhere concrete meets the skyneon lights twinklehumanity in your faceborn here, loved here, die here I was born in East L.A., Boyle Heights, CA USA in the Japanese American Hospital, May 15, 1948. Racists in America often refused to care or treat Japanese Americans, so we built our own hospital in BoyleContinue reading “this is…”

A Floating World…poetic history of tanka

genie Nakano Before Japan could read or write,  tanka was called waka performed as short songs in five lines short  long  short   long   long Heian imperial court was well versed in  waka after a love affair erotic exchanges of waka was expected proper etiquette Women were the best of tanka’s golden era yearning, soaring talesContinue reading “A Floating World…poetic history of tanka”