bakasana
as she floats above the table
I hear my name in Sanskrit
my mind flies like my namesake
back to that river in Yokohama
we walked along it every day
hundreds of times, never seeing
a single bird that would justify its name
the word for “crane” in Sanskrit
means “stupid” in Japanese
I’ll try not to take it personally
9 June 2013
Auburn AL
(Note: “bakasana” means “crane posture” or “crane seat.” The river referred to is the Tsurumigawa, which means “See Crane River.” Finally, “baka,” which means “crane” in Sanskrit, means “stupid” in Japanese.”)
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I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.
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