My Father's Face ~ Haiku of Japan

This isn't from the modern novelist Haruki, rather it is from Kijo Murakami, a haiku poet of the late 19th/early 20th century. He was a student of Shiki and followed his style. He had a very tough life and because of which he is often compared to Issa. He studied law as a student, but had to give it up due to going deaf. He found a job as a scribe for a salary barely enough to support his ten kids. He was fired at one point, but his poetry friends were able to get him rehired. Then his house burned down. Whew.... rough times.

In this verse Murakami presents us with a scene just about all of us can relate to. As we get older we often experience moments like these, suddenly discovering we look more like our parents than we had previously imagined.

1. That is, me! If you like this translation, feel free to use it. Just credit me. Also link here if you can. ↩