Thursday, January 11, 2018

Poetic Musings: Mind and Moon Haiku by Chen-ou Liu

moon mirrors mind mirrors moon

NeverEnding Story,  September 21, 2017

Chen-ou Liu

Commentary by Bill Kenney:   moon / mirrors / mind / mirrors / moon

Mirrors as noun: "moon is objective, "mind" subjective; "mirrors" in between: objects in which we look for ourselves. Structure of the line puts "mirrors" precisely where it belongs.

Mirrors as verb: Does the mind mirror the moon, or is it the other way around, or both? "mirror" structure of the line invites the question.

These two ways of reading interact to form a complex, dynamic unity.

When I said "intriguing" I didn't mean it dismissively or condescendingly. We all have a healthy suspicion of haiku that seem ("merely," as we often say) intellectual. But this is more than that. It's intelligent.

And, if it doesn't foreground feeling, it does give us something to feel about.

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