From a Three-Cornered World. James Masao Mitsui

From a Three-Cornered World

The Scott & Laurie Oki Series in Asian American Studies

From a Three-Cornered World

NEW AND SELECTED POEMS

James Masao Mitsui

University of Washington Press Seattle and London

This book is published with the assistance of a grant from the Scott and Laurie Oki Endowed Fund for the publication of Asian American Studies, established through the generosity of Scott and Laurie Oki.

Cover designed by Glen Mitsui, Studio MD, featuring a photograph of Minoru Mitsui

Calligraphic brush strokes by Tad Wasa

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 0-295-97598-9 (pbk.)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

This is for Lilly,

forever in love.

An artist is a person who lives in the triangle which remains after the angle which we may call common sense has been removed from this four-cornered world.—Natsume Soseki, 1867–1916

Contents

SELECTED POEMS

I / from Journal of the Sun 1974

Destination: Tule Lake Relocation Center

Photograph of a Child

Picture of a Japanese Farmer

Section Hand, Great Northern Railway

The Morning My Father Died

Watching Bon Odori

Because It Is Close and My Mother Is 72

Shrike on Dead Tree

Ōhashi in a Shower