Saturday Poem

A Crow

In a vast expanse of field
a crow with the sun on its back
flying vigorously
suddenly died.
It fell straight down from the high sky.
And at the same time
its huge shadow
dashed into its dead body
at lightning speed
from the horizon of the crimson field.
Having cast a great shadow on this earth
the crow’s heart quit.

by Shinjiro Kurahara
from Iwana
publisher: Dowaya, Tokyo, 2010
translation: 2010, Mariko Kurahara, William I. Elliott, Katsumasa Nishihara