Even in Kyoto--
hearing the cuckoo's cry--
I long for Kyoto.
Bashô
I've been mulling over this haiku for a while, having stumbled across it via a book I was reading for class. To me, this poem symbolizes a certain sweetness of loss. It reminds me of longing for a place that no longer exists, except in remembered pieces -- an idealized or former version of a place you are currently in.
This haiku struck me because, when I go back to my hometown, I often feel homesick, even when I'm there. I miss what home was for me at a time in my life that I'll never have back. But I don't entirely want it back, either -- the nostalgia is bittersweet and impractical.
But, like the haiku says, even when I am home, I long for home.
I like this poem, and your interpretation is well spoken. I think it could alternately be taken to be about a severe passion for Kyoto. Perhaps the most succinct way to explain what I mean is substitute "lover" for "Kyoto." Even when with a lover, one sometimes wants nothing more than to be with them. A thought, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI like your reading of this, too. To desire something so much, that even as you have it, you continue to want it -- having it in that moment doesn't satiate the overarching, continuous want.
ReplyDeleteI'm always curious to see how a poem or bit of writing strikes people.