The poem of the week is a Hokusai poem. Hokusai (1760-1849) was a famous Japanese artist.
Hokasai says look carefully.
He says pay attention, notice.
He says keep looking, stay curious.
He says there is no end to seeing…
He says everything is alive–
shells, buildings, people, fish, mountains, trees.
Wood is alive. Water is alive.
Everything has its own life.
Everything lives inside us.
He says live with the world inside you.
He says it doesn’t matter if you draw, or write books.
It doesn’t matter if you saw wood, or catch fish…
It matters that you care. It matters that you feel.
It matters that you notice.
It matters that life lives through you.
P.S. “Hokusai says” from 365 nirvana compiled and edited by Josh Baran. On looking at the Hokusai page again, it seems that the last 3 lines are in slightly different print and have the name Roger Keyes following them:
It matters that you care. It matters that you feel.
It matters that you notice.
It matters that life lives through you. Roger Keyes
Perhaps he is the one who found the quote and those last three lines are his comment on them.
P.S. I am an ex-shrink who writes award-winning novels. Check out my books here.
Simple yet profound. It’s hard to describe living, but Hokusai does well with few words.
I think you’re right, Evelyn. Simple yet profound. Thanks for commenting.
Roger Keyes wrote this poem, all of it not just the last three lines!
Thanks for letting me know, John. I appreciate it.
All the best,
Susan
And actually this is just an excerpt from Roger Keyes’ poem which he apparently wrote for his japanese wife. Full version easy to find on the web.
Thanks so much for letting us know that the full version is on the web, Sophie! 🙂