DEATHBED POEMS

While on our recent cruise to South America I picked up a book in the ship's library, "The Zen of Creativity" by John Daido Loori. One of the intriguing things I read about was the fact that haiku was first written in China before it "immigrated" to Japan. And in the author's quest of history, he found the haiku form of poetry was often written by poets to be used as their deathbed poems.

Zen Master Ikkyo (1394 to 1481) death poem:

I won't die.
I'm not going anywhere.
I'll be here.
But don't ask me anything.
I won't answer.

When I read Liza Dolby's book including her notes on the fictional writing of the life of Murasaki Shikibu ("The Tale of Murasaki"), I found the deathbed poem written by the real Murasaki.

Why do we suffer so in the world?
Just compare life to the short bloom
of the wild mountain cherry.
Murasaki Skikibu (early eleventh century)

Have you ever thought about writing a poem to be read or shared after your death--a poem that reflects on the beauty you experienced in life?