After long winter, giving  
each other nothing, we collide  
with blossoms in our hands. 

by Chiyo

Chiyo (1703-1775) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period, a Buddhist nun, and widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of haiku (then called hokku). After Long Winter is one of the best haiku ever written. Period. Translated by David Ray.

This piece originally appeared in The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters episode.

Featuring: Susan Kay Anderson, Glen Stohr, Curt Hopkins, Richard La Rosa, and Maren Euwer.

Words and music ©2021 by Scott Taylor, unless otherwise noted.
Transcript can be found at scott-taylor.co

The Playlist:

1. Thanks 
   Gratefulness puts the pedal to the metal and crashes into the void in W.S. Merwin's poem Thanks.
2. Once   
   Once I was in love with my future. It was lit like a Japanese city. My life was charmed. I got into fistfights. I turned on a dime. I was fiercely optimistic. I was the luckiest man alive.
3. Self Portrait 
   It doesn't interest David Whyte if there is one god or many gods,
   he wants to know if you belong — or feel abandoned.
4. The Sleep of Reason 
   We collaborated across oceans and created The Sleep of Reason. If, in 2020, you couldn't see the point of getting up because you had nothing to look forward to—this one goes out to you. Featuring Maren Euwer, Glen Stohr, Richard La Rosa, and Curt Hopkins.
5. Hellenism 
   We live in is a field filled with sunlight
   The exact moment when the echo of a city
   Collapsing dies away
   As Curt Hopkins reads his poem Hellenism, you will find yourself flying over the fence and into the void where you will land on the hood of W.S. Merwin's oldsmobile. Splash!
6. After Long Winter 
   Chiyo (1703-1775) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period, a Buddhist nun, and widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of haiku (then called hokku). After Long Winter is one of the best haiku ever written ( I will fight you about that and you will lose). Featuring Susan Anderson, Glen Stohr, Curt Hopkins, Richard La Rosa, and Maren Euwer.
7. Kindness 
   Before you know what kindness really is
   you must lose things,
   feel the future dissolve in a moment
   like salt in a weakened broth.
   Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet, songwriter, and novelist. Krista Tippet's interview on her On Being podcast is excellent.
   
   

As 2020 rolled by, and I tried to get my head around the whole thing, trying to address it somehow in terms of my podcast, the idea of working with collaborators was finally what inspired me to get some work done again

Thanks so much to said collaborators:
Maren Euwer
Glen Stohr
Richard La Rosa
Curt Hopkins, The Dog Watches
Susan Kay Anderson, Mezzanine

Words and music ©2021 by Scott Taylor, unless otherwise noted.
Transcript can be found at scott-taylor.co

Kindness is the second single from my upcoming podcast episode, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, and an amazing poem by  Naomi Shihab Nye.

The Transcript can be found here