HOME / poem: A weekly poem, read by the author.

A Poem Named "Basho in the Genju Hut"

By Alfred CornPosted Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996, at 3:30 AM ET

(posted Tuesday, Aug. 27; to be composted Tuesday, Sept. 10)

To hear "A Poem Named 'Basho in the Genju Hut'" read by the poet, click here or on the title.

A human life is measured
in a linked sequence of dwellings.
The Basho Hut gave Basho
both shelter and a name;
and then he burned to travel.

Genju (the monk whose name
translates as "Unreal") had died,
yet he left behind a hut
where, much later, Basho stopped,
tasting Genju's precept:
The world and those that dwell
under its roof are ... unreal.

Call it a hut, a name
transferred from hand to hand.
His poems sheltered Basho,
and poems translate the world:
Basho in the Unreal Hut.

Alfred Corn's seventh book of poems, titled Present, will appear next April. He also has a novel, Part of His Story, scheduled to appear next March.

E-MAIL

RECOMMEND... Get Slate RSS Feeds

Alfred Corn's most recent book of poetry is Contradictions. He has published a novel, Part of His Story, and has now completed a second, Miranda's Book.

What did you think of this article?

Join The Fray: Our Reader Discussion Forum

POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES