WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.900 align:middle line:84% Now, the next few points in this sequence 00:00:03.900 --> 00:00:08.310 align:middle line:84% are particularly related to an island 00:00:08.310 --> 00:00:12.450 align:middle line:84% far off the southernmost main island of Japan 00:00:12.450 --> 00:00:13.770 align:middle line:90% called Suwanosejima Island. 00:00:13.770 --> 00:00:21.030 align:middle line:84% It's a small active volcano with a population of 40 villagers 00:00:21.030 --> 00:00:24.470 align:middle line:84% and a population of 20 Japanese hippies 00:00:24.470 --> 00:00:25.845 align:middle line:84% who are running a little commune. 00:00:25.845 --> 00:00:28.440 align:middle line:90% 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:34.140 align:middle line:84% The land in Japan, which is so hard up on land. 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:38.190 align:middle line:84% This place is so far away that land can still be homesteaded. 00:00:38.190 --> 00:00:39.690 align:middle line:90% They got the land free. 00:00:39.690 --> 00:00:41.550 align:middle line:84% If they wanted to clear the bamboo jungle 00:00:41.550 --> 00:00:44.520 align:middle line:84% and plant their sweet potatoes and live off of the fish 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:46.470 align:middle line:90% they could catch. 00:00:46.470 --> 00:00:50.040 align:middle line:84% That's where my wife and I were married on the volcano. 00:00:50.040 --> 00:00:52.710 align:middle line:84% And I spent the last two summers learning 00:00:52.710 --> 00:00:56.993 align:middle line:84% about subtropical jungle agriculture. 00:00:56.993 --> 00:00:58.410 align:middle line:84% Learning about what it is to clear 00:00:58.410 --> 00:01:02.290 align:middle line:84% with a hole and a brush up instead of having 00:01:02.290 --> 00:01:07.590 align:middle line:90% any mechanical equipment. 00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:09.390 align:middle line:90% The island always smokes. 00:01:09.390 --> 00:01:11.338 align:middle line:84% They call it a Stromboli type volcano. 00:01:11.338 --> 00:01:13.380 align:middle line:84% I didn't know what that was until I looked it up. 00:01:13.380 --> 00:01:16.440 align:middle line:84% It means a volcano which is constantly 00:01:16.440 --> 00:01:20.310 align:middle line:84% erupting rather than saving itself up and then 00:01:20.310 --> 00:01:23.070 align:middle line:84% blowing in a big way every once in a while. 00:01:23.070 --> 00:01:27.720 align:middle line:84% This one rumbles steam mostly continually 00:01:27.720 --> 00:01:31.500 align:middle line:84% and so it never has any big eruptions. 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:34.200 align:middle line:84% But because it's always smoking, the fishermen who come down 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:37.588 align:middle line:84% from Kyushu, it's about a two day sailing trip 00:01:37.588 --> 00:01:39.630 align:middle line:84% from Kyushu the fishermen who fish off the island 00:01:39.630 --> 00:01:42.360 align:middle line:90% call it burning island. 00:01:42.360 --> 00:01:44.340 align:middle line:84% So I titled this poem "Burning Island". 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:49.360 align:middle line:90% 00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:56.710 align:middle line:84% Oh wave god who broke through me today. 00:01:56.710 --> 00:02:01.360 align:middle line:84% Sea bream, massive pink and silver, 00:02:01.360 --> 00:02:04.030 align:middle line:90% cool swimming down with me. 00:02:04.030 --> 00:02:09.400 align:middle line:84% Watching, staying away from my spear. 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:14.530 align:middle line:84% Volcano belly keeper who lifted this island 00:02:14.530 --> 00:02:19.120 align:middle line:84% for our own beaded bodies adornment 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.180 align:middle line:84% and sprinkles us all with his laugh. 00:02:22.180 --> 00:02:24.250 align:middle line:90% ash in the eye. 00:02:24.250 --> 00:02:30.280 align:middle line:84% Mist or smoke on the bare high limits. 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:34.000 align:middle line:84% Underwater lava flows easing to coral. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.050 align:middle line:84% Holes filled with striped feeding swimmers. 00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:40.160 align:middle line:90% 00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:46.580 align:middle line:84% Oh sky gods cartwheeling out of Pacific. 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:49.550 align:middle line:84% Turning rain squalls over like lids on us 00:02:49.550 --> 00:02:52.670 align:middle line:90% then shine on our sudden. 00:02:52.670 --> 00:02:56.570 align:middle line:84% Scanned at a rainbow today at the cow drinking trough, 00:02:56.570 --> 00:03:00.560 align:middle line:84% sluicing off lacks of crystal buddha-fields 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.620 align:middle line:90% right on the hair of the arm. 00:03:03.620 --> 00:03:08.150 align:middle line:84% Who wavers right now in the bamboo? 00:03:08.150 --> 00:03:12.350 align:middle line:90% A half gone waning moon. 00:03:12.350 --> 00:03:14.810 align:middle line:84% Drank down a bowl full of shochu, 00:03:14.810 --> 00:03:18.050 align:middle line:84% that's a distilled sweet potato liquor they make down there. 00:03:18.050 --> 00:03:23.840 align:middle line:84% In praise of Antares gazing far up the lanes of Sagittarius 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.330 align:middle line:90% richest stream of our sky. 00:03:26.330 --> 00:03:30.350 align:middle line:84% A cup to the center of the galaxy and let the eyes 00:03:30.350 --> 00:03:36.440 align:middle line:84% stray right angling the pitch of the Milky Way. 00:03:36.440 --> 00:03:42.905 align:middle line:84% Horse heads, rings, clouds, too distant to be. 00:03:42.905 --> 00:03:45.470 align:middle line:90% 00:03:45.470 --> 00:03:49.370 align:middle line:84% Slide free on the crest of the wave. 00:03:49.370 --> 00:03:51.940 align:middle line:90% 00:03:51.940 --> 00:03:59.320 align:middle line:84% Each night oh Earth mother, I have wrapped my hand 00:03:59.320 --> 00:04:04.240 align:middle line:84% over the jut of your Cobra hood sleeping. 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:10.160 align:middle line:84% Left my ear all night long by your mouth. 00:04:10.160 --> 00:04:16.360 align:middle line:84% Oh god's tides, capes, currents, flows, 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:20.709 align:middle line:84% and spirals of pools and powers as we 00:04:20.709 --> 00:04:26.440 align:middle line:84% hoe the field let sweet potatoes grow. 00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:31.630 align:middle line:84% And us sit us all down when we may to consider the Dharma, 00:04:31.630 --> 00:04:35.200 align:middle line:84% bring with a flower and a glimmer. 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:39.850 align:middle line:84% Let us all sleep in peace together. 00:04:39.850 --> 00:04:46.000 align:middle line:84% Bless Masa and me as we marry at new moon on the crater 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.820 align:middle line:90% this summer. 00:04:47.820 --> 00:04:49.000 align:middle line:90%