Contemprary Tanka Poet Mariko Kitakubo. Reading Performance.
Tanka reading performance oveseas.
 |
On July 14, I participated in the Thursday Poetry Zoom Meeting hosted by Kathabela Wilson from Kassel, Germany, where I have been staying for a while. Although it was only for a short time, I read my English tanka poems and was inspired by other participants' creative works and Mr. Rick Wilson's performance on the transverse flute, Nahr. It was a precious and fruitful time. Thank you very much. |
Friday, July 15, 2022
 |
Starting at 7 p.m. on July 12, I present a Japanese-English-German tanka reading in Lübeck, Germany. It was my first visit to Lübeck, and I was very honored to have the opportunity. I would like to thank Ms. Hannah Rau, a poetry teacher and an artist, Ms. Heike Jurzik, a translator, and Ms. Karen MahaShakti Gärtner, a poet, for their efforts in making this event possible. |
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
 |
I had an opportunity to give my bilingual tanka reading performance overseas for the first time since the fall of 2019. Ms. Anna Maris, a Swedish poet I met at the British Haiku Society event in St. Albans, UK, three years ago, invited me to this creators' event in Tranas, Sweden. |
 |
Starting at 17:45 p.m. on July 7 (local time), I presented a reading performance of my previously-created and newly-created Japanese and English tanka poems for 30 minutes. The sensitive audience listened to my reading performance with tears in their eyes. I was glad that everyone enjoyed my presentation. After my presentation, we had free-talk time with the audience. It was a heartwarming time, and I enjoyed communicating with them. |
 |
After the event, I received a request to give another presentation to those who missed my performance. On July 8, I presented my reading performance again at a live music club after dinner. It was a grateful offer, and I did my best to give a Japanese-English tanka poem reading. |
 |
I am very honored that more than 100 people came to the event. |
Thursday, July 7, 2022
 |
May 18, 4:00 p.m. PST (May 19, 8:00 a.m. JST), I participated in the Wednesday Poetry Zoom Meeting hosted by Ms. Kathabela Wilson from Karuizawa where the leaves are bright green. I was fortunate to spend a rich and inspiring time enjoying improvised poems with everyone and presenting my new English tanka poems at the meeting. |
Thursday, May 19, 2022
 |
From 4 pm PST 2022.4.27 (8 am JST 2022.4.28), I participated in the Wednesday Poetry Zoom Meeting hosted by Ms. Kathabela Wilson and read a new piece of English haiku and tanka sequences that I had composed with Ms. Deborah P Kolodji. I was also happy to have an opportunity to share with today's participants some of the collaborative works that we enjoyed in our previous poetry reading. Thank you all for a rich and inspiring time. |
Thursday, April 28, 2022
 |
From 4:00 pm PST on April 20 (8:00 am JST on April 21), I participated in the Wednesday Poetry Zoom Meeting hosted by Ms. Kathabela Wilson. We created a piece of English tanka sequence and another sequence of poems about wisteria flowers together with everyone. It was an exciting time, as we were inspired by each other's unique expressions, which developed in a flash. Thank you very much for everyone! |
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
 |
On April 19 at 7:30 pm PST (April 20 at 11:30 am JST), I participated in the Poetry Zoom event, Cobalt Poets Reading, presided at by Mr. Rick Lupert. Ms. Chúc Mỹ Tuệ was today's featured poet. She had made great efforts in the publication of "INDIGO" from Sabda Press. It was an enriching time for me. Her powerful and positive poetry based on her own history drew me into her world. I presented a reading with Ms. Deborah P Kolodji of our 23rd English Haiku and Tanka sequence. |
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
 |
From 4:00 p.m. PST on Apr. 6 (8:00 a.m. JST on Apr. 7), I participated in the Wednesday Poetry Zoom Meeting presided at by Ms. Kathabela Wilson. The pleasure of creating some sequences by all the participants on beautiful seasonal flowers was an exceptional opportunity for me to feel the closeness to each other although we live in different countries. My sincere thanks to Ms. Kathabela for suggesting this wonderful session. This time again, I was happy to have the opportunity to perform a reading of two pieces of the English Haiku and English Tanka sequence, which Ms. Deborah P Kolodji and I created together. I realized once again that the joy of being connected in the world of poetry, transcending national borders, is a rich source of support for our spirit as we live through tough times of covid, military invasions, and carnage. |
After the meeting, Ms. Kathabela Wilson posted a wonderful comment. Thank you very much!
"We all arrived spontaneously with flowers today! You can see all the variations! Nature shows us how to bloom. And so we had all brought in flowers from the gardens and shared. Totally unplanned Mariko with forget me not Sharon with rose and bougainvilla... We wrote a spontaneous 8 poet tanka sequence with Mariko waving her wand on each! So beautiful and listen to two tanka/haiku new sequenced by Mariko and Debbie! Rick played his 280 year old flute. ... AND Mariko her percussion! Happy Spring Wednesday! Mariko Kitakubo Deborah P Kolodji Sharon Hawley Kris Kondo Charles Harmon Ritchie Albert Sigrid Saradunn."
Thursday, April 7, 2022
 |
From 4:00 p.m. PST on Mar. 30 (8:00 a.m. JST on Mar. 31), I participated in the Wednesday Poetry Zoom Meeting presided at by Ms. Kathabela Wilson. |
 |
I performed a reading under the cherry blossom trees in Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo of the 23rd sequence I created with Ms. Deborah P Kolodji. It brought back fond memories of when I came here with her three years ago. |
 |
Blessed with fine weather, I shared with everyone in the meeting a piece of sequence themed around the atmosphere of the season of cherry blossoms in full bloom and world peace, which is under threat. I was able to spend a new and memorable day. |
Thursday, March 31, 2022
At Spoken World Live, 2022.3.12 PST (2022.3.13 JST), I presented a reading of five English tanka sequences written by myself.
For almost all of the poems, I added a Japanese tanka based on the same theme as in the original English tanka and played some percussions while I performed reading.
This video was recorded after the live streaming of the Spoken World Live event.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Prev