Ion Codrescu - Three Questions

Ion Codrescu is a Romanian poet and artist born in 1951. He lives on the Black Sea coast and is the author of eleven haiku books. Some of his awards include: Tokyo Museum of Haiku Literature, This is Yomiuri, Itoen New Haiku Contest, Bashō International Haiku Contest, Constantza Haiku Society Award, Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award and Grand Prize for Renku, Croatian Haiku Association Award, Sparrow Prize for the Best Book, Mainichi Daily News, International Congress on Arts and Communication Excellence Award Oxford, Niš International Poetry Competition Award, Nagoya City Prize for Haiku, The Kokushikan University Medal, International Kusamakura Haiku Competition Prize, Orion Award, Novi Sad University – YU’98 Award, Prize of the Romanian Writers’ Association – Dobrogea Branch, World Haiku Festival London-Oxford Prize for Essay, Nobuyuki Yuasa International English Haibun Contest Prize, Haiku International Association Special Prize, Bulgarian Haiku Club and Radio Bulgaria Award, and Kikakuza International Haibun Contest Prize. He is the founder of the Constantza Haiku Society in Romania, the Albatross and Hermitage – two international haiku journals. His graphic works are in private and state collections in many countries. Ion has illustrated more than one hundred books, journals, newspapers, and calendars. Art and poetry are two sides of the same way in his life and will continue to be two lighthouses in this world of pragmatism. You can see his watercolors, ink paintings, haiga and read his poems listed under archives at:

http://nc-haiku.org/galleries/codrescu/gallery2_0.htm

http://www.tempslibres.org/sites/ion/en/Ionpage.html

http://simplyhaiku.com/SHv2n1/ioncodrescu/pages/imagegallery.html

He welcomes any feedback at: ioncodrescu@yahoo.com

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1) Why do you write haiku?

Composing a haiku is similar to creating an ink painting or a watercolor: Each word has the power of a brush stroke. Juxtaposition is a technique used in all three art forms. Through haiku, I discovered renku, haibun, and haiga. To make a painting or a poem we need harmony, contrast, rhythm, accents, ideas, and emotion. As a poet I write haiku to better understand myself and the world around me. I compose haiku because I do not want to forget some of the wonderful moments in my life. Haiku is a way for me to share those moments with other people.

Haiku poetry has changed my life. I now follow a simple path where the present moment is very important to me. It is said that “a poem is a translation” of something which evoked an emotional response in the reader. I work on this “translation”, to have a poem as a clear dewdrop that can be understood by readers from different parts of the world. Feedback of my haiku from people all over the world inspires me to continue writing this small poem for the joy of being together on the haiku path.

2) What other poetry forms do you enjoy?

I like to read tanka and short poetry of all forms. I enjoy writing renku when all the poets involved in the writing session are in the same location. I also enjoy writing haibun as this gives me the opportunity to develop haiku poetry in many ways, perspectives, and directions. Writing essays on different themes has become an activity at my desk.

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three?



a chrysanthemum lights
the darkened garden
all alone

(Drawings among Haiku, Muntenia Press, 1992, Romania)




house for sale –
the apricot tree in bloom
as never before

(Unsold Flowers, Hub Editions, 1995, England)




each
drop
of
the
icicle
takes
with
it
the
moon-
light

(Haiku Troubadours 2000, Ginyu Press, Japan)

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Ion answered. You must be a published poet to participate.