Notes on Chiyo-ni from Three Simple Lines: A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku By Natalie Goldberg
Natalie Goldberg is known for her exemplary book, Writing down the Bones . A haiku (short form of poetry born in Japan) and Buddhism practitioner, Natalie’s language is layered with kindness. She travels to Osaka, Japan, to meet with the greats of Haiku: Basho, Shiki, Buson and Issa - 15th-18th century haiku masters whose graves and stories await Natalie. Along with the four great Haiku masters, Natalie also explores the lesser known woman haiku writer, Chiyo-ni. Here are a few notes from this book, which moved me. I have a vague memory that, years ago, right before I left for Japan for the first time in 1998, I bought a book called Chiyo-ni: Woman Haiku Master, edited by Patricia Donegan and Yoshie Ishibashi . But I dashed off on my travels and never read it. I open it now and see that the two editors signed it and even added an inscription: “For Natalie. In appreciation of a fellow writer.” I turn the page, read further: “Chiyo-ni was born in 1703, seven years after Bas...