I wrote this poem in honor of any non-Japanese who kept Japanese-American property safe on Bainbridge Island, WA, during the WWII Japanese-American Internment. If there even were any such people. Most other Americans ripped off J-A property, and bought their houses from the US government for cheap.

However, I should warn you that the above historic event is not really what this poem is about. It's actually a series of images having to do with life in general on Bainbridge Island, and does not directly relate to the Internment at all; now that you're warned, go ahead and read to your heart's content.

In order to round this poetry's word count out to 200 words or more, a brief lesson on its form is required. The poetry below is informally titled "haiku," which is a Japanese style of onomotopaeic poetry that also is supposed to conjer up an image or several images in your mind. Onomotopaeia refers to words such as "splash" that emblamize a sound. Some haiku is very set and determined in its metre, and is confined to a set amount of lines. The poem below is Americanized haiku, which means that it is more "free verse" in its styling, and that it's not quite held to such strict standards.

Roses of Sharon

Are broken sideways.
The moon is the guide,
time and time again,
muddy as bean-paste
mixed with vinegar.
Oars hit waves.
My old self sits again,
with a bit of madness in me.
A big ball of snow,
not quite his fill;
piercing alarms to drive a badger away,
the beautiful pears ripe in his garden,
who my neighbor truly is.
In a way, it was fun not to see Mt. Fuji in foggy rain.

RAINBOW WRITING, INC. -- featuring Karen Peralta, copy editor, ghost writer and book author -- EXPERT FREE DOWNLOAD COMPUTER FIXER PROGRAM! We also offer inexpensive professional freelance and contracted writing, editing, copy editing and writing, rewriting, ghost writing, graphics design and CAD, Internet marketing, publishing assistance, search engine optimization, professional free services and supercheap dedicated web hosting and website development services. http://www.rainbowriting.com/

• On the Porch


• As the River Flows and The Goats of War (Poetry and Notes on War)


• Christmas From the Heart


• The Beauty of Minnesotas Autumn (A Poem; With Notes)


• Three November Poems


• Out of a Ghouls Hive (A Poetic Tale)


• By Being Simply You


• Be The Changes You Want To See


• Collection of Haiku


• Various Poems - Inspiration, Nature, and More