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Ann
Newell’s new collection, Mount Gassan’s Slope,
is named for the mountain Bashô visited on his famous
journey through the north of Japan. Newell takes readers
on a journey of her own, through daily living, the turn
of seasons, the experience of aging, and more.
The book is grouped into six chapters, starting with New
Year:
under
the moon
my little white pony
crying out the new year
Chapters
for each other season follow, offering haiku with striking
imagery:
on
the desert ice
dried skull
splits the moon
in
his water dish
the dog gnaws
on winter bones
Alongside
seasonal haiku, senryu offer both witty observations and
circumspect wisdom:
in
the temple
prone before Buddha
my nose too long
losing
things
day after day
my journey gets lighter
Some
of the poems, though enjoyable, are more predictable. For
instance: “fencing off his yard / my neighbor’s
plum tree / blossoms on my side.” There have been many
variations on this theme before, including Robert Frost’s
famous “Mending Wall.” Other poems use conventional
devices in a conventional fashion, such as metaphor: “outside
the missile range / an old tree dropping walnuts / on a
tin roof.”
Despite
the mixed effect of some individual poems, Mount Gassan’s
Slope is satisfying as a whole. Overall, the collection
is fresh and rewarding. The book’s elegant design is
a bonus, and each chapter is introduced by a sumi-e drawing.
Each poem is translated into Japanese, adding a nice visual
touch.
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