As stunningly original to a contemporary American audience as haiku was to the late Victorians, this collection of Japanese poetry makes unpredictable leaps of association to explore themes such as sex, loss, and memory. The poems appear in English on one page and in Japanese characters on the facing page, providing readers with a glimpse into Japanese language and culture. Full of raw energy, these pieces have a visionary quality that likens them to a literary performance, exuding an air of enchantment as well as an astute sense of the human condition.