AGAINST HUMANISM OF TAISHO ERA*

Was ist gut?

In the deepest part
of the kaleidoscope:
the Emperor’s room

These are mysterious lines by a modern Japanese haiku-priestess, Sayumi Kamakura. This secret «Emperor's room» is the most sacred part of Sky Patterns of ancient Japanese soul. It is Quinta Essentia of Predatory Lord magnificence itself, but not a sum of «humane slave» properties. Haiku as the highest essence of Emperor's der Wille zur Macht (Will to Power), which, however, is forever lost inside Japan, to be precise, exists as some unreachable, mysterious «Crown of Roses»:

For the stone Queen
far in the distance:
a crown of roses

Nobody puts this «Crown of Roses» on (except Nothing Over-Emptiness), for the Great Dragon of Japanese aggressive supremacy is already dead. Emperor of Spirit to Breach — is not present! How could it happen? The Sacred heart of Emperor's Dragon stopped the moment «humanism of Taisho era» came to Japan. In other words, «human, too human» haiku replaced severe merciless tercets of Ancient Power. Something incredible has happened: humanism of literature plebeians annihilated the deathful splendor of samurai Spirit. Since then, without any dictatorship of Regnant Horror, life of exquisite literature has turned into harmless «Japanese talks», heavy delirium of late «post-modernism», into that «fearful prosody» without loyal service to Emperor. But if there's no celestial Emperor — there's no earthly Basho. If Dragon of Cruelty Takijiro Onishi (founder of «Kamikaze tokkotai ei») is dead — it means that Issa is nothing more than a scornful «literature corpse».

Can you remember
that frozen oak
from long ago?

They sure cannot, for modern Japanese do not remember anything. These modern jugglers and word-makers with refined eastern smiles want to forget everything about Death, even the Great Beauty of a nuclear bomb. However, as I have written before, haiku is still Death. But only when true Collapse comes does the true art of haiku return. Like an estranged flight of kamikaze, true haiku leaves nothing but Emptiness and Nothing. It means that we should not follow Sayumi Kamakura’s advice to «reach hope» by all means possible:

We shall cross the water
and pass the mountains
until we reach «hope»

On the contrary, we should (according to our own sacred patterns!) deprive ourselves of any hopes, guarantees and support. Because all this is just a piteous set of «illusions». It is an everlasting deception in the form of another spurious «haiku» for the weak, the useless, for those who left courage of Will to Power. But haiku is Death! We are foreseen to deprive ourselves of everything in our life, to give a brave call towards Death itself — that's what Ezra Pound, the genius fascist poet, could have said, being placed in a cage and going mad.

To break a skylight
right now:
Blow, cherry blossom storm!

It is through the open top of his cage that Ezra saw the searched for (Over!)celestial, but not what modern haiku poets tend to see it — only (Under!)celestial. Tortures and Pain made Pound see — The Forever Non-seen! It means: small emptiness noticed Great Emptiness, despite the fact it meant «too late!» for it. We should forget any haiku written in «human words» forever. There is the only existent and at the same time non-existent correct way of writing the initial — Absolute Empty Haiku. Haiku-Emptiness.
Here it is:

There is Nothing. No words. We see only Emptiness! A clean piece of paper will always be more perfect than any poetic words, no matter how striking with ruthless attitude to people they are:

A cold circle
called God
or the sun

Long before Europeans killed their «god», Japanese had killed Great Buddha and annihilated millions of «small buddhas» through shear Shinto and cruel Zen, that also detests «hypocrisy of humanism» and poetic endearments about «good» mankind. «When I hear words «people are here!», said one of Zen patriarchs — I immediately start to hit with the stick at all sides». This reminds one of the situation with Nazi philosopher Martin Heidegger not so long before his death. A well known Jewish poet Paul Celan came to him with pitiful and cynic demand for penance; Heidegger answered with silence of contempt. That is, wise Nobody answered with Emptiness. Nothing. Silence. Absolute Absence.

The colors of the sky
are never
red, yellow or black

It is so: Great Emptiness has neither color, nor smell or shape. Though Emptiness is not a Nazi revolver, it kills everything and everybody pitilessly. Since Emptiness, as well as haiku, is beyond «all beyond Good and Evil». Thus, annihilating either «alive» or «dead», Emptiness will always be Perfect and forever Innocent — even more innocent than a child is. That is, Emptiness — is the only true Freedom. Freedom — For No One! And here suddenly Sayumi Kamakura reaches enlightenment (not for a long time, though):

Freedom to watch the sky
freedom to be trampled
for an ant

Or more tragic:

The moth’s dead body:
consider it as dust
sent from heaven

Ja! That does not require any proof: man deserves annihilation more than ants, butterflies or moths do... More than anybody else! And a Japanese, a so called «cultured man» — is the first one to be punished! Because he betrayed Clearness of Emperor as of Sacred Spirit in his own heart. He betrayed him forever! That is, ancient brave heart is dead. «Don’t be afraid of death of body — beware when heart dies» — Oshio Heihachiro, a Japanese «philosopher of action» has warned. From readiness to fearlessly reach Death, Haiku has turned into fearful praying to «illusions of life», so shameful for Spirit to Breach. Do not exult, Taisho! Even now the warlike, rapacious notion of Honour, that existed in Ancient Japan, is more perfect than any post-modern «verses», created by self-satisfied Japanese intellectuals. Is there anything that you have created after the nuclear explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, anything, worthy enough to surpass with grandeur the «bloody metaphor of hara-kiri»? Nothing! You did not create anything that could argue (even!) with a fleeting spit of Emperor:

Transparent —
the Emperor
crosses the horizon

That is why today, notwithstanding anything, the remaining soldiers of Haiku secretly and inexorably build a New Room for Emperor. Tenno Heika Banzai! Genuine Japanese haiku today is written in cruel silence and only before Death, just like it was done by medieval samurais and later by young fearless kamikaze. For true haiku as Clear der Wille zur Macht should present itself (Before!) any birth and (After!) any existence of «frail day» human being. I, like Yukio Mishima, was always against «humanism of Taisho era», since this particular «reign of lying humanism» has influenced present stagnation, intellectual decadence of post-modern Japanese literature; and particularly the most furious, always reaching Ruin, art of haiku. Haiku is Death and Death is Haiku. I, like Yasunari Kawabata can't bear the view of «human literature mugs». In future, which I foresee, only Great Emptiness will specify the fate of everything, as well as that of the world. Listen... Emptiness to Supremacy is coming! Nothing to Power is invading! Accordingly, Haiku which is Death, will be For Nobody only.

NOT FOR ANYBODY

Powerful Mishima makes his hara-kiri,
decrepit Kawabata opens gas burners:

the same Death —
no difference.

Heroes are needed only
to forget sooner about them!

Simply hit enemy with knife.

Simply shoot into your head.

*The Taisho period (大正時代 «period of great righteousness»), or Taisho era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taisho Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen (or genro) to the Diet of Japan and the democratic parties. Thus, the era is considered the time of the liberal movement known as the «Taisho democracy» in Japan; it is usually distinguished from the preceding chaotic Meiji period and the following militarism-driven first half of the Showa period. (En.Wikipedia)