Yuki Tanaka’s debut poetry collection, Chronicle of Drifting, is forthcoming from Copper Canyon Press in April 2025. He has cotranslated, with Mary Jo Bang, A Kiss for the Absolute: Selected Poems of Shuzo Takiguchi, published by Princeton University Press. He lives in Tokyo and teaches at Hosei University.
Poetry
Sept/Oct 2018
Evidence of Nocturne
Whatever is singing above, come down. Drink a lake from my eyes, fever and azaleas both thriving on the shore. Don’t eat when your mouth is dry— even a scrap […]
Poetry
Sept/Oct 2018
Ghost in Waiting
He watches me through the oleander bush. The rain has softened his cigarette— is he burning still. A jar of plums cools underground, maturing the flesh. He lingers inside the […]
Poetry
July/Aug 2017
One Thousand and One Nights on White
From the Japanese. At two a.m. two clouds on a bench, one larger, one smaller, embrace a lake witha tail, while waiting for day to break on a white […]
Poetry
July/Aug 2017
Fairy Distance
From the Japanese. There behind the tree beautiful saw-teeth were singing unseenIn the space between clouds there were shapely ears Iridescent painted nails dissolved in water The tiny discarded […]