Where The Petals Fall 落花生 (peanut): the life (生) that begins where the petals (花) fall (落) Flower Peanut blossoms early in the morning pollinate themselves and fall Seeds will grow underground, underneath where the flower perishes knowing the daughter will never know her mother. Mother Half an orphan, in bed. I never knew my mother’s mother who sang and laughed. Sitting at the desk, I read “Being a Flower” late at night. No other way of being but be a flower The flower pushes back without losing its shape Daughter Mother no longer leaves the futon. Today, my son came home monsters in his head. I clean the floorboard on my hands and knees.
Miho Kinnas is a Japanese poet. Her poems, translations, and book reviews have appeared in various journals and anthologies. A 2018 Pushcart nominee, Miho is the author of two collections of poetry, “Today, Fish Only” (2014) and “Move Over, Bird” (2019) published from Math Paper Press. She leads haiku/linked-poem workshops locally and (inter) nationally at locations including Pat Conroy Literary Festival, Harvard Art Museum, Shanghai Literary Festival, Writers.com, and local schools. In addition, she operates a community bookshop, An Island Bookshelf, on Hilton Head Island, SC, where she lives, swims and birds.
The Petigru Review 