Svetlana Marisova

Svetlana Marisova (1990—2011) is a poet who specialized in haiku and other Japanese poetic forms. She was born in Russia, where her family experienced religious persecution. In 2004 they moved to New Zealand. In her late teens she believed she was being called to a life of contemplative prayer. In 2009 she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

The first book to gather her poetry is the posthumous Be Still and Know (with Ted van Zutphen) which was published by Karakia Press. In 2014 Language and Silence (Karakia) also appeared.

Four Untitled Haiku

-----(1)
silent night
the flute hiding
in bamboo

-----(2)
born of grief and pain
the ceremony of blood —
a dark rose blooming

-----(3)
deep within
I dissolve; I dissolve
into God

-----(4)
silent night —
the unacceptable word
takes flesh

This post was suggested by Ryan Apple.

Entry written by D.S. Martin. His latest poetry collection is Ampersand (2018, Cascade). His books are available through Amazon, and Wipf & Stock, including the anthologies The Turning Aside, and Adam, Eve, & the Riders of the Apocalypse.