The poet with muddy feet

By Fiona McCrossin

The Nagara River was the last river on the mainland of Japan whose flow had not been obstructed by a dam. In March 1992 an estuary tide barrier dam began being constructed.

In October, more than 12,000 canoeists, fishermen and other concerned people from all over Japan gathered at the dam site to demand that construction be stopped.

Nanao Sakaki led three 10-day river walks along the length of the Nagara, from mountain to ocean, to explore the river and learn “by legs, not head”.

Nanao Sakaki is a poet. He has been described by US poet Gary Snyder as “like Thoreau, the unofficial examiner of the mountains and rivers of all Japan ... His work or play in the world is to pull out nails, free seized nuts, break loose the rusted, open up the shutters. You can put his poems in your shoes and walk a thousand miles.”

The South East Forest Alliance has organised Nanao's Sydney poetry reading, to be held on Saturday, March 6, at 8 p.m. in the Village Church, Oxford Street, Paddington (site of Paddington Markets).

The reading will be followed by Nanao discussing environmental issues in Japan -- the other side of economic rationalism.

When you hear dirty story

wash your ears.

When you see ugly stuff

wash your eyes.

When you get bad thoughts

wash your mind.

and

Keep your feet muddy.

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