An Occidental Tourist's One Hundred Haiku & Other Poems

By Ernest Matuschka

An Occidental Tourist's One Hundred Haiku & Other Poems represents over nine decades of a life well-lived. Born in 1929 and raised in a small town on the high plains of Nebraska, Ernest met and married his first love. Together they launched an eventful journey of adventure and exceptional accomplishments. He joined the US Air F

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paradise Alley Publishing
• Release date: Jun 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088146385

Ernest Matuschka

An Occidental Tourist's One Hundred Haiku & Other Poems represents over nine decades of a life well-lived. Born in 1929 and raised in a small town on the high plains of Nebraska, Ernest met and married his first love. Together they launched an eventful journey of adventure and exceptional accomplishments. He joined the US Air Force and worked as an intelligence officer during the Korean War. But it was the science of the mind that attracted him into a career in clinical psychology. There he discovered the healing qualities of creativity for his clients and began to write his own poetry. In November 2022, his cancer doctor sent him home to, "enjoy what time you have left," because chemo was no longer a viable option for him. He felt like he was just "waiting around to die." He needed a project. Thus, this book was born. His themes touch on the beauty and poignance of love, death, loss, and growing old, but also gratitude and the essence of that soul force that drives us all to keep on living our best life every single second we have left. This volume not only offers his passionate revelations about life and love but also a brief history of haiku and a primer for other occidental tourists who want to try their hand at this exquisite Japanese art form.

Book preview

One Hundred Haiku & Other Poems

Copyright © 2023 by Ernest Matuschka

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 979-8-218-20348-1

Library of Congress Control Number:

Published in the United States of America by Paradise Alley Publishing Services. No part of this book may be copied or used without written permission except in the case of Fair Use under United States of America copyright law, which includes commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship.

Paradise Alley Publishing Services

Spokane, Washington * Jensen Beach * Valrico * Jacksonville, Florida

Paradisalleypublishing.com

An independent publishing services company.

Cover Design - Hillary Wylie

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Interior layout & design - Sonja Mongar

Sonjamongar.com

Dedication

A book of this nature requires dedication, Many of the poems were written to an individual. Some were written about clients I had as a clinical psychologist. But mostly they were written to my wife, Verla. Therefore, I am dedicating this book to her.

Verla has been by my side for over 75 years. We met in high school when she was a Freshman and I was a Sophomore. Over the years, she gave me four children who, along with Verla, comprise The Committee. The Committee now dictates my life. Mainly, what I eat and drink. I still have what I consider excellent ideas, but whenever I say, I've been thinking, The Committee responds with, Oh, no.

EM

Table of Contents

Introduction

A Brief History of Haiku

How to Haiku

One Hundred Haiku

Other Poems

About the Author

Publications

Foreword

The author of this book of haiku and poems is a person of many talents who has an adventuresome spirit and an undying quest for knowledge.

I have known the author for eighty years and married to him for almost 72 years. Many of these poems were written to me on several different occasions.

His interests have been many including learning languages, genealogy research (resulting in writing four family history books,) writing a children’s novel, mastering several arts and crafts, namely oil painting and jewelry-making, and, of course, this book created over many years.

It has been quite a ride for this midwestern farm girl living with a person who is always eager to do the unthinkable. As a family with four children, we have lived abroad, traveled throughout the world, moved from state to state pursuing degrees and fulfilling dreams. It has been a life filled with a loving family and many friends. I treasure the years we have shared and proudly say, Well done, good and faithful servant.

Verla Matuschka

Introduction

To me, and to some of my colleagues, poetry is a way of taking the emotion of the day, year or a lifetime and squeezing it down into a simple feeling. From my vantage point as a psychologist, I have seen friends suffer through their emotions, sometimes fighting life and me en route. Later, they emerge in the clean open space of living.

Psychotherapy is a mind-expanding experience where a person can find new and exciting and creative ways of living. The heart of therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client. In the beginning, the client depends on the therapist for guidance through some distressing times. As therapy continues, so does creativity. A client may choose different alternatives in life and become more aware of their own existence. Free expression replaces blocked feelings and being in touch with nature replaces the lockstep