River of Stars: Selected Poems of Yosano Akiko is my second time reading a collection of her poetry. After reading the biography/academic study Embracing the Firebird, I was raring for more.

Matsui Keiko-san and Hamill Sam-san craft a very straightforward poetry collection. The introduction is quite brief, and I’m glad I saved this volume for after I’d found my footing with Akiko-san’s work and life. The funniest part of the introduction was the compliment of how spiritual Akiko-san’s work can be. Usually this descriptor conjures images of devotion, grace, and praise. For Akiko-san, it’s multiple poems about how, in her opinion, Buddhism sucks, hahahahaha.

In addition to select tanka from the Midaregami, River of Stars includes Akiko-san’s more longform poetry. The iconic “Thou Shalt Not Die, Brother!” is as epic as advertised in the Bungo Stray Dogs anime. Other longer works were more odd and less feminist. Her described utopia sounds good…until she mentions censorship. In another, she urges women to be their husband’s equal, to work, and have a job. The poem insists that the only things getting in the way of these goals are inclination, and bemoans that women limit themselves to motherly/wifely roles and “frivolous” things. The irony tasted metallic when the next poem lamented how hard it was to be the sole wage-earner in a household. Patriarchy is awful. These poems were a reminder that Akiko-san is a fallible human like the rest of us.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection and continuing my journey with Akiko-san and her poetry. The library has no more books on her, sadly, so I’ll have to keep an eye out elsewhere.