My first teacher (秋山公道the late Mr. Akiyama Kodo) was almost 60 years old when I started going to his school at age six.

When he got very sick and was hospitalized for the first time, I was really surprised and shocked simply because that was a rare happening in my life then.

I went to his hospital room with a towel hanger in the shape of a hippo face with a big mouth as a get-well present.

Apparently, he was inspired by my childish gift, he wrote this haiku and made it into a piece of calligraphy work and later, he gave this framed work to me.

Towel hanger/

Making a clattering sound/

In the sweaty hospital room/

Translation by Tomoko

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