Book of the Week – Where I Leave Off by Jim Kacian
Jim Kacian’s Where I Leave Off, presented in both English and Dutch, is an exploration of the monoku format—a single-line style of haiku that challenges Western conventions while staying true to its Japanese roots. In this collection, Kacian stretches the boundaries of traditional haiku by inventing the “one bun” and using techniques like “one-line one-thought,” “speedrush,” and “multi-stops” to create poems that feel immediate and fluid. Unlike the familiar three-line haiku, which naturally builds in pauses, the monoku’s continuous flow invites the reader to consider multiple meanings.
Commentary on Selected Poems
flurries after our argument the need to tell you
The word “flurries” does a lot of heavy lifting—it brings to mind not just the image of snow drifting through the air, but also the emotional chaos that can linger after a fight. And then there’s that last phrase, “the need to tell you.” It leaves things hanging, filled with urgency and uncertainty. What still needs to be said?
the war has a new name today jim
This monoku is an example of the “speedrush” technique, in which the lack of punctuation propels the reader forward. The phrase “the war has a new name today” highlights the way war propaganda is continually rebranded, while the direct address, “jim,” adds an unexpected personal touch. This intimate framing draws the reader in, making the commentary on war’s relentless cycle feel overwhelming.
persimmon still hanging the extra day of the year
Here, Kacian uses the “one-line one-thought” approach, turning the monoku into a quiet, self-contained reflection. The image of a persimmon still holding on to its branch becomes a gentle symbol of persistence—echoing the rare appearance of an extra day in a leap year. It’s a simple image, but it opens up space to think about time, patience, and the fleeting nature of things.
the place i can’t reach itches your absence
This poem turns longing into something you can almost feel in your body. “The place I can’t reach” works on two levels—it could be a literal spot you just can’t scratch, but it also points to emotional distance or a sense of loss. The word “itches” carries that feeling of something unresolved, something that’s still there even if the person isn’t.
Conclusion
Where I Leave Off marked an innovation in contemporary haiku, showing how the monoku form can break away from tradition and offer something fresh. Kacian plays with ambiguity, speed, and flow, inviting readers into a space where meaning isn’t pinned down—it moves and evolves. He pushed back against the usual expectations of how haiku should work in English, proving that being brief doesn’t mean being shallow. If anything, it makes each word carry more weight.
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You can read the entire book in the THF Digital Library. Please share your favorite poem from the book with us.
Do you have a full or chapbook length book published in 2020 or earlier that you would like featured as a Book of the Week? Contact us for details. Haiku featured in the Book of the Week Archive are selected by the THF Digital Librarian Dan Campbell and are used with permission.
Comments (8)
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Thanks, Dan (and Jim for making it freely available). Great stuff. Jim is a real haiku poet. Two of these (at least) have entered the canon:
between statues the rest of history
gunshot the length of the lake
Some others are various ways of tackling a similar theme: the poet (us) in this place and time, between then and now, between there and here. A very few perhaps pay dues to the genre, one or two strive a little. But there is so much gold here. Not least the one-bun.
A joy.
To the selections above I’d add the acutely observational:
with the fire down to coals whispering
the endless loop of the men’s room towel this morning
an empty bottle the past happened here
one arm under the covers one over spring
I enjoy all of these, especially “a dazzle on the sea and i go there.”
excellent collection
My favourite from ‘Where I leave off’ (having now read through the whole book) is still this one, as it has been for a long time :
‘ gunshot the length of the lake ‘
I’ve been in this situation in my real life. So, I naturally imagine I’m out on the lake (or inlet) on a small row boat, fishing. A quiet, out of the way place with native trees down to water’s edge and no-one around. The sound of the gunshot seems to echo in such a quiet place. There is danger here, hidden, resonant. One gunshot but the sound covers the length of the whole lake.
My 2nd favourite from this book is:
‘pain fading the days back to wilderness’
Is the pain fading as in becoming less, becoming more tolerable? Or is the pain eating away at the structure of our minds and the importance of our achievements, leaving only the wilderness that lies beneath, where we can only start again or else fade away ourselves?
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Dan has it : ” Kacian plays with ambiguity, speed, and flow, inviting readers into a space where meaning isn’t pinned down—it moves and evolves. “
The whole book is fantastic. I agree that the haibun are particularly strong and evocative. I do note that several titles act as lead-ins to the prose. A very effective technique used here.
My favorite was the one-bun titled “never been much good.” The whole book is a delight.
I especially LOVE Jim’s ‘one-bun’!
Me too!