At the age of 33, Otagaki Nobu renounced a world that had visited great tragedy upon her (the death of two husbands and two infant children) and was ordained as a nun, taking the Buddhist name Rengetsu, or Lotus Moon. The rest of her long and productive life was devoted to spiritual pursuits, service to others and a multifaceted career as a poet, calligrapher, potter and painter. This is a selection of her finest waka poetry, presented in both the...