Before Rock Musicians Smashed Guitars

Yosano Akiko (1878-1942)

River of Stars: Selected Poems of Yosano Akiko translated by Sam Hamill and Keiko Matsui Gibson.

The gods wish it so:
a life ends with a shatter —
with my great broadax
I demolish my koto.
Oh, listen to that sound!

No date is provided for the tanka about the demolished koto but we are quite confident it predates instrument smashing by rock musicians.

And so for day 1519
09.02.2011