The Agent
IPA
Co-Conspirators Brewing
This collection of haiku from an anonymous author is commonly attributed to Bashō during his Ipa period, when a plague caused the cessation of commerce and entertainment, and the usual operations of urban life. For his inspiration as an artist he was forced to look inwards, shunning the glittering social and artistic circles of the city and electing instead for casual wanderings and quotidian reflection. Chief of interest during this period were his observations upon the complexities and paradoxical simplicities of beer and its many styles. This collection, dubbed Harmonious Reflections of Booze on Kitchen Table on a Spring Evening contains his collected musings on The Agent, arranged for ease of reading here in chronological order, though not necessarily in the order penned.
This collection has garnered some notoriety, if not outright controversy for its short length, and its uncharacteristic focus on a single can of beer, rather than the more usual nature themes typically exhibited in the work of the artist. This curation will allow you to come to your own conclusions. But it does convey exactly as much information as is necessary to allow an emotional journey from the reader, evocative of simpler times and more beer filled glasses – a hallmark of the master himself.
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The sun disappears
Oppressive heat turns to rain
Time for a beer, no?
Fuchsia orange can
At once new and familiar
Co-Conspirators
Though it pours quite clear,
More amber than its label
The foam fades away
A visitor calls
Coats the palate, front and back
First fruit, then the hops
You’d swear it was real
Orange, lemon, lime, stonefruit;
But it’s only hops
Light bodied and bright
As sweet as a stick of rock
After, bitterness
Taste of summer peach
Between citrus and the dank
Refreshing; resin
What a cracking beer
If you like your IPA
Dank and citrusy