Picking Flowers in the Rain

wearing a paper robe
even if it gets wet
picking flowers in the rain
­                                                                         late autumn butterfly swims
­                                                                         in a bouquet of raindrops
more reassuring
than in a dream
the real hawk
­                                                                         a burnished tail feather falls
­                                                                         on a pile of golden leaves
frozen dew
a dry brush draws
clear water
­                                                                         paints a landscape on paper
­                                                                         frosty trees of a new day
now farewell
for snow viewing we’ll fall down
until we get there
­                                                                         cold feet and fingers tingle
­                                                                         with the approaching snow storm
wine cup
don’t drop in any dirt
village swallows
­                                                                         they return to their old nests
­                                                                         early spring renovation
go naked
one needs to wear more clothes
in February’s storm
­                                                                        a premature butterfly
­                                                                        in a posy of snowflakes

© Basho                                                          Kim M. Russell, 21st October 2018
(Tr. Jane Reichhold;                                      
taken from “Basho,
the complete haiku”)

My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #55 Renga with Basho Hineri … picking flowers in the rain

In this weekend’s meditation, our challenge is a new ‘Renga with Basho Hineri’ episode – a renga with a twist. We have to start with an original haiku, the ‘hokku’ of a renga attended by Basho – the fifth haiku of the given series – which also contains the title, ‘picking flowers in the rain’. Apart from the hineri hokku, we can choose the sequence of the haiku to create a renga together with Basho by adding our two-line stanzas between the haiku and completing the chain in our ‘ageku’ (closing verse).