A Childish Heart

at the gate of a deserted house,
a cicada is crying in the rays
of the evening sun
                                                                        insect wings rustle in dust
­                                                                        a message left for no one
Shiki                                                               

pressing sushi;
after a while,
a feeling of loneliness
­                                                                        the glare from the empty bowls
­                                                                        reflects all the absent souls
Buson                                                            

autumn’s bright moon,
however far I walked, still afar off
in an unknown sky
                                                                        an orange lantern hanging
­                                                                        above my destination
Chiyo-Ni

a flash of lightning:
the screech of a night-heron
flying in the darkness
­                                                                         dramatic shadow puppet
­                                                                         entertainment in a storm
Basho

the coolness
of the sound of water at night,
falling back into the well
                                                                        the gentle dripping rhythm
­                                                                        a singular lullaby
Issa

all my years
floating in the river
a childish heart
                                                                        soothed by the rippling water
­                                                                        and cicadas in the grass

Jane Reichhold                                               Kim M. Russell, 4^th November 2018

My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #57 Renga With … six haiku poets

In this weekend’s meditation feature our challenge is to create a ‘renga with…’ not one but with six different haiku poets: Basho, Issa, Chiyo-Ni, Buson, Shiki and Jane Reichhold. We may choose our own line-up and then add two-line stanzas to complete the renga.