Scents

cattle shed
dark sound of mosquitoes
in summer heat
­                                                                cool shadows caress sore skin
­                                                                with sweet scents of straw and hay
under a crescent moon
the ground is hazy
with blackwheat flowers
­                                                                clouds of starry silhouettes
­                                                                silvered and aromatic
withering wind
is the fragrance still attached
to the late-blooming flower
­                                                                is its bated breath barren
­                                                                or full of honeyed sweetness
the paulownia leaf
moves on the autumn wind
frost in the ivy
­                                                                 the sheen of crystalled perfume
­                                                                 writes fresh poetry with stars
feeling holy
the tears that stain
fallen leaves
­                                                                 salt and earthy pungency
­                                                                 poor man’s frankincense and myrrh
sweeping the garden
the snow forgotten
by the broom
­                                                                 after-scent of early thaw
­                                                                 hangs gently in the snowdrops

Matsuo Basho                                         Kim M. Russell, 23^rd December 2018

My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #64 Renga With Basho

This weekend our challenge is to create a Renga With Basho from six haiku by Basho, all taken from Jane Reichhold’s Basho, the Complete Haiku.