Nature’s Sacrifice

in nooks and corners
cold remains:
flowers of the plum

© Yosa Buson (tr. RH Blyth)
­                                                                       waiting to open petals
­                                                                       to the sun’s golden caress
the flowering branch of the plum
gives its scent
to him who broke it off

© Chiyo-Ni
­                                                                       a lingering reminder
­                                                                       nature’s yearly sacrifice
how glorious
young green leaves
flash in the sun

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)
­                                                                       sparkling with fresh innocence
­                                                                       and remaining drops of dew
garden butterfly
as the baby crawls, it flies―
crawls close, flutters on

© Issa
­                                                                       in a blameless game of life
­                                                                       the wheel continues to turn
wisteria beans
let’s make that a theme for haikai
a flower fruit

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)
­                                                                       a poetic partnership
­                                                                       of sweet-scented innocence
the wild geese take flight
low along the railroad tracks
in the moonlit night

© Masaoka Shiki
­                                                                       shimmering feathers tumble
­                                                                       and tangle with plum blossom

­                                                                       Kim M. Russell, 17^th March 2019

My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #76 Renga With … the Big Five

It’s been two weeks since I last took part in a Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation, and I’ve been looking forward to joining in again. We are taking on ‘The Big Five’ haiku poets in a renga:  Basho, Issa, Buson, Shiki and Chiyo-Ni.

We have been given six haiku, two by Basho and one by each of the other four with which to create a renga. We may choose the order and should close the chain with an ageku that refers back to the hokku.