Is it a purr or the brush of fur against a human cheek? Is it the curl of a curious tail or the tongue that licks it sleek? Is it a velvet paw, the kneading of sharp claws or a pleading squeak? Is it the surprise of a pair of jade or amber eyes and […]
Of Age and Cherry Trees
inside the temple visitors cannot know cherries are blooming their ephemeral flowers blushing like youthful geisha the old woman a cherry tree blooming in old age is something to remember branches laden with blossom trembling in a brisk spring breeze what a sprout a dewdrop seeps down the nodes of generations of bamboo youthful innocence […]
Suzushi
beneath a willow breeze-blown shadows elongate a pattern of leaves Kim M. Russell, 14th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1452 cool (suzushi) Another classical summer kigo: cool (suzushi)m which is normally used as a kigo for the summer evening in Japan.
Dripping
buttercup meadow single drop of spring water evaporating Kim M. Russell, 14th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1453 dripping (spring-water) (shitatari) Throughout June we are exploring the beauty of the classical kigo as used in Japanese poetry and today’s kigo has been taken from the Saijiki division summer, sub-division Earth: dripping (spring-water)(shitatari).
Nature Always Finds a Way
In the hedgerow, a robin spills its joy at weeds and wildflowers unfurling and greening cracks in the pavement, graveyards and verges. It cocks its head and blinks its eye at a trembling of finches in the sky with flashes of yellow and bursts of twittering. Nature always finds a way: midsummer’s insects are only […]
Wild Bird Tamed
When I was a teenager, I felt that I was caged by my parents, by school and by petty rules of society: wear suitable clothes, don’t smoke, don’t drink, be home by ten, that sort of thing. I rebelled, escaped from the cage and did my own thing. Later, I felt trapped by responsibility: earning […]
Waka Kaede
birthed in green and gold maple leaves burst into flame samaras spread wings Kim M. Russell, 11th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1451 young maple-leaves (waka kaede) Today we have another summer kigo from the sub-division ‘plants’: maple-leaves (waka kaeda). *A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery […]
Moonflower
pale moonflower blooms potent with fragrant pollen a fluttering moth Kim M. Russell, 10th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1450 Moonflower (yuugao) For today’s prompt we have another classical summer kigo, taken from the sub-division ‘plants’: moonflower (yuugao). Chèvrefeuille has shared a few example haiku by Basho (including the first haiku he wrote […]
Awake
awake before dawn — the creak of the wooden stairs swollen with the heat Kim M. Russell, 10th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #36 “like Basho” This weekend’s meditation special feature is a new one called ‘Deep Within Self’, in which the goal is to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese […]
What is Truth?
Truth is not ceramic moulded and fired only to be smashed in hard light of day. Kim M. Russell, 10th June 2018 My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Fussy Little Forms: Tetractys Marian wants us to try a simple and elegant form this weekend that may allow us to focus on balance: it […]
