red-faced and whiskered dipping his beak water-deep handsome Mandarin Kim M. Russell, 21st January 2019 My response to Carpe Diem #1589 mandarin ducks (oshidori) Today is a reprise episode of ‘mandarin ducks’, which is a classical kigo for winter. We also have a few haiku with this kigo as examples: furu ike no oshidori ni […]
Tag: Matsuo Basho
Together
courtesan and monk, sleeping under one roof together, moon in a field of clover © Basho (Tr. Chèvrefeuille) heart-warmed by the wantonness and intense scent of beauty Kim M. Russell, 25th October 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1529 Together … (Tan Renga Challenge) Together is the theme for today and the challenge is to […]
Withered
a hat to cover the body of our master withered pampas leaves Shinshi (haigo of Takarai Kikaku) everything turns into dust dry frogs still jump in old ponds Kim M. Russell, 19th September 2018 My response to Carpe […]
Dampened Bell
autumn mist rolls in silencing the call to prayer with its damp fingers Kim M. Russell, 6th September 2018 the temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers Matsuo […]
First Winter Rain
all the day long- yet not long enough for the skylark, singing, singing into the dusky shadows […]
Such a Fragrance
blossoms at their peak the mountain the same as always at daybreak the sky ribboned with pink clouds […]
Chilly Coolness
the rattling of reeds ruffled by the chilly wind the cool wall’s shelter the rattling of reeds wakes me from my midday nap the artless garden ruffled by the chilly wind shades of green surge and billow in a waking dream the cool wall’s shelter covered with moss and lichen cushion for my feet Kim […]
Chrysanthemum Dew
how glorious young green leaves flash in the sun revealing new tenderness after glorious blossom a skylark sings the pheasant’s voice is the instrumental music following the dawn chorus a composition for two early summer rains falling so heavily they cover up the waterfall conjures rainbows and applause long after the thunderstorm passing through autumn […]
Wandering Crow – May Tan Renga
a wandering crow its old nest has become a plum tree © Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold) sprouted from an old fruit stone abandoned in the garden its chicks are long flown hungry yellow mouths are beaks that feed their own scattering coal dust feathers in new nests in other trees a wandering crow observing […]
writing in north norfolk 