Haiku for September

Blinded by sunlight
I miss the comfort
of thunderclouds.


-Paul Mena (1959-)

Haiku for August

Green frog,

is your body also

freshly painted?

-Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927)

September Haiku

稲光り　わたしは透きとほらねばならぬ　　　富澤赤黄男

inabikari watashi wa sukitôraneba naranu

lightning—

I have to be

transparent

Kakio Tomizawa

from “Gendai no Haiku” (Modern Haiku), edited by Shobin Hirai, Kodansha, Tokyo, 1996; Fay’s Note:  Kakio Tomizawa  (1903-1962)

Yoinked from Blue Willow Haiku World.

Haiku for August

蝉しぐれ家出するには今がよし　　前田吐実男

semi-shigure iede suru niwa ima ga yoshi

cicada chorus

now is the best time

to abandon home

                                              Tomio Maeda

from “Haiku Shiki” (“Haiku Four Seasons,” a monthly haiku magazine) ,  May 2010 Issue, Tokyo Shiki Shuppan, Tokyo

Haiku for July

星の夜は暗闇までも透き通る　　 荒井晶子

hoshi o yo wa kurayami mademo sukitôru

starry night

even the darkness

is transparent

Akiko Arai

 from Ito-en “Tea, Please” Haiku contest, 2004,  Middle School Students Division Grand Prize Winner.  http://www.itoen.co.jp/new-haiku.

June Haiku!

をさなごの中に我見る浮いてこい　上田日差子

osanago no naka ni ware miru uitekoi

         I see me

         in a young child—

         rubber duck

                  Hizashi Ueda

from “Gendai Haiku Hyakunin Nijukku” (“Modern Haiku: 20 Haiku per100 Poets”), edited by Kazuo Ibaraki, Kiyoko Uda, Nenten Tsubouchi, Kazuko Nishimura, You-shorin, Nagano, 2004

Yoinked from Blue Willow Haiku World.

[Thank you for the reminder. I've been swamped. :) ]

Haiku for May

まつさをな水の惑星五月来る　　石田しづこ
massao na mizu no wakusei gogatsu kuru

a planet of water

so blue

May begins

-Shizuko Ishida

from “Haiku Dai-Saijiki” (“Comprehensive Haiku Saijiki”), Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 2006
Yoinked from Blue Willow Haiku World.

March Haiku

梅白し月光は人あたためず　　渡辺純枝

ume shiroshi gekkô wa hito atatamezu

white plum blossoms

the moon light does not warm

a person

Sumie Watanabe

February Haiku

karekusa no hito omou toki kiniro ni


withered grass
when I think of him …
burnished gold


-Masajo Suzuki

The Tale of Murasaki

Izukata no kumoji to kikaha tazunemashi tsura hanarekemu kari ga yukue wo
I yearn to ask what path it followed through the clouds - the wild goose that flew off, leaving the flock.
- Murasaki Shikibu

If you're a fan of haiku, as I am, I recommend you read the book The Tale of Murasaki, by Liza Dalby. It's a fictional story, based on the reassembly of fragmented historical knowledge about Murasaki Shikibu - who wrote the famed Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari) back in the 11th century.

My parents gave this book to me back in 2001 and I've read it too many times to count in the years since. It's an interesting look at how haiku evolved, the life of a court lady in 11th century Japan, and oddly calming to read.

Enjoy. :)

December 2009 Haiku yoink

As I replace the lovely little December haiku with a new one for the next year, I've decided to post it here in case anyone would like to reference it again. Cheers, and happy new year!

席つめてください山はすでに雪　　鹿又英一

seki tsumete kudasai yama wa sudeni yuki

please sit closer—

the mountain is already covered

with snow

Ei’ichi Kamata

Miss You

Friend–I can feel your
electromagnetic pulse
all the way from here.