haiku & troiku inspired by Issa

For last weekend’s Troiku Weekend-Meditation Chevrefeuille chose two haiku by Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828):

“…one of the five greatest haiku poets ever. His haiku are known for the simple choice of words, but also for its emotions. Issa had a tough life in which he had to deal with several very hard things…”

First, Issa’s two haiku:

tonight’s moon–

how many mountains resemble

the ones back home?

~

going outside

plum blossoms dive in…

my lucky tea*

~

© Kobayashi Issa (Tr. David G. Lanoue)

*”lucky tea” is the first cup of tea on New Year’s Day.

Second, my haiku inspired by both of Issa’s poems:

~

missing home

I watch blossoms drown

in my tea

~

Third, a troiku, each verse starting with a line from the above haiku:

.

missing home

I long for the Gatineau Hills

in autumn

.

I watch blossoms drown

mourning their fragile beauty

lost in spring showers

.

in my tea

a jasmine flower unfolds

a morning blossom

.

©️2018 Ontheland

rainbow

to live life with passion and colour to the end of my days…to nurture lightness, curiosity, generosity, playfulness, endeavour…fortunate are those who retain a well of stamina in their elder years…

might a youthful spirit dwell in denial? perhaps, yet to tread nowhere or somewhere in this moment is a choice…a choice to thrive until the end.

a rainbow of light
flames rich autumn splendour—
the sun slips away

©2018 Ontheland

~
In Carpe Diem #1410 Rainbow, Chevrefeuille asks us to write a short haibun (100 words or less) using this haiku by Issa or a revision of it:

evening’s fall colors –
the rainbow in the valley
fades away

© Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)