First a haiku by Kikaku (1661-1707) followed by a revision by his teacher, Matsuo Bashō, followed by my revised version and some background information:
red dragonfly
break off its wings
sour cherry
© Kikaku (1661-1707)
~
sour cherry
add wings to it
red dragonfly
©️ Bashō
~
puckered lips
sour cherry with wings
red dragonfly
©️2018 Ontheland
What was all that about? My interpretation is that Kikaku was talking about eating dragonflies. Many insects, including dragonflies are edible and part of the Japanese diet. Typically legs and wings are not eaten. Whether red dragonflies are inedible or only for those who like tart flavours I don’t know. I prefer Basho’s version over Kikaku’s. He retains the humour and eliminates disregard for the life of the dragonfly…a hard act to follow.
In response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #34 Revise That Haiku … Kikaku’s Dragonfly
Also linked to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Weekend mini Challenge: Insects and Bugs
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