Cherry Blossom Haiku
The sky shifts with the cherry branches above my head. I’m lying on the grass staring at the blossoms. This idyllic scene would be straight out of a Japanese silk painting were it not for the fact that I’m dressed for garden work and the reason I’m in a reclined position is because I’m exhausted after weeding the garden. But as the petals fall on my face, I forget about the back pain and think of my favorite haiku by Matsuo Basho, the 17th century Japanese poet.
How many, many things
They call to mind
These cherry-blossoms!
Haiku weaves vivid images, and cherry blossom themed poems have an element of contemplation and bittersweetness that is compelling. The sight of blossoms, so exquisite and so evanescent, is a reminder of the transience of things, and while it can be melancholy, it’s also reassuring. Everything passes–and then returns.
Shoshao in Ukraine Diary Day 22: Dreams and Poems: Dear Victoria, thank you for your poetic and yet precise update. As Wara in the comment above puts it so beautifully – may you and everybody be sound and save,… September 17, 2024 at 10:51am