Carpe Diem's "Little Creatures" #4

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a wonderful time we are living in ... on the edge between summer and autumn ... leaves start to change from green to all kinds of yellow and red ... the weather changes. Here we have a nice 'Indian Summer' period ... not to warm, not to cold, not to dry or to wet. Clear blue skies are changing every moment of the day ... white, grey, dark grey and black clouds appear and disappear ... it's really great this time of year.
What has this to do with "Little Creatures" ? We are going to explore the little creatures on the edge of summer and autumn. We have flies, mosquitos, butterflies and dragonflies, but are there also little flowers, trees and bushes specific for this time of year? Yes there are, daisies, sheperds purse, camille and more.
All those little creatures, bugs and bushes can be a source for your inspiration ... Today I have a few wonderful haiku about little creatures written by several haiku-poets, both classic and modern ... I hope these haiku will inspire you to write haiku about those little wonders of Mother Nature.

Here are a few "little creatures" haiku by several poets:

tori naite bimbô-gusa(*) mo saki ni keri

birds singing--
wild daisies too
are blooming

© Kobayashi Issa

(*) Gaby Greve, a wellknown Japan scholar translates bimbô-gusa to "weed of the poor" and advised the translator to use "Wild Daisies"

Credits: Daisies

 

Another set of haiku by Issa, this time on 'dragonfly':

asa-zamu mo haya gatten no tombo kana

he, too, quickly learns
how cold the morning is...
dragonfly

tombô no hako shite iru ya kiku no hana

the dragonfly
takes a crap...
chrysanthemum

Credits: Blue Dragonfly

Aren't they wonderful? Let me give you a few other examples of "little creatures" caught in haiku. What do you think of this one composed by Shiki:

rai harete ichiju no yûhi semi no koe

after the thunder-shower
one tree in evening sunlight
a cicada's cry

© Shiki

Or what do you think of this one by O. Mabson Southard, which we have had last year (September) as a featured haiku poet at CDHK. This one is about another little creature, the mouse.

At the window, sleet…
Here in the darkening hut—
sudden squeaks of mice

© O. Mabson Southard

Credits: Mice

Or this one, also by Southard:

fiery ball
between the trees
crickets sing their songs

© O. Mabson Southard

And than this one written by myself, last year in response on a haiku by O. Mabson Southard:

frogs jump in -
the sound of rain far away
thunder and lightning© Chèvrefeuille

And for closure ... what do you think of this wonderful haiku by Jane Reichhold?

Twilight
neither night nor day
frogs and bats

© Jane Reichhold

Isn't it wonderful to read all those haiku in which the little creatures are celebrated? It's awesome to look close to your surroundings and become inspired by it ...

Well ... this was our fourth "Little Creatures" episode and it was just fun to create it. I hope it will inspire you to write your own "Little Creatures" haiku ... this time ... please follow the classical rules of haiku for your submissions.

This episode is open for your submissions at noon (CET) and will remain open until next Thursday September 18th at noon.