Carpe Diem My Favorite Haiku By ... #4 Buson's sleep with "daki kago"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to see new names appearing at CDHK, and to see the return of haiku poets who were part of CDHK in earlier days of our Kai. That makes me really happy and ... maybe ... proud, because I just try to promote our beloved haiku ...

It's a little while ago (August 27th) that I published an episode of this beautiful special feature in which I ask you to share your favorite haiku written by a classical or non-classical haiku poet and this time I love to ask you which haiku is your favorite written by Yosa Buson (1716-1784), one of the "big-five" haiku poets.

I have read a lot of haiku written by Buson and I have a few favorites, but there is just one which I love to share here. And (of course) I will try to write an all new haiku (as is the goal of this special feature) inspired on that favorite haiku.

Daki Kago

daki kago ya hitoyo fushimi no sasame goto

sleep with "daki kago"!
as with a one-night harlot at Fushimi
exchanging lovers' talks.

© Yosa Buson

(Daki kago = is a body pillow woven from thin strips of bamboo. It was used to sleep away the heat of summer night in the Edo period (1603-1868). To use it means figuratively sleeping together, that is to say, love affairs with a woman. There was an unlicensed district at Fushimi in the Edo period and there lived a lot of harlots. Hitoyo fushimi intimates that a man sleeps with a harlot one night. The place name Fushimi has a pun: fusu means going to bed.)

An extraordinary haiku I think in which Buson uses an extraordinary attribute, a "daki kago" or "bamboo wife" (or "Dutch wife"). In the summer heat, the open bamboo structure is cooler to the touch than fabric pillows or sheets. The daki kago is embraced by the user, as one would have a sleeping companion—this position exposes the maximum amount of the body to cooling breezes.

It will not be easy to write an all new haiku inspired on this beauty by Buson.

sleeping alone
the spring breeze
comforts me

© Chèvrefeuille

Hm ... not as strong as I had hoped, but well ... "the spring breeze" as my "daki kago" nothing wrong with I think.

This episode is open for your submissions at noon (CET) and will remain open until next Thursday October 1st at noon (CET). Have fun!