Haiku by Brian McSherry in Iwate, Japan (4)

 

On July 2４, 2010, Brian Birdsell(McSherry) sent me an e-mail, contributing  a collection of haiku about summer.  

Hidenori

Thanks for the email. I agree some thoughts of the cool spring weather is rather refreshing right now. I think Akita is getting the same weather as morioka – hot and humid! I plan to go back to the states for a vacation with my daughter next week. But hope to finish a collection of summer haiku before I go and will send them to you. Enjoy the hot summer days and thanks again!

Brian

 

According to his self-introduction,

Brian McSherry has lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Prague, Italy and currently lives in northern Japan. He has lived there for over 6 years and enjoys spending time with his daughter, hiking in the mountains of Tohoku, writing, and traveling. He has a background in linguistics and teaches English at a private high school in Iwate. 

Now it is early in autumn, and it has getting cooler in the morning or in the evening.

I present nice summer haiku by Brian again, remembering those hot and humid summer days.

 

on the edge of town

fields of clover

remain on my pants

 

クローバー町外れからズボンへと

 

 

near the flower bed

the smell of urine –

cats multiplying

 

猫の尿匂う花壇の肥やしかな

 

in the June heat –

her mouth turns purple

eating shaved ice

 

暑かった六月に：

 

アイス食べ彼女の口や紫に

 

a bead of rain falls

from the pine needle tip –

nobody watching

 

松葉先見る人のない雨の玉

 

hostesses stumble

home,

as the morning glories

start to open.

 

朝顔につまずく家のおかみさん

 

a young bamboo

grown astray –

splits the path

 

竹の子の迷って道を割りにけり

 

in the wind

dandelion seeds floating –

white clouds above

 

白雲やタンポポの種風に浮く

 

temizuya1 –

a single green leaf floats

cleansing my hands

 

1 手水舎 (temizuya) is a water basin in front of a shrine where people wash their hands and mouth

水盤に緑一葉手を清む

 

morning birds

singing carelessly –

cracks of sunlight

 

朝の鳥あたりかまわず光割る

 

a plump woman leans

against a worn fence –

peonies too

 

ポッチャリした女性と一緒に：

 

ぼたん花廃れた塀によりかかる

 

summer stars –

a spider making a web

in the light

 

夏の星巣を組む蜘蛛の光かな

 

 

cracked watermelons

spitting seeds into the air –

summertime

 

スイカ割り種をとばすや夏盛り

 

chagu-chagu2 –

horses adorned like gods

grow tired of man

2 チャグチャグ馬こ　(chagu-chagu umako) is a famous festival in Morioka, Japan where the villagers decorate the work horses in beautiful and elaborate costumes. They walk in a procession down from the mountains and through the city, ending at Hachimangu Shrine. The “chagu chagu” is the sound of the bells worn by the horses. This festival is to pray for the health and long life of the horses.

神のごとチャグチャグ馬子飾られり

 

knee high grass against the bare knees –

the urge to walk more

 

むきだしの膝の草かな歩を進む

 

hot afternoon –

the chilled wine drunk

reading alone

 

暑い午後冷えしワインと読書する

 

 

the fan

she unfolds

and back and forth sways –

summer wind

 

扇子開け前後に揺れて夏の風

 

my shadow stretches

over the still river –

water bugs leaping

 

波のない川に影伸び虫が跳ぶ

 

rain falls

on the lofty red pines –

a faded door

 

あせしドア赤松高く雨が降る

 

in the tatami

weaves

a single grain of rice –

forgotten prayers

 

米一つ祈り忘れて畳織る

 

 

near the acacia

swarming with bees –

I wander

 

我歩く蜂の群がるアカシアを

 

Last of all, I present photos of acacia flowers for the last haiku.

 

 

The next posting ‘Haiku by Chen-ou Liu in Canada (1)’ appears on September 25.

― Hidenori Hiruta