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
Many thanks Mr Haruta for providing beautiful haiku of Mr Brian. I became spellbound reading the haiku.
Long live beauty of natute and word-painting.
P K Padhy, PhD