World Haiku Series 2019 (119) Haiku by Matthew Caretti

World Haiku Series 2019 (119)

Haiku by Matthew Caretti

 

towpath
for each swatted gnat
a prayer

 

曵船道

ピシャリと叩かれるブヨごとのために

お祈り

 

treetop shadow
a vulture knows then
before if

 

梢の影

ハゲワシはその時知っている

前なら

 

helix nebula
window view
of the spider’s new work

 

らせん星雲

クモの新作のウィンドウビュー

 

hong kong layover
wooden chopsticks fray
in hot soba

 

香港の乗り継ぎ

熱いそばの中に木の箸のほつれ

 

cicero would
have it like this
reading by the garden

 

キケロのような人は

このようなことがあったでしょう

庭での読書

 

cutting queue
before the clouds
inbound flights

 

列を切断

雲の前に

復路便

 

fire moon
while here below
Borneo burns

 

火のような月

ここにいる間

ボルネオの焼け跡の下

 

Orion’s return
bitter leaves quake
on the old oak

 

オリオンの再来

苦い葉が揺れる

古いオークの木の上で

 

grave blanket
the braided pine
warms regret

 

くすんだ毛布

編んだように入り組んだ松

後悔する

 

monsoon rain
remnants of a cobweb
fan the Buddha

 

モンスーンの雨

クモの巣の残り

仏陀に風を送る

 

— Translated by Hidenori Hiruta

 

BIO:

Matthew Caretti has been Influenced in equal parts by his study of German language and literature, by the approach of the Beat writers, by his travels and by his Zen monastic training.

Matthew’s work has appeared in numerous print and online journals, as well as several anthologies.

His poems have also garnered a few awards here and there.

After leaving the Seo-un Hermitage, a small monastery near Yangsan, Korea, Matthew engaged in a solitary pilgrimage through South Asia, returned to teaching in Africa, and now resides in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.