Image courtesy of Mass Ave 975 at the English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)%5D
At a village called Komatsu:
Aptly named Komatsu
Child Pine, a breeze blows over
pampas and clover
Here we visited Tada Shrine to see Sanemori’s helmet and a piece of his brocade armor-cloth presented to him by Lord Yoshitomo when he served the Genji clan. His helmet was no common soldier’s gear: engraved with chrysanthemums and ivy from eyehole to earflap, crowned with a dragon’s head between two horns. After Sanemori died on the battlefield, Kiso Yoshinaka sent it with a prayer, hand-carried to the shrine by Higuchi Juro, Sanemori’s friend. The story’s inscribed on the shrine.
Pitfully–under
a great soldier’s empty helmet,
a cricket sings
Basho, “Narrow Road to the Interior,” translated by Sam Hamill, the Essential Basho, p. 30-31
Grateful Heartfulness
Breathe. The moment opens, like sun-drenched petals, as I release my cares. Breathe. The feel of air on my nostrils. The gentle sound of gurgling water, and the banging of pipes as the heat turns on. The subtle reflection of morning light on white drapes. Just these, no more. Who needs more?
When I allow my gratitude to arise, and when I feel it flow through me with each breath, I feel an accompanying peace. Perhaps this is the peace the world cannot give.
I know it’s the peace that I, myself, can give away.
November twilight
seeing their faces
I smile
I’m hosting Haibun Monday today over at dVerse Poets Pub. We’re poeming on gratitude. Come join us!
Share the love. Spread the haikai:
Categories: haikai, haiku community
The Basho haiku was stunning, and your haibun is gentle and very personal. I dig the touch of Zen and pinch of existentialism.
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Thanks, Glenn! ๐
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This was a wonderful post overall Frank. Lush, interesting, and engagingly spiritual… kind and gentle.
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The peace that passes understanding… Peace โฆ a gift given away to others..
Very well done Frank.
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To be aware of the moment and feel grateful that is peace indeed.
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so gently spiritual, lovely!
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Frank, Basho’s final haiku is great. On a silly side note, I do wonder about this part’s translation by Hamill, however: “Aptly named Komatsu -Child Pine,…” because Komatsu means “small pine” ๅฐๆพ, not “child pine” ๅญๆพใwith both small and child pronounce “ko”.
Meanwhile, your haibun was fun, overlapping with my haibun’s implications a bit. And I wonder, does the peace of “just now” ever real consist of “just now” — the white drapes and gurgling water — or is it pregnant with flavors of suffering or clutter prior and the contrast is “peace”. That is what my haibun asks. Thanks for hosting, mate.
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Saint Teresa of Kolkata said – a smile is the beginning of love. Yout haibun evokes that feeling in its giving smile.
Happy you dropped by to read mine
Much๐ปlove
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I really like your ending sentence!
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Thank you! ๐
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I especially like the haiku. (K)
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Thanks! ๐
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I do love the way you express how peace can grow from such a normal setting… just being and feeling that all is normal… love your haiku
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Thank you, Bjorn! ๐
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The wonder of peace that passes all understanding! We miss it when we overlook the simple things to be grateful for. Who needs more? Lovely poem.
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Thank you! ๐
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Good to breathe deep and be grateful for simple things! As for peace that passes understanding? I think Jesus gives that ๐
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