National Haiku Day

 

Petals I amass

With such tenderness 

Prick me to the quick

-Kobayashi Issa

***

Whistle on, twilight whippoorwill 

Solemn evangelist 

Of loneliness 

-Matsuo Bashō

***

Observe

How the wild violets bloom

Within the forbidden fences!

-Shida Yaba

***

Today is a special edition of Tuesday Haiku because today is National Haiku Poetry Day.

Here’s some resources to learn more about haiku poetry and some of the  famous authors of haiku.

Wikipedia

Masterpieces of Japanese Culture- Haiku and Tanka (with links to learn more about Basho, Issa, Buson, Shiki, Kyoshi , Hekigoto, and Hisajo)

Britannica (with links to more about masters of haiku Basho, Issa, and Hekigoto) 

The interesting challenge of translating haiku