August - October 2021
freight train the rags of a vagabond moon
wilted garden
dust sparkles on the wings
of sparrows
rows of maize
we put our affairs
in order
Autumn Challenge Kigo: Persimmons, kaki
nature's almanac
persimmon seeds predict
the weather
Honoured to have the following poem included in the "Voted Best" from August 2021 (seven or more votes) and chosen for commentary:
meadowsweet
the deer leave me
one bloom
Dojin's Dorner:
The second line, with its multiple readings, is the heart of this haiku. Deer leave one bloom, deer leave me. Deer will eat anything, but they leave one—not some, not a few—one bloom. That solitary bloom reinforces the idea of leaving, of being left. I also admire the sonic qualities of this haiku: the long "e" sounds in "sweet," "deer," and "me," as well as the "m's" in the first and last lines. Also I can't read that first line—"meadowsweet"—without thinking "bittersweet."
—Beverly Acuff Momoi
Oh, spirea or meadowsweet is such a beautiful bush with its long sprays of white flowers. It's hard to imagine the deer ate them all but one? It must be like vanilla ice cream to them—so the name, meadowsweet, appropriately captures its delectability.
—Patricia J. Machmiller
Just one bloom left on the meadowsweet? Since deer have four legs while we have only two, it probably took all of those anti-inflammatory herbal flowers to relieve the deer's joint pain and gout. One bloom will be enough to make a ice cup of meadowsweet tea. Enjoy!
—Emiko Miyashita
