Poetic Musings: Lotus Pond Haiku by David He

lotus pond

a frog's song vibrates

the other world

NeverEnding Story, September 7, 2024

David He

Commentary: The twist in L3 adds a spiritual/religious bent to this frog haiku when evaluated in the Buddhist context of "lotus pond" (often associated with purity and spiritual awakening/enlightenment) and "other world" (or "other shore, a literary phrase used in Buddhist texts")

Technically speaking, David's fine haiku reminds me of the following one:

pulling light

from the other world ...

the Milky Way

Yatsuka Ishihara, a revered Japanese haiku master who claimed, "A haiku should present the truth as if it were fiction," at the 1995 HSA-HI Chicago Conference

FYI: For more about Yatsuka Ishihar's work, see "Dark Wings of the Night: Yatsuka Ishihara and His Theory of Introspective Shaping"

And it might be interesting to do a thematic comparison reading of my haiku (allusive to Basho's frog haiku) below:

lotus pond …

all that remains

of frog song

Haibun Today, 12:2, June 2018

FYI: This is the concluding haiku of my haibun, "The Old Man Who Read Basho"

Butterfly Dream: Lotus Pond Haiku by David He

English Original

lotus pond

a frog's song vibrates

the other world

David He

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

荷花池

青蛙的歌聲震響

彼岸的世界

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

荷花池

青蛙的歌声震响

彼岸的世界

Bio Sketch

David He has been working as an advanced English teacher for 35 years in a high school in China. So far he has published  twenty short stories in English. In recent years he has published haiku and tanka in print journals and e-zines, including Acorn, The Heron’s Nest, Frogpond, Ribbons and Cattails.

Poetic Musings: frograffiti Haiku by LeRoy Gorman

frograffitinsidecemberain

Modern Haiku, 46:2, Summer 2015

LeRoy Gorman

Commentary: The layout, one-line and compressed format, of this concrete haiku, "frograffitinsidecemberain (frog graffiti inside december rain)," works well with its theme and visual effects. And thematically and emotionally speaking, in contrast with real-life frogs in the winter that hibernate underwater, hide somewhere underground, or are tucked inside a structure that sits on the ground surface, this army of graffiti frogs in December rain create an orchestra of croaks and chirps, enlivening the gloomy winter streets.

Poetic Musings: Lily-Pad Haiku by Ed Baker

frog on lily-pad

reflecting

frog on lily-pad

Wednesday Haiku, 88, October 31, 2012

Ed Baker

Commentary: Combined with an excellent verb choice, Ed's use of parallelism (syntactic, semantic, and visual) successfully depicts the peaceful world of a frog on the lily pad. Zen-like in its simplicity, it reminds me of the Buddha sitting on the lotus.

FYI: "Lily pads provide an important hiding place for frogs, which are susceptible to underwater predators such as fish and water snakes. On the safety of the lily pad, a frog can relax or catch flies without fear of predation."

Butterfly Dream: frograffiti Haiku by LeRoy Gorman

English Original

frograffitinsidecemberain

Modern Haiku, 46:2, Summer 2015

LeRoy Gorman


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

青蛙塗鴉裡面十二月雨

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

青蛙涂鸦里面十二月雨

Translation resul

Bio Sketch

LeRoy Gorman lives in Napanee, Ontario. His poetry, much of it minimalist and visual, has appeared in publications and exhibitions worldwide. He is the author of two dozen poetry books and chapbooks. He is also the winner of the 2017 Dwarf Stars Award

Butterfly Dream: Velvet Black Night Haiku by Denis M. Garrison

English Original

velvet black night ...

pulsing with frog song

and fireflies

Hidden River, 2006

Denis M. Garrison

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

藍黑之夜 ...

伴隨青蛙歌聲和螢火蟲

有節奏的悸動

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

蓝黑之夜 ...

伴随青蛙歌声和萤火虫

有节奏的悸动

Bio Sketch

Denis M. Garrison was born in Iowa, USA, and his childhood was spent in Japan, youth in Europe, Africa and western Pacific. His poetry’s widely published. Garrison’s print collections include First Winter Rain, Eight Shades of Blue, Hidden River, Sailor in the Rain and Other Poems, and Fire Blossoms.