That Ant So Busy

I get talking about haiku in my blog entries at times. I have written over 5,000 free-style haiku in the last 20 years. And have very much endorsed the book: Haiku Mind, by Patricia Donegan. Amazon offers a nice page on that book where one can read about how remarkably credentialed the late Patricia Donegan was. I was glad to have written a “Customer's Review" there about her book that is often featured; and have given many copies of that book away.

About one in ten haiku that I have written I think is good enough to publish; and about one in 20 might even help contribute something to that wonderful poetic form.

Two of the great haiku masters are: Matsuo Basho (1644-1694); he is considered the father of haiku and was something of a wandering Zen Buddhist monk. And then Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828). I really have not studied their work very deeply, but feel I have a good idea of the spirit of their work, and often feel to write in what I think is in their style, and perhaps something they would of liked. Example: I could very easily have seen Issa writing these: 

Don't worry dear mosquito —

   I still love you even though

        you just bit me!

So smart my wife

   making love with a mountain

         more than me!

We are all

    ripening 

      tomatoes!

And then a couple in the spirit of Basho:

 Sweet Buddha's tail 

     sticking out everywhere!

      Meant to grab!

The sun a wing!

     The moon a wing!

         And us their body! 

That ant so busy!

     I hope it sleeps well

         tonight!

It was this last one, and the below expounding on it, now expanded more, that encouraged my agent to ask me to offer a blog entry about it and haiku, as it had been awhile since my last blog entry. So the below is what I sent her, now, as said, added to some.

I like that little haiku, as it deals with something at the very heart of Buddhism which is —compassion. As does the first (in the-of-spirit) Issa poem here.

I like, and think we can be benefited, when noticing something so small and having feelings for it. Then too, it is something of a sweet poke in the ribs of us— of people who can get caught in being so busy; but also then wishing them well — with good sleep. And I like the playfulness, and at the same time— a great depth that can be in a few words.

***

This morning I dragged myself awake because some haiku was being recited to me in a dream I thought I should write down. It reflected an experience that, at times, I can have at moments in my waking day. I am not at all a truly enlightened person, but like most all of us— I get insights and feelings of a greater awareness and seeing. Here are those haiku from my dream: 

The earth illumined!

So my knees 

upon it!

Existence now

      the

        shrine!