Haiku originated in Japan in the 1700’s. Basho is accredited with being the “founding father of haiku,” as explained in four previous volumes of poetry. Haiku is 5-7-5, three-line verse in praise of nature or terse perceptive observations on the awesome beauty of nature.
A reader from Japan sent me a harsh email message in 2001 telling me I had “no right to use haiku for my political purposes. Poetry is poetry and should only be written as the originator (Basho) intended.”
I responded to the Japanese writer: “Basho was surrounded by an abundance of nature, beautiful lakes, flowers, forests, birds, and running streams. He and the other haiku writers could easily compose poetry in praise of nature. However, in our day, all those gifts of nature are vanishing. I have opted to write haiku in defense of a declining Earth. In the next life I will seek forgiveness from Basho.”
No response was forthcoming from Japan.
Please enjoy my Haiku, posted as below. You may comment on those you wish as well.
Domo Arigato
EMJOY BEING KIND
TO EACH ONE WE WILL MEET
FOR THE REST OF OUR DAYS
Possessing deepest
Compassion is expertise
Outranking any
Without compassion
For every living being
Our lives make no sense
Before Rome declined
Emperors entertained all
Obfuscating thought
Glowing fireflies
Once providing eventide’s
Joy no longer found
Into extinction*
Or simply gone farther south?
We wonder of birds
*E. Wilson and other scientists caution 99% of all species on Earth have fallen into extinction.
We are truly old
When our fears of death exceed
One new dream each day
Love of planet Earth
Can’t exceed our unflagging
Devotion to Christ
Earth who gave us birth
“We are destroying it”*while
Planning one more war**
*”What is the world? We are destroying it.”(Book of Hours by Rainer Maria Rilke, p.62)
**George Bush ignores the Methodist church of which he is a member, world opinion, apart from Israel and Britain to call for unilateral invasion of Iraq in 2002 or 2003.
Returning to God
Exceeds our retirement here
Where Truth does not reign
Shopping will always
Keep millions more vaporized
Than gas weaponry
Who has time
Or energy to name
Forty billion more galaxies?*
*The Hubbell spacecraft discovered forty billion new galaxies in the 1990’s.
Between jet fighters
And calm migrating birds
Who deserves the right-of-way?
God alone designs
What is the very best for
Drawing us to peace
Truth* alone knows our
Hour of liberation to
Endless ecstasy**
(#13,126)
*”For me God is Truth.” (Gandhi)
** God’s Reign of endless Compassion