A series of micro-seasonal haiku, awakening to the ordinary
9th Sekki: Grain Beard and Seeds (June 6-20) – ‘Bōshu’
praying mantis appears (June 6-10)
fireflies leave withered grass (June 11-15)
plums ripen and turn yellow (June 16-20)
Similar to the use of a ‘season word’ in haiku, each of the 72 micro-seasons (kō) provide a short phrase as a trellis around which to form a haiku. Above are the phrases for this particular micro-season and below are the inspired verses we have received.
Kō 25:
green clasped hands appear
as the days slowly lengthen—
all the earth lifts praise
MADISON WILLIAMS
Charlottesville, VA
Kō 26:
carrying lanterns
we climb temple stairs—
firefly
COLEMAN DAVIS
Berea, KY
Kō 27:
stone basin—
one plum
floating moonlight
ELLIOT DIAMOND
Philadelphia, PA
To submit haiku for our Kō series, visit our submissions page.
To read more about Kō, and to view the seasonal calendar, click here.
To explore a haiku workshop offered by Upaya Zen Center, click here.
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