Yes, it’s tax day. But it’s also the mid-point of National Poetry Month! Whoohoo! Today, I thought I’d share with you some gems — haiku. It’s a form considered (too often) for children much of the time, as it’s easy to do. But it’s not easy to do well.

Here is one of my favourite haiku poets, Matsuo Bashō. I’m including a few by him, as I think the form is far more lovely than most Americans realise. And Bashō is the acknowledged master.

Don’t forget: poetry does help your beginner’s heart. All beauty does, but the ability to draw a word sketch of a moment? That’s a kind of meditation. Trust me…

Enjoy!

1. A cicada shell;
it sang itself
utterly away.
~ Translated by R.H. Blyth

2. The sea darkens;
the voices of the wild ducks
are faintly white.

3. A field of cotton–
as if the moon
had flowered.
~ Translated by Robert Hass

4. A weathered skeleton
in windy fields of memory,
piercing like a knife