Collaborative Haiku Poem – 霜予報

frost is forecast
plant beds are covered
hope for the best

(Yoko Kelley)
霜予報植え床覆い神頼み
しも よほう　うえどこ おおい　かみだのみ

It is not certain whether the young tomatoes and basils, which were planted during warm days last week, will survive and see summer. When frost was forecast in the middle of April, the raised beds with tomatoes and basils were covered with old sheets at night. Alas, the temperature went down to 29 degrees F. The truth is that the same thing has been repeated year after year. All you have to do is to follow an old saying “ Don’t do anything until Mother’s day.” But, when cold winter is gone and warm weather returns, it is hard not to buy fresh plants at nurseries. However, nature seems to have its own idea.

　先週（４月上旬）の暖かい日に買って植えた植物類のうち、トマトとバジリコがはたして夏まで生き残るか、危ないところです。今週（4月中旬）霜の予報に、夜間、古いシーツで植え床を覆ってみましたが、気温が華氏２９度（摂氏 零下２.５度あたり）まで下降、万事休す。実は、これは毎年繰り返していることで、昔からの言い伝え「母の日まで何もするな」の通りにすればいいのですが、寒い冬が去り暖かさが戻ってくると、つい苗類を買ってしまいます。ともあれ自然の摂理には勝てません。ちなみに、明日と明後日（４月19日と20日）には雪との予報が出ています。

Collaborative Haiku Poem
– Yoko Kelley
– Illustration by Norman Kelley
Omaha, Nebraska
ネブラスカ州オマハ市はまだ春に成り切っていないようです。
日本は新緑と花々がきれいです。（編集長 美智子）