噴煙の風向きを見て馬冷す
Turning to face
a drifting eruption
the horse frightens.

ふんえん の かざむき を みて うま ひやす
尾池和夫(おいけかずお)
噴煙の風向きを見て馬冷す
Turning to face
a drifting eruption
the horse frightens.

ふんえん の かざむき を みて うま ひやす
尾池和夫(おいけかずお)
降る雪や気分高まる雪景色
ふる ゆき や きぶん たかまる ゆきげしき
Snowflakes fall
a white blanket forms
excitement grows.
I’m excited about winter because winter means snow. There was very little snow last year, but I’m hoping this year will have lots of snow.
冬になると、雪が降るので、私はわくわくします。去年は、少し雪が降りました。今年は、たくさん雪が降ってほしいです!
オリビア
A few weeks ago my car was stolen. The police found it the next day however it would not start. Instead of fixing the car or buying a new one, I bought a scooter.
So far the scooter is great. I get prime parking everywhere I go and it uses very little gas. The only bad thing is when it rains the scooter won’t start. But that’s ok because riding in the rain is very dangerous.
漆搔く家伝来の殺搔
Lacquer tree sap
through handed down methods
extracted.

うるし かく いえ でんらい の ころしがき
尾池和夫(おいけかずお)
技の手に物は従い寿司生まれ
わざ の て に もの は したがい すし うまれ
skilled hands move
bending the world to thought
sushi is born
技術のある職人の考えには、周りにある世界が従います。というのは、体験をたくさん積み重ねた職人は、意思を実現することは自然なことです。やり方は本能的です。ですから、その周辺は、やはり彼の好む状況になります。
NACOS tips for writing English haiku
When you have a general or profound concept that you wish to express, the way of the haiku is not to do so directly. In the above poem, I wished to meditate on the relationship between mind and body. Rather than using such vague and all-encompassing words directly, I chose one example and tried to create a concrete image with it. Imagery is unquestionably the domain of the haiku.
Regarding the image, I was inspired by the film “Jiro dreams of sushi”, which is about a man who is considered to be the foremost expert in the art of sushi. He owns a small sushi restaurant in Tokyo called Sukiyabashi Jiro. It is extremely expensive, yet so popular that one must make reservations months in advance.

Frustrated by Michiko: Illustrated by Michiko
ハワイは、ここ数日、風がびゅうびゅう吹いています。突風です。
日本で、寒い日に、道で行き交うお知り合いの人に、
母は、「お寒うございます」と言って、
お互いに、ご挨拶をしていました。
きょうのホノルルからも、
「お寒うございます!」
おそろしき崖の下なる涼み台
Cool bench sits
at the bottom of
steep cliff faces.

おそろしき がけ の した なる すずみだい
尾池和夫(おいけかずお)
師走の陽すだれの影を壁に描く
しわす の ひ すだれ の かげ を かべ に かく
Winter sun
draws blinds on the wall
with shadows.
In Hawaii, blinds are necessary year round. The winter sun shining in from the west casts long shadows against the wall.
常夏の島ハワイで、私は、一年中、簾を西側の窓にかけています。日没前の12月の西陽が斜めに差し込んできます。白い壁に簾模様の影がくっきりと映し出され消えていきました。
みちこ
白ひげのサンタ暖炉でティータイム
しろひげ の サンタ だんろ で ティータイム
Down chimney goes
red coat, white whiskers flash
milk, cookies vanish.
On Christmas, Santa Claus goes down the chimney in his red coat with a long, white beard and consumes the milk and cookies left for him while delivering presents. It is a magical moment so it happens very quickly and you will barely notice it.
クリスマスイブに、赤いコートを着た、長くて白いひげのサンタクロースが、煙突から降りてきます。彼は、プレセントを配りながら、ミルクとクッキーを食べます。それは魔法の瞬間です。それは素早い行動なので、誰も気がつきません。
Ben (べん)
I remember being introduced to Japanese haiku in elementary school during English language class. We were taught in Kansas that haiku are a form of poetry. I remember the teacher saying that the key to this style is rhythm. The syllables should follow a specific pattern. Haiku are intended to be short but descriptive. It is important to use just a few words to create an image that is at once vague and yet also amazingly vivid. At that time, haiku seemed to be terse but beautiful.