The first thing in my life

Today, I participated the haiku gathering for the first time in my life.

 

Before explaining why I did it, I should say what haiku is.

 

Haiku is Japanese poetry comprising 17 syllables, 5 syllables in the first line, seven in the second and the five in the third. Essential element is a sense of the season. We Japanese, study haiku in my school days, so almost of all Japanese can say a few haikus which were made by a famous poet 300 years ago.

My mother enjoyed making haiku and participated many haiku gatherings for many years. In a haiku gathering, people gather to a place with their haiku and choose their favorite haikus after appreciating them. But in these days, she does not participate it because as she says, some participants are at the low level.

 

As I got tired of her complains, I have suggested her to join a haiku lesson which is held in an inhabitant hall of a ward twice a month.

 

Thus today, my mother and I joined a haiku lesson and a haiku gathering. She is accustomed to a method of a haiku gathering, but I am an entirely outsider.  I think that this is the reckless behavior inner thought.

 

Well, I would like to introduce a system of a haiku gathering. Before opening a haiku gathering, participants were given a theme from a teacher and made 5 haikus in advance.

In a haiku gathering, 5 haikus are gathered in blank and shared to all the participants.

Each participants choose his favorite 5 haiku including the best favorite foe him.

 

Today, the theme is spring, and there are 17 members, 85 haikus were chosen as their favorite ones. These 85 haikus were recited to the members. And, surprisingly my poem was recited 4 times and my mother’s haiku was 5.  Furthermore, her haiku was chosen by the teacher as one of her favorite at the end of this haiku gathering.

 

In the end, my mother was greatly pleased with this event. So my mother and I are going to join a haiku gathering twice a month from April.

 

The English translation is as follows.

Wild cherry trees whisper their existence in spring. ( by me )

My sole feels clam in spring coast. ( by my mother )

My mother is 86 years now, she keenly feels that what she could do became what she can’t. So, I am very happy through this event she can enjoy her life from now.