Favorite Basho Poems

I received some upsetting personal news and am not feeling creative today, so I thought you might enjoy some of my favorite haiku by Basho instead. The following were translated into English from Japanese by Sam Hamill:

You weren’t home when I came
even the plum blossoms were
in another yard

Between our two lives
there is also the life of
the cherry blossoms

Just one possession
in this lightly-lived life —
a gourd of rice

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Author: redgladiola

Creative writer happily predisposed to flights of fancy. You can find my poetry and short prose at https://redgladiola.wordpress.com

3 thoughts on “Favorite Basho Poems”

  1. I love these poems. I realise it’s a year ago since this post was written and I hope things are much better now. How quickly a year has gone!

    The days are dim here
    It is winter time, cold and dark
    But a light shines brightly

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