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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/14/lost-to-the-climate-crisis-japan-haiku-poets>
"Wooden tablets dotted along a path between office buildings and the Sendaibori
river in eastern Tokyo mark the start of a journey by Japan’s most revered poet
that would result in his greatest collection of verse.
The tablets showing haiku by Matsuo Bashō are steeped in the seasonal
certainties of the late 1600s. There are references to full moons, chirping
cicadas and, of course, cherry blossoms.
Awareness of the seasons, and the seamless transition from one to the next, is
found in myriad aspects of Japanese life: cuisine and traditional dress, the
performing arts and, perhaps most conspicuously of all, in haiku poetry.
Almost four centuries later, Bashō’s words continue to inspire admiration and
countless amateur exponents of the 17-syllable form, including the former EU
president and published haiku poet Herman Van Rompuy, who credits the verse
with making him a more effective politician.
But they are also a reminder that haiku faces what some of its enthusiasts fear
is an existential threat: the climate crisis."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
