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7/13/2008

monsterlins

　　
　　


short night ... mijika yo
at the stroke of twelve
the monsters dance








rainy afternoon -
catching monsters and
a few ghosts





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Read the full stories HERE

Fudo stabbing a Monster Cat (bakeneko)


and

More Gongen caught this afternoon !



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


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7 comments:

  1. Anonymous13 July, 2008

    oh Gabi ... your haiku is not only a wonderful introduction to your culture but to your mind !

    i wish i didnt need the background information to enjoy your haiku but i spose that is the cultural thang ... and i love experiencing it from your perspective

    thank you ...

    you know ... even without the cultural connection this could so much be an haiku that works for the child within me (or even IF ANYONE EVER DOES an haiku poetry book for children !)

    E.13

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous13 July, 2008

    Hi Gabi
    For me if you had put - the cat monsters dance - it would give me more insight to the ku. I like it anyway.
    B.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous14 July, 2008

    careful they dont catch you back ...

    might make a good haiku though ? heheh
    E.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous14 July, 2008

    Enjoyed reading the whole thread, Gabi san.
    "strike" or "stroke"? I wonder what the native speakers would prefer; xx used "stroke".

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous14 July, 2008

    Gabi, I see there are other layers when reading the cultural significance of this, but I got a very clear picture from my own childhood.

    The short night as kigo working with the cultural background becomes my 'short night' of lost sleep because I'm staying awake worrying about the monster under my bed.
    I loved it.
    M.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous14 July, 2008

    Looking at the haiku, without any background material and pretending I don't know any kigo words at all, it works for me. I think I'd interpret 'short night' as a lack of sleep. 'shortest night' would place me at the summer solstice.

    I'd say 'STROKE of twelve' . . . not that 'strike of midnight' doesn't, but simply to avoid the rhyme which I'm not particularly fond of in haiku unless its deliberately there and serves other purposes. And I think 'stroke' is certainly more common, Gabi.
    S.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous14 July, 2008

    Thanks for the info and this delightful haiku, Gabi!
    I like xx's thought for "stroke of twelve"...
    since we know it's night.
    L.C.

    ReplyDelete