haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering! 30th August 2025

haikaiTALKS: Japanese aesthetics: Ka-chō-fū-getsu   Part 4 – Moon|a saturday gathering under the banyan tree

A Disclaimer

Responsibility for the originality of the haikai rests solely with the submitting poet. 

If anyone feels that it is similar to another haikai, they are encouraged to contact the relevant poet directly.

Triveni Haikai India will take any action as recommended by the submitting poet.

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Special Guest Poet: Keiko Izawa

host: Srinivasa Sambangi 30th August 2025

haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering under the banyan tree

Your Guest Poet for AUGUST for haikaiTALKS: Keiko Izawa

haikaiTALKS August 2025

Ka-chō-fū-getsu   Part 4 – Moon

(花・鳥・風・月)

Ka (flower) - Chō (bird) - Fū (wind) - Getsu (moon) is a four-character idiom that encapsulates the beauty of nature and its cyclical patterns. Specifically, "flower" symbolizes the beauty of spring, "bird" represents the vitality of living creatures and the scenery of early summer, "wind" signifies the shifting of the seasons, and "moon" refers to the beauty of an autumn evening. This idea is often used to create art and poetry that reflects the beauty of nature throughout the four seasons. These natural elements frequently convey human emotions and feelings.

I believe many poets are drawn to the kigo “moon”, which takes on various shapes, colors, and shades that evoke our emotions throughout the monthly cycle.

The moon alone is an autumn kigo, but there are many subsidiary kigos, such as moonlight, moon shadow, faint moon, hazy moon, bow moon, ice moon, solitary moon, etc., some of which belong to other seasons.

This week, you are requested to write up to two haiku on MOON, inspired by the concept of kachōfūgetsu. Please include the aesthetic elements such as wabi, sabi, yūgen, mujō, miyabi, shibumi, karumi, etc. Try to use a moon kigo from the link below. Your local kigo is also welcome.

WKD (01) ... World Kigo Database . . . (WKD): Search results for moon

Samples:

月さして 一間の家で ありにけり

tsuki sashite/ hitoma no ie de/ arini keri

moonlight –

the one-room house

standing

～Murakami Kijō

稜線を 刻々鎮め 月のぼる

ryōsen o/ kokukoku shizume/ tsuki noboru

the ridge line

growing still –

moonrise

～ Yokoyama Hakyō

クレーンを 操る女 昼の月

kurēn o/ ayatsuru onna/ hiru no tsuki

a woman

manipulating the crane. . .

day moon

~ author unknown

月さして風鈴の影生まれけり

tsuki sashite/ fūrin no kage/ umare keri

moonlight –

the wind bell’s shadow

emerges

～ Kiyosaki Toshio

蛸壷やはかなき夢を夏の月

octopus pots . . .

fleeting dreams

under the summer moon

～ Matsuo Basho

“A Dictionary of Haiku Classified by Season Words with Traditional and Modern Methods,” by Jane Reichhold:

https://thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/7fb6654a1dfd1afef97369da920530f8.pdf

Indian subcontinent SAIJIKI:

https://www.trivenihaikai.in/indian-saijiki

The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words:

http://www.2hweb.net/haikai/renku/500ESWd.html

The World Kigo Database:

https://wkdkigodatabase03.blogspot.com/

The Yuki Teikei Haiku Season Word List:

https://yths.org/season-word-list/

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Thanks, Keiko! This is your last lesson for us in haikaiTALKS for this year. You've been with us for the last few months, feeling intimately connected. By commenting and being so actively involved here on haikaiTALK, we are greatly indebted to you.

Thank you so much.

Dear Members,

Please give your feedback on others' commentary and poems, too. _()_

We are continuing haikaiTALKS in a grand manner!

Keep writing and commenting! _kala