haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering! 7th February 2026 Guest poet: Keiko Izawa

haikaiTALKS: Fueki-ryūkō – The unchanging and ever-changing|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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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT                                      

6th February 2026:

The majority of poets at Triveni Haikai India do want feedback. Instead of making them all write "Feedback welcome," why not ask the minority to write "No feedback, thank you"?

That way, the minority's wish would be much more noticeable, and the majority would be saved the slight inconvenience of having to write "Feedback welcome" on every single post.  

Please follow this suggestion.

This excellent suggestion came from Lev Hart, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart.

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Special Guest Poet: Keiko Izawa

host: Srinivasa Sambangi

haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering under the banyan tree

This concept will be repeated again this week. Try to go deeper into this concept; write something different from what you wrote last week.

Internalising a concept takes time! Make the best use of haikaiTALKS! _kala

haikaiTALKS 7th February 2026

Fueki-ryūkō – The unchanging and ever-changing

Fueki-ryūko is one of the concepts advocated by Matsuo Basho, and the term consists of two opposite words: fueki (不易) and ryūkō (流行).

Fueki refers to what is constant, timeless, and universal – the enduring essence of beauty, nature, and human emotion. Ryūkō refers to what is transient, fashionable, or changing – the expression, style, or cultural forms that shift with time.

Basho emphasized the importance of respecting tradition while also embracing innovation (atarashimi) – much like the saying, “Explore the old to understand the new.” He believed that haiku should evolve by incorporating fresh expressions without losing its essence, teaching that

great poetry must balance both timeless truth and timely expression.

For your reference, these are the examples:

Natural fueki

      • moon

      • snow

      • wind

      • mountain

      • river

      • flower

      • dawn

         etc.

Cultural fueki

      • Buddha

      • gods (Ganesha, wind god, bosatsu, etc.)

      • temples, shrines

      • sutra

      • pond koi (they are grown for appreciation)

      • sari, kimono

         etc.

Human fueki

      • love

      • birth

      • death

      • separation

      • reunion

         etc.

Fueki and ryūkō are not labels we attach to objects — they emerge from the relationship between the image, time, and human presence. For example, wild koi suggest fueki, while koi bred and maintained for viewing may also carry a subtle sense of ryūkō.

This week you are requested to write up to two haiku expressing the concept of fueki-ryūkō.

As usual, try to include kigo in the links at the bottom. Your local kigo are also welcome.

Samples:

autumn again

the crossword puzzle

already filled in

~ John Stevenson

in and out of the surf

the retriever

out-retrieves itself

~ Scot Mason

first frost –

my voice enters

the automated system

~ Jim Kacian

snow falling –

the interstate sign

flashes amber

~ Lee Gurga

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

https://thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/7fb6654a1dfd1afef97369

da920530f8.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/

Thanks, Keiko! Another beautiful post. Thanks a lot.

I hope our poets take the challenge and create a haiku on these lines! Keenly looking ahead to this month.

Greatly indebted to you.

Dear Members,

Please provide your feedback on others' commentary and poems as well.

We are continuing haikaiTALKS in full swing!

Keep writing and commenting! _kala