haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering! 9th May 2026

haikaiTALKS: Numbers in Haiku|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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haikaiTALKS 

Guest poet: Srinivasa Rao Sambangi

haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering under the banyan tree

9th May 2026

Numbers in Haiku

Using numbers as counters in haiku makes the haiku more authentic in portraying the situation. But it needs to be dealt skilfully to bring a special effect. If the numbers are not properly used, the poem looks pretty ordinary without any resonance.

However, one controversial haiku using numbers often comes to mind. Many of you might have guessed it, it’s by Shiki. Shiki is the reformer of haiku advocating shasei technique (sketch of life). He had a great liking for numbers and in the process of modernising haiku, numbers found expression in his haiku in many ways. One day he observed cockscombs from his bed and came up with this haiku:

Cockscombs -- I'm sure there are at least fourteen or fifteen stalks.            trans. Donald Keene

There are several controversies around this poem. Many of his own disciples including Kyoshi criticised it as it lacks emotional content. But slowly, many poets realised the depth of the poem, which highlights the health condition of the poet who cannot move out to see it closely. Even for healthy people it’s difficult to count cockscombs easily as they overlap with each other.

The other haiku masters, Basho, Buson, and Issa also used numbers in a number of their haiku

pine decorations --

thinking about it, one night

feels like thirty years

    Matsuo Basho

peonies scatter . . .

two or three petals fall

on top of each other

         Yosa Buson

spring rain --

there's one window

per person       

Kobayashi Isa

Examples by contemporary poets

  disinfectant jar —

                there must be 14 or 15

                barber’s combs

                                 Michael Dylan Welch

her idea

of spring cleaning

a dozen tulips

         Sondra J. Byrnes

mother’s secrets ...

I prise open

a dozen oysters   

           Lorin Ford

Twenty billion light-years

of perjury:

your blood type is “B”

         Hoshinaga Fumio

Prompt:

It looks simple to use numbers, but writing evocative haiku is not that easy. Try writing one or two haiku using numbers this week.

Reference:

https://wkdhaikutopics.blogspot.com/2007/11/numbers-used-in-haiku.html

Dear Srinivas,

This is an interesting and challenging prompt.

I'm eager to see how our members here will come up with numbers! I hope they find creative ways to add them.

warmest,

_kala

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KIGO WORDS

Shall we please try to include a kigo word in all the poems we share here?

Give the season and the word — under your poem. 

For seasonal references, please check these lists:

“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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Dear poets,

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

We are continuing haikaiTALKS in full swing!

Keep writing and commenting! _kala