For the previous two weeks on Season Words blog, Mark wrote about the seventeenth and eighteenth weeks of the year. Week 17 (April 22-28) coincided with the Solar Term, Grain Rain, and includes the two micro-seasons, “First Reeds Sprout” at the beginning and “Last Frost, Rice Seedlings Grow” at the end.
He goes on to discuss what damage frost can do to young plants depending on the temperature when the frost occurs. From a light frost to a heavy frost, it is important to farmers to calculate the last frost day based on historical weather data to predict future weather patterns for spring planting and the protection of young seedlings; however, those predictions aren’t always accurate.
Mark also shared haiku by several haiku masters, who wrote haiku referencing frost or last snow before inviting his readers to write haiku of their own referencing last snow or last frost.
This pedometer geek poet wrote the following haiku:
last frost…
we can finally plant
the canna lily tubers
~Nancy Brady, 2024
the snow mingles
with the apple blossom petals
–late spring
~Nancy Brady, 2024
To read the whole informative blog, check out https://seasonwords.com/2024/04/26/week-17-last-frost/ and to read other readers’ haiku, check out the comments at the end of Mark’s blog.
In the following week, Mark writes about the eighteenth week of the year, which still is part of the Solar Term, Grain Rain. During this week (April 29-May 4), the micro-season, “Peonies Bloom” occurs.
Mark writes about the peony and the fact that in China the peony (the “King of Flowers”) is the most popular flower. In polling it came out on top for the flower that citizens would choose as their national (flower) symbol.
In his post, Mark also mentions the ancient Celtic calendar divides the year into eight parts, and the four major divisions are known as Quarter Days (the equinoxes and solstices), and midway between them are Cross-quarter Days. He then went on to say that on or near May 1 is the Cross-quarter day between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It is known as May Day or Beltane. The next Quarter Day is known as Midsummer and occurs on the summer solstice. To read more about them, check out https://seasonwords.com/2024/05/03/week-18-peonies-bloom/
Per usual, after discussing the various kigo associated with this time of year, Mark shared haiku by haiku masters Basho, Buson, Issa (he may be my favorite haiku master, but I digress), and Reichhold (a modern haiku master) before inviting his readers to write haiku referencing a seasonal flower near you.
This pedometer geek poet wrote the following haiku:
grandma’s grave…
her peonies
in bloom
~Nancy Brady, 2017
Beltane…
hyacinths’ blossoms sway
in the breeze
~Nancy Brady, 2024
breathing in the scent
of hyacinths on the wind
–May Day
~Nancy Brady, 2024
One of my friends, who is also a haiku poet (and an excellent one at that), made the suggestion on my second haiku, which was written in an off-the-cuff manner. She suggested removing the word hyacinths, and her edit improves the haiku by making this haiku universal. So, with thanks to Eavonka, here is that version of the haiku:
Beltane…
blossoms sway
in the breeze
~Nancy Brady, 2024
To read all the haiku written to Mark’s prompt, check out the comments at the end of last week’s blog.
nbsmithblog...random digressions and musings 
Hi Nan, Thanks for sharing the process around your “Beltane” haiku. I often go back and forth about specificity and universal terms. I had one haiku that I was writing that had “white-throated sparrow” as a subject, but finally landed on “sparrows” as it seemed better. Great to know I am not the only one who changes their lines after writing!
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Mark,
I write several haiku for almost every haiku I write. I play with the words, taking words out, putting words in, changing up the fragment and phrase. Sometimes less is more, and vice versa. In the “Beltane” haiku, Eavonka suggested removing the word hyacinths. I actually had a different prior to the one I posted on your site so you saw the second and then third (EE’s version) version. Editing is probably the most essential thing we practice, and one of the biggest pains.
My question is: are they all one haiku or many haiku with similar words and ideas?
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I was interested in the seasons… that midsummer is well for us the first day of summer. We had that one 90F day and since then almost some rain everyday.
April has brought many May flowers. At least I was able to do some trimiming and weeding before this afternoon and the rain that came with it.
I think each verse or version is an indivdual piece. I rarely edit after I’ve written. Sometimes I edit during the process. But that’s just me 🙂
Happy spring. I managed to plant some Dailia tubers. I hope I don’t have to dig them up every year – I’m not good at that. Perhaps that is why I no longer have any of the those lovely red flowers you sent me. I have some of the seeds somewhere – if I remember one has to split the seed to help it grow.
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Jules, You don’t have to split the canna lily seeds, but you do have to soak them in water over night, and roughing up the seed coat helps.Still every year we have some seeds come up just because they fell to the ground and over the winter must have had enough roughing up and soaking. They generally don’t get big enough to bloom though; however one year, I threw some old seeds I had collected into the wildflower garden to clean out an envelope I put them in (plans to send them off). They not only grew, but they flourished with some of f the most beautiful blooms I’ve ever seen.
I’ve gotten to the point where every haiku iteration is a different poem, but I do edit older haiku from time to time. Sometimes a different fragment seems more reasonable, and voila, a new haiku.
We also had a day that was nearly 90F (probably the day before you did), and lots of rain lately too. That means, of course, the flowers are doing well as well as the grass is growing and growing, needed to be cut more than once a week. We put it off as long as we can, dodging the rainfall, but then it’s so thick it is hard to mow. Still, in a few months we may wish for all this rain. Never have planted dahlias, but my maternal grandmother always had them on the edge of their garden. Nice showy blooms and such deep, rich colors. Here’s hoping you have a lovely spring. Hugs, Nan
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I’ve got a friend who was able to get some Cherokee tomatoes… says the story is that the seeds were from a family that kept them going for over 100 years, that they came originally from the Cherokee… I’ve tried growing tomatoes in pots, but this same friend says ‘maters… seem to know when they are grounded and like the ground and lots of sun – which I don’t have really. And hubby doesn’t really want edibles close to the house. So…
I may have to look up those Canna lillies… (in the freezer!).
We all enjoy our own style of writing. I tried going to that site you put up at Mark’s place, but I don’t want to sign up for the newsletter… and thus didn’t see any other options other than reading…
Cheers and happy Spring!!
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JP, We tried growing cherry tomatoes in a pot last year and the plant didn’t perform very well (just a couple of tomatoes). Not like the ones we planted in the garden previously. Those we couldn’t keep up with. Maybe there is something to what your friend said. I do think it is interesting that these tomato seeds from the Cherokee are still alive and growing. It’s impressive for so many reasons. We planted our canna lily tubers yesterday. We still have a bunch we didn’t use. Last year we planted sun chokes (a type of Jerusalem artichoke) in the garden as well as sunflowers (so no tomatoes there). The sun chokes are already up about a foot and a half and they have taken over the whole garden. The garden is thick with them. No room for sunflowers at all, or tomatoes for that matter. I don’t even remember what the site way (Solitary Daisy, perhaps?), but if so, I only get an email every so often (like once or maybe twice a month). Normally, I don’t pass on too much, but since almost everyone had written a frog haiku, I thought some people might be interested. You are right that we all write what we want, and enjoyment should be included. If a person doesn’t enjoy the writing, he or she shouldn’t do it. It’s just that simple. Happy weekend.
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I once had a Bush Cherry tomato that did well in a pot… but I haven’t been able to find it again.
If it doesn’t rain… more weeding! 🙂
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