You can return to Episode 14 to hear more of her work and a little about her. Just to remind you she writes with a Haiku circle in Japan and they are having a festival in 2019, the Sakura Haiku Festival to which we are all cordially invited. If you would like more information please check with the show notes and click on the link.

Chatting via email with Mineko she brought up another topic to research. Similes and Metaphors. I was under the impression that similes were generally frowned upon in English language Haiku. Mineko tells me that in Japanese Haiku they are used and that in her haiku circle they are encouraged to be avant garde and experimental, to express what they are feeling and not to be bound by any ruling on the simile. Interesting…. Thanks Mineko you have given me something to think about.

Her Haiku:

under a thin haze
worms wiggling
evident delight

Why did I chose this one? Regular readers of the daily Haiku on the poetrypea website will know that I spend a lot of time thinking about my garden and the birds in it. Worms are a very important part of this life cycle and I love to see them in the garden. This Haiku spoke very loudly to me, I hope it did to you too!

Thanks as always Mineko! Lovely to hear from you again.

2019 Sakura Haiku Festival Program 2019 Sakura Haiku http://www.association-francophone-de-haiku.com/afh/2019/Sakura_Haiku_Festival_2019.pdf

Week 18: Guest Haiku from Mineko Takahashi