green caterpillar
carried by black ants
to the colony
— Anthony Lusardi (USA)
Seashores, issue #8, 2022
Commentary from Jacob D. Salzer:
I appreciate this haiku for a few different reasons. On first read, this haiku gives us a real glimpse of the remarkable social intelligence and physical strength of ants. They truly live and work as a community versus a focus on individuality, and by doing this, they accomplish far more tasks than any individual could do alone. Yet this haiku is also showing a stark and swift movement between two worlds. The presumably (and mysteriously) dead caterpillar died prematurely and did not reach metamorphosis to become a butterfly. As a result, the ants now claim it as their own. In parallel with the ant’s colony, it seems colonialism has hindered the spiritual development of our human potential, partly by seeing Nature through a very limited lens to maximize industrial and financial gain, which creates a blind psychological separation and destroys much of life on Earth in the process. When I read “colony” in this haiku, I think of the inherent dangers of pride and group conformity that ignores the critical importance of diversity. On the other hand, when I see a single dead caterpillar, I think of the dangers of extreme individuality. In the end, it seems finding a balance between group/community activities and individual endeavors is important.
While I understand the importance of an interdependent community, I also see this haiku as a warning to not conform to the superficial materialistic values of collective Capitalism because it ignores our spirit and obscures a true sense of belonging. In short, I think our human species is in dire need of a spiritual and cultural metamorphosis or transformation. Hopefully more people will be willing to change their views and lifestyles, embrace diversity, re-commune with the Earth, and align with our deeper Spirit of love and compassion before it’s too late. This is a powerful haiku with multiple interpretations and deep meaning.
on the pond
a film of ice
a leaf’s pirouette
— Marjolein Rotsteeg (The Netherlands)
Japan Society ‘haiku of the week’, week 48, 2023
Commentary from Hifsa Ashraf:
This haiku suddenly captured my attention as I visualized the scene. It’s a wabi-sabi moment. I liked the way the poet blended two of nature’s elements and brought them close together like a juxtaposition. The pond looks like a stage where a film of ice (with a unique structure and position) made the poet see it beyond seeing. This presents creative imagery where a leaf pirouettes on patterns of ice. It must be a sudden frost or an unpredictable change in the weather where everything in nature is frozen and still. I see how certain changes in nature pause the ongoing movements of transformation.
During the pause, let us think creatively! It’s a challenge for our imagination to see things as they are or to take that transformation as something more beautiful, delicate, and subtle. At that time, one can use their energies positively and find solutions in a creative and unique way.
The elevator and me
building
emptiness
— Charlotte Jung (USA/Sweden)
Haikuniverse, 2020, and also in “Haiku 2020,” Modern Haiku Press
Commentary by Nicholas Klacsanzky:
There are several interpretations of this haiku that one could perceive, but first I want to appreciate the use of space between the lines to create a sense of emptiness. It’s a visual aspect that adds more to the haiku effortlessly.
This poem gets us thinking about what emptiness truly is. Thinking about emptiness being built is quite a philosophical exercise. But, I believe in various spiritual traditions, emptiness is not quite like the physical emptiness expressed in science. And, in this haiku, I lean towards the poet thinking along the lines of those spiritual traditions. With this context, an elevator, a part of the industrial world, building a sense of emptiness with a person is profound. Though the elevator isn’t sentient, it can inadvertently generate a spiritual emptiness for the person(s) inside it.
Another take is that the poet feels one with the elevator during the ride up or down and that the building feels or appears empty in this highly focused moment. It is an illustration of a Zen moment or being “in the zone,” where surroundings fade away and hyper-attentiveness ensues.
Though the haiku does not have a seasonal aspect, I believe the connection it shows between the natural (person) and artificial world (elevator) creates a haiku aesthetic. Emptiness is also a traditional Japanese artistic principle, which can relate to yohaku no bi or ma.
Finally, some notes on the sound and pacing. Most haiku in English do not begin with a capital letter but it does not distract too much in my eyes. The first line is longer than the last two lines, where the minimalism lends to more interpretations than if matters were spelled out in more verbose language. For the sound, the letter “e,” and its corresponding sounds in “i,” give the poem a greater feeling of lightness that connects with the theme of emptiness.
Haiku Commentary 