Do animals and insects have an insight into the world that we don't? Maybe it pays to listen to them more often. I was doing so the other night, and this haiku was the result.
tell me
change is coming
kōrogi no oto ni kanjiru utsuroi o
This was right after the US election, I should say. By the time I was preparing for bed, the final results still weren't in, but most States had been called and Trump was the projected winner. I am not a Trump fan, so I wasn't very happy. As I often do at night in autumn, I found myself with the balcony window open and listening to the night insects.
I've written at length about how listening to the night insects is a very traditional activity in Japan in autumn. It dates quite far back. Here is a recent post mentioning it. It seems like a traditional quaint activity, and it is. Simple, yet pleasant. It's a good way to relax in the evening before bed—or to get ideas for haiku!
The other day I mentioned the idea of divining the future from the wind. What if the insects themselves could give us hints of the same?
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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon. |
I definitely think you might have something there. The birds definitely have some kind of sense that we don't seem to have. The other day we had a huge migration pass over my work. I'm talking thousands of birds. It was never ending.
Insects really gives great signs as sometimes ants, or birds gives sign of change. But all above, hearing their voices is really mind refreshing.