Black Cats: Haiku by Kaneko Minako (金子皆子)

満月なり慕情は踝をのぼり

Full moon
A longing climbs up
my ankle

眼鏡の隅の黒猫光りくる野分

In the corner of my glasses
a black cat comes to light
Typhoon in late autumn

フォト増えていく小さなハートいっぱい

1

More and more photos
They fill up my little heart

2

The photo album keeps growing
My little heart
is so full it could burst

夏闇吹かれ黒猫の青草のひとすじ

Summer after dark
Wind blows a green leaf of grass
on the black cat

むしかりの白花白花オルゴール

The viburnum’s
white flowers white flowers
music box

冬の夜の黒猫菜の花の匂い

Winter night
Black cat
Scent of rape blossoms

遠きに雪解ネパールの木綿美し

In the distance
melting snow
Nepal’s cotton beauty

黒猫よ枯れ枯れてあり紅梅

Black cat
Withering, withering
red-blossom plum tree

NOTES: Poems used by kind permission from the Gendai Haiku Association.

Five Haiku

いきいきと三月生る雲の奧

–飯田龍太

Brightly, vividly
March is born
Deep within the clouds

–Iida Ryuuta

六月の真夜の家裂く金の馬

–金子皆子

Midnight in June
Tearing through my home —
a golden horse

–Kaneko Minako

からだの風景を鷹が舞っている

–川名つぎお

The landscape of the body
Circled by a falcon

–Kawana Tsugio

親子笑えり一心に切る紙キリスト

–村井和一

Parent and child laugh
with all their hearts
cutting paper Christ

–Murai Kazuichi

教会の冷たき椅子を拭く仕事

–田中裕明

The work of
wiping off the church’s
cold chairs

–Tanaka Hiroaki

NOTES: Special thanks to Yumi for her suggestions.

Poems used by kind permission from the Gendai Haiku Association.

Three Haiku

銃さげし少年匂ふ冬の磯

–原裕

Holding his rifle
The boy gave off a scent —
Seashore in winter

–Hara Yutaka

凩や馬現はれて海の上

–松澤昭

Early winter winds —
Horses riding into view
On the ocean waves

–Matsuzawa Akira

日常や椿一輪が重たし

–金子皆子

Everyday life —
A single camellia
Getting heavy

–Kaneko Minako

NOTES: Poems used by kind permission from the Gendai Haiku Association.