3/09/2005

Chrysanthemum (kiku)

[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
. kiku 菊と伝説 Legends about chrysanthemum .
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Chrysanthemum (kiku)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Autumn and others, see below
***** Category: Plant


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Explanation


by Ogata Gekko - Viewing Chrysanthemums


Many Japanese kigo in connection with Chrysanthemums:

hatsugiku 初菊(はつぎく)first chrysanthemum

white chrysanthemum, shiragiku 白菊
yellow chrysanthemum, kigiku 黄菊


fine weather to enjoy chrysanthemums, kikubiyori 菊日和

crowded chrysanthemums, rangiku 乱菊
home full of chrysanthemums, kiku no yado 菊の宿
time for the chrysanthemums, kikudoki 菊時
park with chrysanthemums, sono no kiku 園の菊(そののきく)
friends enjoying chrysanthemums, kiku no tomo 菊の友(きくのとも)
owner of chrysanthemums, kiku no aruji 菊の主(きくのあるじ)

dew on chrysanthemums, kiku no tsuyu 菊の露
- chrysanthemum dew

Chiyomigusa 千代見草 ("live to see 1000 generations")
Manjuugiku 万寿喜久 (Long Life Chrysanthemum)
Kisewata 着せ綿 ("under the cotton blanket")
Koganegusa 黄金草(こがねぐさ)"golden plant"
Yowaigusa 齢草(よわいぐさ)
Shimomigusa 霜見草(しもみぐさ)"plant seeing frost"
..... Hatsumigusa 初見草(はつみぐさ)

kogiku 小菊(こぎく) small chrysanthemum
kiku dairin 菊大輪(きくたいりん)large round chrysanthemum
magaki no kiku 籬の菊(まがきのきく)rough fence with chrysanthemums
kikubatake 菊畑(きくばたけ)field with chrysanthemums

hyakujgiku 百菊(ひゃくぎく)
"one hundred different types of chrysanthemums"


source : facebook

If you look closely, there is only one stem and more than 100 different flowers from the many branches. IT was quite an art to prepare this "tree".

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kigo for late autumn

zangiku 残菊 (ざんぎく) remaining chrysanthemum
..... nokoru kiku 残る菊(のこるきく)
..... kiku nokoru 菊残る(きくのこる)

bangiku 晩菊 (ばんぎく) late blooming chrysanthemum

observance kigo for late autumn

kiku kuyoo 菊供養 (きくくよう) memorial ritual for chrysanthemums

18th of October
At the Asakusa Temple in Tokyo.
People by the chrysanthemums offered at stalls and persent them on the altar as an offering to the Kannon deity. Then they take a flower which had been offered by someone else and take it home. This is their amulet for warding off evil influence in the coming year.

. Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音 Tokyo .


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observance kigo for mid-autumn
sometimes placed as late autumn of the new calendar.


chrysanthemum festival 菊の節句 (きくのせっく) kiku no sekku
September 9, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month


. chooyoo 重陽 (ちょうよう) chrysanthemum festival, double nine festival
Chrysanthemen-Fest
 
Observance kigo for late autumn





Chrysanthemum-Dolls 菊人形 kiku-ningyoo
They are displayed in many temple grounds and prizes are given for the most beautiful ones.
. . . CLICK here for more Photos !


悪役の菊人形がよく匂ふ
akuyaku no kiku ningyoo ga yoku niou

a chrysanthemum doll
playing the bad guy
smells strong

Tr. Fay Aoyagi

Kanno Tadao 菅野忠夫


. Daruma as Chrysanthemum Doll  


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plant kigo for all winter

karegiku 枯れ菊 . 枯菊 (かれぎく) withered chrysanthemum
kiku karu 菊枯る (きくかる) chrysanthemums wither
..... kiku karuru 菊枯るる(きくかるる)
kare nokoru kiku 枯残る菊(かれのこるきく)withered chrysanthemums left
itegiku 凍菊(いてぎく) chrysanthemum in the cold



kangiku 寒菊 (かんぎく) chrysanthemum in the cold
shimo no kiku 霜の菊(しものきく) chrysanthemum in frost

fuyugiku 冬菊 ふゆぎく winter chrysanthemum
.... fuyu no kiku 冬の菊(ふゆのきく)

other names for the chrysanthemum in winter
hatsumigusa 初見草(はつみぐさ)"plant first seen"
shimomigusa 霜見草(しもみぐさ)"frost viewing plant"
yukimigusa 雪見草(ゆきみぐさ)"snow viewing plant"
akinakgusa 秋無草(あきなぐさ)"plant without autumn"
nokorigusa のこり草(のころぐさ)"left over plant"


寒菊や醴造る窓の前 
kangiku ya amazake tsukuru mado no saki

寒菊や粉糠のかかる臼の端
kangiku ya ko nuka no kakaru usu no hata

. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .

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plant kigo for mid-winter

kiku no toojime 菊の冬至芽(きくのとうじめ)
chrysanthemum budding at the winter solstice


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by Tsuchiya Koitsu

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Chrysanthemums have been cultivated in Japan since the Nara period. At the Heian court, Chrysanthemum shows and poetry assemblies were very popular.

Chrysanthemums became the symbol of the imperial family of Japan at the time of Emperor Gotoba 後鳥羽 (1180-1239), who loved this flower very much.




As a symbol for long life, the chrysanthemum was already popular in ancient China. Together with Buddhism and other cultural topics the flowers were brought back to Japan by the ambassadors to China (kenzuishi, kentooshi, see below).
To collect the dew on the chrysanthemum petals and drink it would bring you long life (chooju 長寿). The Flower Festival on the 9th of September is also one to celebrate one's wish for longevity 不老長寿.

As an auspicious symbol of long life (kisshoo monyoo 吉祥文様) the chrysanthemum was used for many decoration, on embroydered kimono and as sweets (wagashi).
The Chinese boy Kikujidoo 菊慈童 (きくじどう)drank the dew of the chrysanthemum and lived to gain immortality without ageing, or rather to the ripe age of 800 years. This legend was later incorporated into a famous Noh drama.

To grow big chrysanthemums for the autumn exhibitions is rather difficult. You have to care for the flower in special ways.

Look at : Big Round Heads, atsumono 厚物 
They are said to imitate the Buddhist symbol of a wishfulfilling jewel (hooju 宝珠).

Three flowers from one stem are called "sanbon jitate 三本仕立". They represent Heaven, Earth and Man (ten chi jin 天地人). This is a symbol for "all things shinra banshoo 森羅万象", the cosmos, nature and human society.



Another type looks like  "hanging from a cliff", kengaigiku 懸崖菊
(click for some photos)
.
kigo for late autumn


Here are some photos from "one thousand flowers from one stem  "one thousand flowers from one stem" senrinsaki 千輪咲き .

Chrysanthemums start to flower after the autumn solstice. They need long hours of darkness, before they start producing their buds. They flower long into winter and enchant us with their manyfold colors and forms.



. kikuzuki 菊月(きくづき)chrysanthemum month  
... kikuzakizuki 菊咲月(きくざきづき)
kiku no aki 菊の秋(きくのあき)autumn with chrysanthemums



 kiku makura 菊枕 (きくまくら) "chrysanthemum pillow"

Gabi Greve

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CLICK For more photos

purple chrysanthemums, murasaki mum

murasakigiku 紫菊
In memory of the Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

. The Tale of Genji, Genji Monogatari ... and haiku



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Worldwide use

Romania

Crizanteme
The floral autumn kigo par excellence.

the chrysanthemums—
left alone under the clouds
withstanding the wind

the owner is late
three chrysanthemums are left
on the piano

she will catch a cold:
watching the chrysanthemums
she forgot her coat


Cristian Mocanu
Romanian Saijiki

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the butterfly grown old,
its spirit plays
with the chrysanthemums


Seifu Enomoto

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Things found on the way


Sweets and the Chrysanthemum, the Culture of Kyoto

Manjuugiku and then Chiyomigusa, another name for the Chrysanthemum with the wish for a long life, is also the name of a small sweet Japanese cake made by in Kyoto.

CLICK for more on original LINK . sweetsmemory


"Under the cotton blanket", kisewata 着せ綿, reminds of a custom in the Heian period to put a cotton blanket over the flowers at night and then wipe their own body with this in hope to gain longevity.


www.kaho-fukuoka.co.jp/image/2004-10/kisewata.jpg


This is a cake in honor of the "Chinese Chrysanthemum Boy (kiku jidoo)"



Photo of the Manjuugiku sweet cake for Long Life

Click HERE to look at more sweet cakes with chrysanthemums !

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chrysanthemum:
the last-ing taste of
blowfish flesh

Chibi

Chibi is referring to Fugu, a poisonous fish prepared in this manner:

http://www.daifuku.net/ft-02.html


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isogiku いそぎく(磯菊) silver and gold chrysanthemum
a wild kind. Ajania pacifica, chrysanthemum pacificum.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


磯菊に林檎を乗せるあぶない夜
isogiku ni ringoo o nosete abunai yo

placing an apple
on the isogiku chrysanthemum ...
a dangerous night

Noraneko
Tr. Gabi Greve

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HAIKU


- - - - - Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉

朝茶飲む僧静かなり菊の花
asacha nomu soo shizuka nari kiku no hana

drinking morning tea
the monk becomes peaceful -
chrysanthemum flowers

Tr. Gabi Greve


A monk sips morning tea,
It's quiet,
the chrysanthemum's flowering. 

Tr. Hass


At temple Soozuiji 祥端寺, Katada 堅田, Otsu town 大津市
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the stone memorial !



菊の香や庭に切れたる履の底
kiku no ka ya niwa ni kiretaru kutsu no soko

chrysanthemum fragrance—
in the garden, the sole
of a worn-out sandal

Tr. Addiss

元禄6年10月9日 - 1693, October 9
This is just one month after the famous Chrysanthemum Festival.
Basho and his disciples had a late celebration at the home of Yamaguchi Sodoo 山口素堂 Yamaguchi Sodo. They saw the sole of a straw sandal with a broken thong.
They seemed to enjoy the contrast of the elegance of the Chrysanthemum festival with the lost sandal in the garden.


Chrysanthemum Haiku by
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .

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- Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村  Translations at terebess

asamashiki momo no ochiba ya kikubatake

kangiku ya hi no teru mura no katahotori (1768)

kangiku ya itsu o sakari no tsubomigachi (1768)

kiku no ka ya tsukisumi shimo no keburu yo ni (1776)

. kiku no tsuyu ukete suzuri no inochi kana .
(autumn) chrysanthemum. dew. ink stone

kikutsukuri nanj iwa kiku no yakko naru (1774)

kiku wa ki ni ame orosokani ochiba kana (1777)

mura hyakko kiku naki kado mo mienu kana

shiragiku ni shibashi tayutau hasami kana

shiragiku ya hana ichirin to yubekari

shiragiku ya niwa ni amarite hatake made

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .


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. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo - Chrysanthemum .
With translations and comment by Chris Drake


大名を味方にもつやきくの花
daimyoo o mikata ni motsu ya kiku no hana


薮原や何の因果で残る菊
yabuhara ya nan no inga de nokoru kiku

and more




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酒臭き黄昏ごろや菊の花
sake kusaki tasogare goro ya kiku no hana

the smell of sake
around about dusk...
chrysanthemum

The Chrysanthemum had special importance to Issa, especially after his 1814 marriage to Kiku, who was named after this flower.

ISSA - Translations by David Lanoue
There are 44 haiku on this ISSA link:
- source : haikuguy.com


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ものいはず客と亭主と白菊と
mono iwazu kyaku to teishu to shiragiku to

nobody talks -
guests and host and
a white chrysanthemum


niemand spricht -
Gaeste und Hausherr und
eine weisse Chrysantheme

Oshima Ryota 大島蓼太
September 9. 1718-1787

Discussing the various translations
Haiku Forum


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残菊の黄をとじこめし氷かな
zangiku no ki o tojikomeshi koori kana

the yellow
of late chrysanthemums all locked up
in ice


Tsuji Momoko 辻桃子


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A wren drinks
from white chrysanthemums -
morning fog

Zhanna P. Rader


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chrysanthemums
her cold wedding ring
in his pocket

Petar Tchouhov, Bulgaria, 2007

Origa writes

A poignant and haunting moment of high significance.The direct yet suggestive picture painted in this haiku shows in a symbolic meaning an ambient harmony of the wedding ring and the seasonal flowers offered to the dead wife. In many countries in Europe, chrysanthemums are the flowers for the dead, they are often seen in cemeteries. Chrysanthemum is also a symbol of longevity in Japan, and as such, in this haiku they suggest that the death/departure survived by a long lasting love and memory of the husband/widower.

Multilayered, skillfully composed, "classic" haiku, with obvious relations to the theme and dedication of this contest -- and needless to say, with such an immediate striking effect on the readers. I would suggest (and I kept it in mind while translating) ellipses at the end of L1, both in English and in Russian versions: it will reinforce the effect of the last departure painted by words in this haiku. Bravo, Petar!


RESULTS of the Sixth Calico Cat haiku contest.
Read more Chrysanthemum haiku from the contest HERE

Origa (Olga Hooper) 2007


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sunshine -
in grandmother's window
a chrysanthemum


Alex Serban, Romania


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Related words

..... Wild Chrysanthemum (nogiku 野菊

婦人会 皆花の咲く 野菊かな

all so active
in the Village Ladies Club -
wild chrysanthemum


Look at the phots by Gabi Greve, September 2006

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***** Spring Chrysanthemum
shungiku 春菊 (しゅんぎく )

leaves of chrysanthemum, kikuna 菊菜(きくな)
..... shingiku しんぎく
Shungiku is often used as food. See WASHOKU SAIJIKI.


seedlings of the chrysanthemum, kiku no nae
菊の苗 (きくのなえ)
kigo for late spring
buds of chrysanthemum, kiku no me 菊の芽(きくのめ)
fresh green of chrysanthemums, kiku no wakaba
菊の若葉 (きくのわかば)


hinagiku 雛菊 (ひなぎ) English daisy

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***** Summer Chrysanthemum
(natsu no kiku, natsugiku 夏菊)



kigo for all summer
Some early blooming types, with white or yellow flowers.


Haiku

夏菊やかるき昼餉の手打そば.. .. ..
natsugiku ya karuki hirumeshi no te-uchi soba

summer chrysanthemums -
for a light lunch
handmade buckwheat noodles
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Usui Musoko (臼井無窓子)
http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~turu/kukai/g_200407.html


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kigo for early summer

matsubagiku 松葉菊 (まつばぎく) "pine needle chrysanthemum
sabotengiku 仙人掌菊(さぼてんぎく)
Lampranthus spectabilis


yagurumasoo 矢車草 (やぐるまそう) "windmill plant"
yagurumagiku 矢車菊(やぐるまぎく) Rodgersia podophylla

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kigo for mid-summer

jochuugiku 除虫菊 (じょちゅうぎく) nsect powder chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium


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kigo for late summer

Ezogiku 蝦夷菊 (えぞぎく) chrysanthemum from Ezo (Hokkaido
..... ezogiku 晩夏 翠菊(えぞぎく)
asutaa アスター China Aster
Callistephus chinensis


kinkeigiku 錦鶏菊 (きんけいぎく) golden wave
Coreopsis drummondii


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Reference:

Japanese Historic Embassies to China : Kentooshi 遣唐使
by Gabi Greve


Noh Drama of the Chrysanthemum Boy, Photo

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. PLANTS in all seasons - SAIJIKI

WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI

. kiku 菊と伝説 Legends about chrysanthemum .


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Christmas Moon

nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Christmas Moon, Weihnachtsmond

***** Location: Worldwide
***** Season: Mid-Winter
***** Category: Heavens

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Explanation

Sometimes the full moon happens around December 23 to 27. This is our Christmas moon.
In 2004, it was the 27 th of December.
Gabi Greve




The small Christmas moon of 2004
It's a special full moon, too: the smallest of 2004. Soaring high in the sky, it might remind you of a shiny white Christmas ball for your tree. Don't bother reaching for it... it's 406,700 km away!
Technically speaking, the moon isn't 100% full until Dec. 26th. But that's perfect timing for Christmas carolers and Santa.
The practically-full moon on Dec. 24th and 25th rises early, lighting up streets and rooftops as soon as the sun goes down.
What makes this full moon small? Answer: The moon's lopsided orbit.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/22dec_christmas.htm

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Worldwide use

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Things found on the way


So... to those of you who don't believe
in Santa, here's the proof:
Look out the window Christmas Eve
at the moonlight on your roof.

Read the full poem here:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/22dec_christmas.htm

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Haibun by Debi Bender December 27, 2004

In Orlando, Florida, heavy cloud cover from the frigid north arrived on Christmas Eve, along with a sneezy, runny nose for me. Cold, constant rain fell all Christmas day. Interestingly, man-made “clouds” would also make a strong attempt throughout the United States to cover the presence of deity, or Christian concept of “the light of God-in-man” during the holiday season. Through the American Civil Liberties Union, designed to protect freedoms, constant arguments and legal injunctions attacked public religio-cultural displays with reference to Jesus Christ or the mention of God. Nativity sets, hymns, the Charles Dickens play, “A Christmas Carol,” to name a few targets. The freedoms of merry old Saint Nicholas seem somewhat safe for the moment, though. As is the tradition in our little family, we stayed warm with cozy get-togethers, enjoying the fellowship. Sharing gifts, music, good food and drink. Remembering the military troops in the war and around the world, away from home and family.

frigid rain
though the moon is unseen
yet it is Christmas

DW Bender

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Haiga by Karina Kleskov
http://members.fortunecity.com/karina16/Christmas.Moon.htm


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HAIKU


Christmas moon -
with great expectations
I put on my gloves

Gabi Greve

my expectations can be seen below, all your wonderful haiku.

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A Collection of Haiku from the WHCworkshop 2004.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WHCworkshop/

cleaning up
after the presents-
Christmas moon

Christmas moon-
waiting for
his first words

outshining
the twinkling lights-
Christmas moon

Kate Steere

o o o o o

Weihnachtsmond -
durch die Stille faehrt
ein leerer Bus

Christmas moon -
through the silence drives
an empty bus
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Gerd Boerner, WHCgerman

o o o o o

Christmas moon
fresh chocolate cake
from the kitchen

Ella Wagenmakers

o o o o o

christmas dinner -
there appear to be two moons
full in the sky

kevr (L/boro December 04)

o o o o o

moon scattering presents
round the world

Sally Evans

o o o o o

Christmas decorations
our eyes keep returning
to the haloed moon

dr_b_ross

o o o o o

switching off
the Christmas lights -
the room bright with moon


Norman Darlington

o o o o o

Christmas moon
my warm pajamas
not warm enough


Christmas Moon -
my neighbor's son explains
the art of Arnis

deborah russell

o o o o o

Christmas moon --
the shadows of three deer
reach our front door

Christmas moon --
the front door is approached
by three shadows

Origa

o o o o o

christmas moon
breakes thru the trees
alone....

shanna

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over Bethlehem
the same Christmas moon
above me

still cold
beneath the bright
yule moon

Michael Baribeau

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Related words

***** MOON > Moon and his Links

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Please send your contributions to Gabi Greve
worldkigo@yahoo.com




WHC Worldkigo Discussion Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WHCworldkigo/

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

Chesapeake TOPICS

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The Chesapeake Saijiki – Non-Seasonal TOPICS,
All Year, Miscellaneous


The Chesapeake Bay is on the East Coast of North America.

Please read the general introduction here.

Please add your kigo and information.

M. Kei, April 2006
Editor of the Chesapeake Bay Saijiki

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The Collection of Non-seasonal Topics




.. .. .. Non-seasonal TOPICS

.. .. Season

.. .. Heaven

bully breeze --
The breeze blowing off of Bulle Rock, near Havre de Grace, Maryland. Even when the rest of the air is dead, there is often enough of a breeze from the rock to help a sailboat make harbor.

The breeze blowing off of Bulle Rock, near Havre de Grace, Maryland. Even when the rest of the air is dead, there is often enough of a breeze from the hill to help a sailboat make harbor. When the wind is fresh... sailing gets ‘interesting.’

From time immemorial mariners have used short poems as mnemonic devices to help remember important information. The captain of the Martha Lewis recently composed the following couplet as advice to his relief captains.

When the wind is from 300 degrees,
beware the Bulle Rock breeze.

~Capt. Byshe Hicks, US
Capt. Byshe is a skipjack captain.



high winds --
The topography and meteorology of the area combine to bring about sudden shifts in weather and may spawn sudden strong winds; wind warnings are often posted on the many bridges in the area. Certain traffic is prohibited from using the bridges during wind warnings. These winds may even occur in fair weather, without any rain or storm, especially in spring and fall.
.. .. .. .. .. World Kigo Database : WIND in various kigo


.. .. Earth and Sea

Comegy's Bight --
The place names of the Chesapeake are many and varied, a result of the endless melange of people who have settled here or passed through.

crisp autumn night...
we anchor in stars in
Comegy's Bight

~Gail Greene, US



Elkton floods --
The town of Elkton, on the Elk River, floods at frequent intervals throughout the year. Once navigable as far as Elkton where steamboats docked downtown, the Elk River has now silted up and has a pervasive flooding problem. For decades folks have been saying ‘something should be done,’ but nothing has changed.

”Before it went out of business, the local 5 & 10 used to keep merchandise at least two feet off the floor. During floods, clerks in hipwaders would go to fetch whatever the customer wanted and bring it to where they waited on the steps.”~M. Kei

five and dime:
the clerks wear hip waders
to serve customers

~M. Kei, US


granite --
A common stone from the Chesapeake Country, it was so readily available that it was used to build not only houses and churches, but also roads and curbs. Many small towns still retain relics of their granite paving as well as houses and businesses built from granite. Baltimore has a number of streets where the old granite bricks are still exposed. The town of Port Deposit, Maryland, is famous for its granite ledges.


knoll --
In connection with the Chesapeake Bay, a 'knoll' is understood to be an underwater hill. The bay varies in depth from ankle deep to holes a 150 feet deep, and suddenly changes in bottom topography are common. Some of the knolls are well-known and have acquired their own names and hazard lights, eg, Seven Foot Knoll.


marsh --
Marshes and other wetland abound on the Chesapeake, but are being filled in and their ecosystems badly damaged by ongoing development. In watermen’s communities, worn out boats are abandoned in marshes to dispose of them. Also ‘marshland.’

graveyard of boats
their memory sinks
into the marsh

~ M. Kei, US


“Wind-blown seeds found homes in the marshland. Here crabs gathered in May to shed their shells. Here geese flocked on frosty mornings, kids spying on them from shacks hidden in the reeds. All is changed now, all faded away. The Black Walnut Point* on the Chesapeake Bay has become a bed and breakfast inn.”
~Tei Matsushita

marshland--
stakes rotten, but a haven
for flowers without name

~Tei Matsushita, US

* The artist’s country house from 1965 to 1976.



Seven Foot Knoll -
An underwater hill, its top is a mere seven feet below the surface of the Chesapeake Bay. This knoll is located just outside the Port of Baltimore and so is a navigation hazard. A warning light has been mounted on it. Seven Foot Knoll is the northernmost point at which skipjacks dredge for oysters.


Tidewater --
Another name for the Chesapeake Bay region. It is literally the land below the fall line, meaning that it could be reached by boat from the bay. In the old days, boats knit together the economy of the region and though modernization has changed many things, the region still shares an underlying history and structure due to the Bay.

Terrapin Sand Point
and Okahanikan Cove --
names alone are good.


~Harry Armistead
Previously published in ‘Chesapeake Bay Haiku,’ Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.


it's almost the sea,
Jellyfish and Loggerheads,
occasional Whales.

~ Harry Armistead, US.
Previously published in ‘Chesapeake Bay Haiku,’ Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.


Washington, DC --
The capital of the United States is located on the tidal part of the Potomac River and hence is very much a part of the Chesapeake Bay region. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the address of the White House. A family of ducks became local celebrities when they took up residence on the White House lawn.

Behind the fence
at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
the ducks nest.

~ M. Kei, US



.. .. Humanity

boat --
Any small vessel that is not a ship. The Chesapeake Bay is home to numerous traditional, modern, and recreational boats. Traditional boats include the Baltimore clipper, skipjack, crab boat, pilot boat, sailing skiff, bugeye, sailing canoe, and others.


leathering --
the process of cutting, shaping, stitching, and gluing leather parts on a wooden sailboat or skiff. It is done first while the boat is under construction, which may be any time of year, but thereafter will usually be done in the spring (if needed) as part of haul out.

leathering the oars, how
leathered my hands...

~M. Kei


lighthouse --
A necessity for the many points and hazards of Chesapeake navigation. The lighthouses are such an integral part of the scenery that even lighthouses that have been officially retired are kept going as 'courtesy lights' by local non-profit organizations. Many lighthouses are open to the public or can be viewed from chartered boats.
For more info,
http://www.cheslights.org/


museum --
The Chesapeake Bay is rife with museums, ranging from the world-class museums of the Smithsonian Institution to many small and medium-sized museums dedicated to all manner of things, especially local culture and history, from the skipjack Rebecca T. Ruark (oldest skipjack still afloat) to the Fire Museum of Maryland (a major museum dedicated to the history of firefighting) to the Maryland House of Delegates (oldest state house still in use to house a legislature).
Many of the museums and historical sites are both open to the public and continuing at least in part their original function.

“The Washington DC Mall stretches between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. On either side is a wondrous array of museums. When I was a girl, my mother would give me two car tokens (bus/streetcar tokens) and a sack lunch and turn me loose to spend the day in the museums of my choice.”~ Susan Delphine Delaney, US

museum case
the bones
of a cavalry camel

~ Susan Delphine Delaney, US



roadside crosses --
It has become common for mourners to erect handmade crosses on the side of the road to mark the place where the loved one died. These crosses may receive offerings of flowers, balloons, and items special to the deceased at various times of year. In some areas there are many of them, one fifteen mile stretch of Rt. 40 in Cecil County has eight or more.

counting memorials on
the side of the road--
highway of misery


~M. Kei


.. .. Observances


.. .. Animals

Heron, great blue heron (Ardea herodias) --
Widespread in North America, great blue herons stand up to four feet tall with wingspans up to seven feet. They nest in trees and bushes that stand near protected waters. Herons principally eat fish, but they supplement their diet with snakes, birds, crabs, dragonflies, frogs, grasshoppers, and similiar creatures. Although they are solitary when hunting, they nest together in colonies, which in the Chesapeake are called ‘rookeries.’ Their eggs and young are preyed on by raccoons and other birds. They will abandon a rookery if a member of the community was killed there. The Chesapeake Bay is an extremely important habitat, about half of all Atlantic herons overwinter here.

A Great Blue Heron

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ardea_herodiasPCCA20060128-2118B.jpg



.. .. Plants



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COPYRIGHT:

All poems copyright by the authors and used with permission. All images, unless specified otherwise, are courtesy of the WikiCommons projectand are posted in accordance with the licensing agreement(s) accompanying each image on that site.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Spring

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Summer

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Autumn

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Winter

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Non-seasonal topics, miscellaneous


. BACK TO .. .. .. Chesapeake Bay, USA .



[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Chesapeake WINTER

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

.. .. .. .. The Chesapeake Saijiki – WINTER

The Chesapeake Bay is on the East Coast of North America.

Please read the general introduction here.

Please add your kigo and information.

M. Kei, April 2006
Editor of the Chesapeake Bay Saijiki

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Collection of Seasonal Words




.. .. .. WINTER

.. .. Season

cold --

winter day --

winter night --

winter solstice --
World Kigo Database: Winter solstice (tooji)


.. .. Heaven

deep snow --
It rarely snows in the Chesapeake Bay region, but when it does, it dumps a deep snow. These snows usually occur late in the season and may range from eight to twelve inches up to thirty inches. Owls are usually a summer topic when outdoor lifestyles permit people to encounter them more readily.

World Kigo Database : Snow

last night a deep snow
on a porch rail this morning
two owls side by side


~ Denis Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.


drizzle --
The infamous winter drizzle. It rarely snows here. It rains, sleets, drizzles, and drips.

World Kigo Database: Rain in various kigo

December drizzle --
even the weeds turn purple
with the cold.

~M. Kei, US


thunder snow, thundersnow --
The unique topography and meteorology of the region sometimes combined to produce ‘thunder snow’, the Weather Service’s name for snowstorms that include thunder and lightning.


thundersnow
a couple dance
the blues away


Alan Summers
Hull, Yorkshire, England, December 2010


.................................................................................




winter moon --
Although the winter moon may not be as large and bright as other moons, when it can be seen through the naked branches it is particularly effective, and even more so when it becomes our companion on a long trip.

MOON as a KIGO

“For half of the year, thick foliage hides the houses in the Virginia woods. It gives such a pleasure, therefore, to see the lighted windows among the leafless boughs, although of course it has been expected. On one such evening, in the distance, I saw a single light slowly moving up… and up…”
~ Tei Matsushita


lights in the woods…
one inching upward
--the yellow moon

~ Tei Matsushita, US
Previously published in Matsushita: a fusion of painting and poetry , 2003.

http://www.matsushita.com/_en/collections/ryoshu/lights_in_the_woods.htm



winter rain --
While rain can fall at any time of year, in the Tidewater region the weather is usually not cold enough for snow. Therefore we get cold, hard, chilly, gray, unpleasant rains during the winter. The winter rains are essential to replenish the reservoirs and groundwater for the coming year. Without it, the spring will be dangerously dry, damaging to crops, and with great risk of wildfires.

World Kigo Database: Rain in various kigo


winter sun --



.. .. Earth and Sea

.. .. Humanity

Fireplace fires/chimney smoke --
In Maryland, winters are moderated by the Chesapeake Bay; nevertheless, there are some weeks of bitter cold (by local standards) and many homes are furnished with working fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, etc., to supplement heating. So, in Maryland, chimney smoke is a sign that someone has felt the chill of winter deeply enough to fire up their stove or fireplace. See also boat-tailed grackles, Summer.

chimney smoke
caught by the wind
endless flock of grackles


~Denis Garrison
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005


lack of tourists --
During the winter, tourists are few and far between, parking is plentiful, and the ducks and geese and other forms of wildlife ignore the humans as they know the locals won’t feed them.

Winter,
the tourists have all gone,
but the herons remain

~ M. Kei, US
Previously published in ‘Wandering the County,’ Runner-Up, Lighthouse Poetry Contest, 2006.



Martha Lewis --
Youngest skipjack built for oyster-dredging and still in operation. Martha was built in 1955, the last year anyone thought a skipjack could make a living. Now operated by the non-profit Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy and still oystering. Also takes charters.
For more info on Skipjack Martha Lewis:
http://www.skipjackmarthalewis.org

Aboard the Martha Lewis,
with a sky half sun and half storm,
we race for flat water.

~M. Kei, US
M. Kei is a crewman aboard the Martha Lewis.



Rebecca T. Ruark --
Oldest skipjack still sailing, oldest United States Coast Guard certified vessel still in operation, Rebecca was built 1884. No longer oystering, she is now a charter vessel.
For more info,
http://www.skipjack.org/


skipjack --
Skipjacks are the official Maryland State Boat. Skipjacks are a traditional wooden sailboats used for dredging for oysters. Skipjacks are muscular sloops distinguished by their wooden hulls and masts and very large sails. The Chesapeake Bay skipjacks are the last fleet of commercial sail still working at their original purpose. Since they dredge only in the winter months, November - March, ‘skipjack’ is a winter kigo.

These days few skipjacks are left and they must support themselves with summer charters and educational programs so they can be seen in any season, but they are indelibly associated with winter oystering. In 2002, the skipjack fleet was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of http://www.nationaltrust.org/news/docs/20020606_skipjacks.html America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

oysters in my bed
boats above me
watch out, the dredge!


~Amora Johnson, US


Nothing colder--
skipjacks dredging
for oysters


~M. Kei, US


slack time --
Winter, or any other time when boating is not feasible.

I'll wash it ashore.
slack time is for maintenance.
distant islands wait.


~Harry Armistead, US
Previously published in ‘Chesapeake Bay Haiku,’ Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.

.. .. Observances

Babe Ruth’s Birthday --
George Herman Ruth, Jr, better known as Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, was born in Baltimore on February 6, 1895. The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum is open to the public and offers events.
For more info,
http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/


Christmas --
World Kigo Database: Christmas



Edgar Allen Poe’s Birthday --
Edgar Allen Poe’s birthday is January 19, and is observed at his home and grave. The Edgar Allen Poe Society of Baltimore.
http://www.eapoe.org/index.htm


Wedding jams-- (Late winter)
Cecil County in the Chesapeake Country was once home to numerous wedding chapels. People from all over the East Coast would run away to the ‘Greta Green of the East Coast’ to get married. While few wedding chapels are left in business, Valentine’s Day still brings hordes of couples to be married.
No one should attempt to drive Main Street in Elkton, MD, around Valentine’s Day as the one lane wide street will be choked with traffic jams of limousines for wedding parties. Famous people married in Elkton include Babe Ruth and Billy Holiday.
For more information on how to get married in Elkton, http://www.seececil.org/weddings.html

http://www.nationaltrust.org/Magazine/_images/nd02/md-elkton.jpg



.. .. Animals

Canada geese (Branta Canadensis) --
Canada geese overwinter in the Chesapeake Bay in great numbers and are everywhere in the sky, the fields, and waters. Some decide they like it here and won’t go back where they came from. These RP (resident population) Canada geese can be a nuisance.

Canada,
take back your geese!
We have too many!

~M. Kei, US


oyster (Crassostrea virginica) --
The American Oyster, also called the Eastern Oyster and Virginia Oyster, is native to the East Coast of the United States. The Chesapeake Oyster is a subspecies of the American Oyster. It is a hard shellfish, typically 2 - 6 inches in length, growing about one inch a year. It is a filter feeder and peforms an important ecological function in cleaning the Chesapeake Bay.
The oysters have been all but wiped out by pollution, disease, and overharvesting. Skipjacks are no longer economically viable and there is talk of declaring the Chesapeake oyster an endangered species.


snow geese --
Snow geese also over winter. Though not as numerous as the Canada geese, flocks of them can fill fields.
World Kigo Database : Snow Geese


.. .. Plants

holly berries --
American holly (Ilex opaca) is native to the eastern United States, and is especially common in the Mid-Atlantic region. Hollies are dioecious, meaning they have male and female plants and both are necessary for pollination and propagation. Bees are the principle pollinators. Notoriously hard to grow, some ancient hollies were planted in the colonial or early American period and persist to this day, and have given their name to many old mansions and houses. They are evergreen and broadleafed, providing cover to many birds. The red berries persist in winter and are an important supplemental food for birds. They are sold as ornamental plants, especially at Christmas.
World Kigo Database: Holly

A grey day --
even the holly berries
are dark.

~M. Kei, US


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Americanholly_8046.JPG


Christmas trees --
While most Christmas trees are cut elsewhere and shipped to the region, numerous small Christmas tree farms dot the area and often provide the opportunity for customers to cut their own Christmas tree.
World Kigo Database: Christmas Tree




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

COPYRIGHT:

All poems copyright by the authors and used with permission. All images, unless specified otherwise, are courtesy of the WikiCommons projectand are posted in accordance with the licensing agreement(s) accompanying each image on that site.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Spring

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Summer

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Autumn

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Winter

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Non-seasonal topics, miscellaneous


. BACK TO .. .. .. Chesapeake Bay, USA .



[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Chesapeake AUTUMN

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

.. .. .. .. The Chesapeake Saijiki - AUTUMN

The Chesapeake Bay is on the East Coast of North America.

Please read the general introduction here.

Please add your kigo and information.

M. Kei, April 2006
Editor of the Chesapeake Bay Saijiki

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Collection of Seasonal Words




.. .. .. AUTUMN

.. .. Season

autumn night --
See also ‘crabs’ in the Summer section.

crabs moving slowly
through the cattails...
autumn night

~ Carol Raisfeld, US
Previously published in World Haiku Review, Vol. 2, Issue 3, Nov. 2002.


chilly morning --

chilly morning--
the stones of the fire ring
still warm

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.



.. .. Heaven

autumn moon --
The harvest moon of the Chesapeake Bay is particularly spectacular, being larger and brighter than in other places.

World Kigo Database : MOON and its kigo



fog --
The water stays warm longer than does the air, and so fog is a common happening in the autumn.

World Kigo Database : Fog, Mist and Haze

we wake to new world,
marsh grasses gone...
water, fog surround us

~Gail Greene, US


the slow rat tat
of fogdrops
in the magnolia

~ Susan Delphine Delaney, US



.. .. Earth and Sea

September tide --
See also ‘shellsand’ in the Summer section.

september tide
broken shells return
to the sea

~Carol Raisfeld, US


salt weather --
When the wind blows in from the sea, carrying with it the sting of salt. Especially unpleasant in autumn.

salt weather--
from the boardwalk, cries
of gulls

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.


.. .. Humanity

quilts placed on beds --

I turn restlessly
and draw the bed quilts up close;
but the crane cries out.

~M. Kei


.. .. Observances

Halloween --
While they may be visited at any time of year, Halloween is an especially popular time to visit the home and grave of Edgar Allen Poe. The Poe House offers various Halloween events. For more info, Edgar Allen Poe Society of Baltimore:
http://www.eapoe.org/index.htm

World Kigo Database : Halloween, Hallowe’en


.. .. Animals

birds fly south --
(Late fall)

black flocks of grackles
flow into white southern sky . . .
here comes the north wind


~ Dennis Garrison, US. Previously published in Eight Shades of Blue. (Lulu Press. 2005).



Barn Swallows --
World Kigo Database : Swallows (tsubame)

before heading south,
barn swallows...
on telephone wires

~Gail Green, US



Canada geese arrive (Branta Canadensis) --
Migratory Canada geese and many other birds from ‘up north’ arrive to spend the winter on the Chesapeake Bay, then return in the spring, the reverse of the migratory schedule in other parts of North America. Canada geese are large brown geese with brownish white bellies, dark heads, and black tails. Their wingspan is 50 - 68 inches. These are the same wild geese known to Asia, and their haunting cry has been part of poetry as long as poetry has been written.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Canada_Goose_swimming.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Branta_canadensis1.jpg

World Kigo Database: Migrating Birds (wataridori)

a tramp in my field
gazes at migrating geese -
so homeless and free

~ Denis Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.


dusk down here
but the transient geese
still lit up

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.


at lovely Cove
honking Canada Geese
rise above the trees

~Gail Greene, US
Previously appeared in Writing Haiku: Selected Poems by Members of the Class, Academy of Lifelong Learning, 2005.



crickets --
The singing of crickets is particularly noticeable in the fall. Their song slows as the temperature drops until eventually their are no more crickets and winter is upon us. Crickets take refuge indoors as the weather chills, and finding crickets in our shoes in the closet (how do they get there?) is one of the first signs of autumn arriving.

World Kigo Database : Insects (mushi)


wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) --
A dark belly and back, small head, large body, large tailed game bird indigenous to the eastern United States. The tail is a dark fan shape with subtle iridescent markings of bronze and black and sometimes buff. Wild turkeys nest on the ground and eat a variety of insects, slugs, berries, salamanders, grasses, nuts, etc.

Most of the year they move in single sex flocks with young males following their mothers. During the mating season in March and April a single male attempts to acquire a female flock as his harem. Turkey hens sit on the eggs for a month or more, making them very vulnerable to predators. They do not migrate, but remain in their range and change their diet to winter foods. Wild turkeys are associated with fall because they were traditionally hunted at this time to provide Thanksgiving dinner.

Traffic radio,
"Wild turkeys in the road."
Rush hour, country style.

~ M. Kei, US
Previously published in ‘Wandering the County,’ Runner-Up, Lighthouse Poetry Contest 2006.>



.. .. Plants

last strawberries --Thanks to the mild climate, strawberries can be picked in home gardens into the fall.
World Kigo Database: Strawberries


peach trees bear fruit --
(Early fall)


rhododendron leaves close (Rhododendron spp.) --
A widespread plant, species are native to Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia. Of the more than 900 species, 26 are native to North America. Species indigenous to the Chesapeake region include R. arborescens, R. catawbiense, R. maximum.



rose hips --
Roses, including wild roses, produce small red fruits in the fall. High in vitamin C, they are eaten by birds and have medicinal use for humans. Rose hip jam is occassionally made.




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

COPYRIGHT:

All poems copyright by the authors and used with permission. All images, unless specified otherwise, are courtesy of the WikiCommons projectand are posted in accordance with the licensing agreement(s) accompanying each image on that site.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Spring

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Summer

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Autumn

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Winter

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Non-seasonal topics, miscellaneous


. BACK TO .. .. .. Chesapeake Bay, USA .



[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

3/08/2005

Chesapeake SUMMER

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

.. .. .. .. The Chesapeake Saijiki - SUMMER

The Chesapeake Bay is on the East Coast of North America.

Please read the general introduction here.

Please add your kigo and information.

M. Kei, April 2006
Editor of the Chesapeake Bay Saijiki

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Collection of Seasonal Words

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. SUMMER

.. .. Season

green --
The Tidewater region is an incredibly verdant area, well watered by the numerous creeks and rivers, with ample rain and fertile soil. Every possible shade of green is to be seen in high summer. Summer forests appear as walls of green.

World Kigo Database: All Shades of Green (banryoku) and more about "Green Kigo"

“Maryland is quite tropical in summer (I can attest, as I have lived in jungle places). I actually had a couple friends, visiting from our desert southwest US, complain that the green was too much for them. Personally, I love living inside the emerald!”
Denis M. Garrison, US


midday sun
shimmers in the valley
ten shades of green

~ Denis M. Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.


summer heat --
'Sultry' just doesn't do justice to the oppressiveness when heat and humidity both hover near 100. August is infamous for weeks of hot muggy heat, but it can happen as early as April and as late as November.

this chair, that chair,
it doesn't matter--
it's still too hot.

~ M. Kei, US


hot and humid day
cleansing, cooling thunder storms
lightning strikes again

~Paul R. Cassidy, US


“Sunset in Rosslyn” was painted with a vision of a hot summer day along the Potomac River. Several years have passed since I moved from the area around the city of Washington, and in my memory the place has taken on a quality something like a fairy-tale. When I painted this canvas, I often closed my eyes to capture this quality.”
Tei Matsushita


a moment’s lull--
heat of the day
gone down in the Potomac


~ Tei Matsushita
Previously published in Matsushita: a fusion of painting and poetry , 1996.

http://www.matsushita.com/_en/collections/aya/sunset_in_rosslyn.htm


.. .. Heaven

hurricane --
The Chesapeake Bay receives its share of hurricanes, with the recent Hurricane Isabel causing considerable damage, even in places that had been safe from hurricanes for fifty years or more.

World Kigo Database: Typhoon, Hurricane

While listening to the approach of Hurricane Isabel.

'Pine surf' they called it,
those old poets who loved storms
as much as I do.

~ M. Kei, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest , Summer, 2006.


ozone warning --
A downside to the area. Ozone warnings are generally issued in summer when the weather and pollution combine to make breathing particularly difficult, especially for those with respiratory problems, the elderly, and the very young. People are cautioned to stay inside as much as possible on these days.


summer storm --
Summer storms are common and blow a good hard gale. Mild storms may leave the region even hotter and more humid than they were, but a good hard one will wash the air and leave it fresh and clear. Corrugated tin roofs were a traditional roofing material in the region, and some houses and businesses still have them. The drumming of the rain on a tin roof is extremely loud.

today's thunderstorm
sheets of rain drum on the roof --
the elms full of birds


~ Denis M. Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.

seagulls on the wing
food is on the horizon
gathering storm clouds


~Paul R. Cassidy, US

neverending storms
break the bays tranquility
thoughts of old remorse


~Paul R. Cassidy, US


tornado --
About half the tornadoes in the world occur in the United States. While Tornado Alley on the Great Plains is famous for its tornadoes, the unique topographic and meterological conditions in the Chesapeake region can provoke some wild weather and spawn tornadoes, along with the occassional water spout.


.. .. Earth and Sea

sand dollar --

small fortune
my pocket full
of sand dollars

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.


tidepool --

tidepool
the many stars sink
into the sand

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.



fishing --
Sport and commercial fishing are both widely practiced on the Chesapeake Bay. See also oyster and crab.

”It was in about March and the fish hadn't schooled up yet and the brown pelicans were hungry. The fisherman was pulling trash fish from the net and throwing them out to the brown pelicans who tightly circled the boat.”
-- maXine caRey harKer, US


morning river mist
lone fisherman tends his net
-- ringed by pelicans

~maXine caRey harKer, US
Previously published in News and Observer, Raleigh, NC.


low tide
the tinkle
of shellsand


~Susan Delphine Delaney, US
Previously published in bottle rockets #10.



.. .. Humanity

Arabber, A-rabber --
A local peddlar in Baltimore with a horsedrawn wagon. Still in existance, Arabbers are usually African Americans who peddle useful items such as watermelons, soda, pantyhose, and toothpaste from their wagons. In other words, they are mobile convenience stores.

crab boat --
crab pot --
crab shack --
crabbing --
........... The CRAB is very important for the Chesapeake area.
See the special entry in the World Kigo Database : Crab (kani)



jousting --
Jousting is the officially designated Maryland state sport. Jousting events are held during the summer. A descendant of medieval jousting, the modern joust is a speed and accuracy event in which riders attempt to lance progressively smaller rings at full speed.


painted screens --
A folk art for Baltimore and the surrounding area. It was invented in 1912 when a Czech grocer decided to move his produce from the sunny sidewalk to the shady interior, and painted pictures of the produce on the window screens so that people would know it was still available. It worked so well it spread and became a folk art.

For more info,
http://www.geocities.com/screenpainter@verizon.net/Page2history.html


pit beef --
Bars and roadside stands sprout to sell pit beef, pit pork, pit chicken, pit just about everything, slow roasted until it falls apart in a Chesapeake style bar-b-que! Delicious!


rowhouse --
The archtypical Baltimore rowhouse was about twelve feet wide and two stories high, with no front porch but a rear porch of wrought iron. This wrought iron was shipped to New Orleans where they liked it so much they put it on the front of their houses. In Baltimore, it was traditional for rowhouses to be entered by a set of white steps made of wood, or in more affluent neighborhoods, marble.

Many rowhouses are still without air conditioning in the poorer neighborhoods, and people often sit on their front stoops to socialize or watch the world go by. At night, when they go to bed, they flip up the wooden steps to show that they are no longer receiving callers. Such rowhouses are often decorated with painted screens, a local folk art.


shellsand --
If you walk along the shore at dawn and it is just low tide, you can just hear the tumble of shells on their way to being sand. at that point the flakes of hells are just an eighth of an inch across and the trailing edge of the waves tumbles them. there is a faint high pitched tinkle.

low tide
the tinkle
of shellsand

~ Susan Delphine Delaney, US
Previously published in bottle rockets #10.


tourists --
The waterways of the Chesapeake attract hordes of tourists during the warm weather. Everything from kayaks to schooners can be seen running up and down the bay and its tributaries.


.. .. Observances

bull and oyster roast --
A popular fundraiser for many volunteer fire companies, churches, and other not-for-profit organizations. The 'bull' is generally pit beef and other meat dishes, while nowadays the oysters often have to be imported from the Gulf Coast. The bull and oyster roasts are annual events which have been going on for many years; they are part of the rhythm of life in the small towns where they occur.


Independence Day --
The 4th of July is a major holiday in the United States, and is celebrated especially enthusiastically in the Chesapeake region, coinciding as it does with the tourist season. Boating and picnicking are traditional methods of celebrating the holiday. Fireworks are sometimes launched from barges rather than shore, and firework watching from boats creates boat traffic jams.
World Kigo Database : Independence Day


skipjack races --
Skipjack races are held during the summer at several locations. The races are part of an effort to raise awareness and appreciation for these old wooden workboats. The main contenders are the oldest of the still working skipjacks, the Rebecca T. Ruark (built 1884) and the youngest, the Martha Lewis (built 1955).


.. .. Animals

Baltimore oriole (Ictgerus galbula) --
The official state bird of Maryland. The male's plumage is black and golden orange, not unlike the colors in the Calvert shield (part of which makes up the flag of Maryland), which caused the bird to be associated on with Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore, the Lord Proprietor of the Maryland colony. In spite of its official status, its numbers are declining rapidly due to loss of breeding habitat in the Chesapeake Bay region and destruction of winter habitat in the tropics, as well as ingestation of pesticides via the insects it eats.



Barred owl (Strix varia) --
Found throughout Maryland. Barred owls live in wet woodlands, swamps and river bottoms and prey on other birds and on reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and, occasionally, fish. They hunt at night and rest during most of the day, but may be seen in late afternoon or on particularly dark days. This is a very vocal owl, often heard calling at night. It has a classic hooting call, a shrill scream, and several other barking and yelling calls that can be startling to people. Barred owls are especially heard in summer's still nights when all the windows are opened for air. Their flight is soundless

World Kigo Database : Owl (fukuro)

deep night
the barred owl talks
to the moon

~ Denis M. Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.


bat --
These flying mammals exist in the Chesapeake region as everywhere. Given the multitude of insects that thrive in the marshy areas, they are even more necessary here. See also Little Brown Bat.

evening sky ballet
flickering bats amongst the
lightning bugs

~ Denis M. Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.


Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) --
Also called carrion crows are rapidly increasing in numbers in Maryland. Huge numbers may be seen circling like a tornado of birds. They like to roost near quarries. They fly up into dead trees to sun themselves and dry out after rain.



Boat-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus major) --
Indigenous to southeast North America, boat-tailed grackles are dark songbirds with long, rounded tails and have long, narrow black beaks. Males are glossy black with a bluish iridescence on their bodies and a greenish iridescence on their wings and tail. The smaller females are cinnamon brown and do not have much iridescence. They can be distinguished from the common grackle by their much longer tails.

Unique among North American songbirds, boat-tailed grackle sexes remain apart most of the year, except during nesting when, among the multitude of males competing, only a few dominant males actually breed. Grackles eat omnivorously: insects, crabs, shellfish, seeds, lizards, frogs, turtles, plant roots, grain, and more, feeding on the ground and in the air. They have few predators and can be a pest bird. Females nest in trees, in a nest of grass and leaves, in large colonies in same location every year.
http://www.avesphoto.com/website/NA/species/GRCBTL-1.htm



bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) --
Early Summer (May-July).
This is one of the largest frogs, commonly found in marshes, ponds, and in lakes and rivers without too many predatory fish. Their large appetite is satisfied with small birds and mammals, snakes and frogs, insects and crayfish. They breed May through July. Quite territorial, the males attract females with their loud and distinctive 'jug-a-rum" bass call. Bullfrogs occur in all counties of Maryland.

World Kigo Database : Frog (kaeru, kawazu)

marsh echoes with
bullfrogs’three-note booms
sticky touch of night air

~ Denis M. Garrison, US


polka dots of frogs
escape my footsteps,
down the path to dock

~Gail Greene, US



cicadas (Magicada spp.) --
A common summer sound in the region, and especially pronounced when the seventeen year periodical cicadas are active. Cicadas are large flying insects whose larva live by sucking on plants. Adults are 25 - 50 mm in length with transparent, orange-tinted wings and large red eyes on dark, orangey-black bodies.

The Chesapeake region is home to seventeen year periodical cicadas; these cicada larva live underground for seventeen years then emerge, mature, mate, lay eggs, and die. The larva hatch, drop to the ground, and burrow into the dirt where they live on plant roots for the next seventeen years. It is the male that 'sings' a constant mating cry. Where cicadas are numerous, they are loud enough to drown out the sound of lawnmowers.

World Kigo Database : Cicada (semi)

small brown forms flutter
startled by my passage:
cicadas in flight

~ M. Kei, US



crab (callinectes sapidus Rathbun) --
Maryland's official crustacean, and a favorite food the Chesapeake region. Male crabs are 'jimmies,' female crabs are 'sooks.' Hardshells are crabs with hardshells, softshells are crabs that have shed their shells and have not yet hardened the new shell. Peelers are crabs just about to shed their shells. Crabs can be fished for using hand lines or crab pots. Chicken necks are a favorite bait.
For more info,
http://www.baydreaming.com/crabs.htm.

The CRAB is very important for the Chesapeake area.
See the special entry in the World Kigo Database : Crab (kani)


work boats from Ewell,
scrapers on Big Thoroughfare,
Soft Crab your cities.

~ Harry Armistead, US
Previously published in 'Chesapeake Bay Haiku,',Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.


ebb tide--
a hermit crab clings
to the eelgrass

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.


dolphins --

some of the sun
glinting off the sea
is dolphins

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.



herring run -
The herring run up the creeks and rivers during the spring, and herring fishermen can net as many as four thousand in a night's work. Herring poaching is carried out by poor folks who sell the herring for ten cents each to bait shops.


herons --
Herons, especially blue herons, are seen on the bay and its creeks during the summer.



horses --
The Chesapeake Country is home to both thoroughbred and harness racings throughout the warm months. The Preakness Stakes, one of the jewels in horse racing's 'triple crown,' is hosted by Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore. Numerous horse farms dot the region, and horses are kept for recreational use by many families. In addition, the Amish in the region continue to utilize horse drawn buggies and farm equipment and may be encountered in rural areas. Hitching posts in front of rural businesses are not purely ornamental.

Amish buggies--
hitched to the rail
in the zoo parking lot.

~ M. Kei, US




jellyfish arrive --
Jellyfish arrive in the middle reaches of the Chesapeake Bay in August. The drier the weather, the further north they go, and can become 'thick enough to walk on' in some areas. Jellyfish need salty water, and in dry years, the rivers that feed the Chesapeake provide less fresh water, and so the salt water from the ocean reaches much further north, bringing the jellyfish with it. By contrast, in wet years, the fresh water inundation may dilute the Bay enough to prevent their entrance.

jellyfish
in the deep green sound
flowers

~Jim Kacian, US
Previously published in Chincotegue, Red Moon Press, Westminster, VA, 1996.



marsh perwinkle (Littorina irrorata) --
A periwinkle is a medium-sized aquatic snail that is often seen in the intertidal zone on rip rap or inching up and down marsh grasses as the tide changes. They feed on cordgrass while boat-tailed grackles and some other tidewater birds like to feed on them. It has recently been discovered that blue crabs are a major predator for the periwinkle, and where blue crabs are non-existant or low in number, periwinkles to major damage to marsh grasses, damaging the ecosystem.

Primordial ooze,
a periwinkle or two,
from boots in my boat.

~ Harry Armistead, US
Previously published in 'Chesapeake Bay Haiku,' Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.



ospreys hatch --
The ospreys' eggs hatch, usually 1-3 of them, and the fledglings grow through the summer, until by August they learn to fly.



vultures --
The most common vulture, the turkey vulture, is frequently seen all over the region. Less common, but occassionally occuring in kettles of 50-60 birds, are black vultures. The clearing of land for development increases the amount of roadkill and landfills, making life easy for the vultures, who are proliferating as a result. Nonetheless, they are beautiful birds and magnificent soarers. According to Native American legend, the vulture loved flying so much that he ignored a summons from the Creator, and so the Creator punished him by making him eat carrion. The vulture regards it as no punishment at all because it gives him more time for flying.

vultures dry their wings
atop the dead sycamore
after a hard rain

~ Denis M. Garrison, US



willets (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus) --
A large grayish shore bird of North America, having black wings with a broad white stripe. Willets nest and feed along the marsh grasses, mud flats, and sand bars.

Wagner's 'Liebestod'
may bring the Bayrise sun, though
Willets will suffice.

~ Harry Armistead, US
Previously published in 'Chesapeake Bay Haiku,' Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.


gentle tides sough
Spartina and Juncus grass,
skies full of Willets.

~ Harry Armistead, US
Previously published in 'Chesapeake Bay Haiku,' Audubon Naturalist News, Feb, 2002.



.. .. Plants

bindweed (Convolvus arvensis) --
Bindweed is the common weedy version of the morning glory. It has white to blue flowers, smaller than the cultivated types, and the flowers open and close daily, as opposed to morning glories that bloom only for a single day.
WKD : Morning-glory (asagao)

bindweed clambers
around the swingset
with no swings

~ M. Kei, US



black-eyed susans --
The Maryland state flower.
This wildflower is frequently planted in the medians of highways and also occurs wild in meadows and other uncultivated areas. It is also used as a landscaping and garden plant. It blooms beginning in midsummer and continues through to late summer/early autumn. The bright yellow flowers and thin stems may look delicate, but are extremely tough, making it an ideal plant for roadside plantings.



briar roses (Rosa multiflora) --
Briar roses, or wild roses, are a common wild plant formerly planted for erosion control and hedges. Often found growing over fences , in pastures, and along roadsides, in the early summer their delicate pink or white blooms creative clouds of blossom and scent along country roads. The more floriferous white shrubs are invasive and not native to the region, but the smaller, more delicate, pink and pink-tinged briar roses are not as invasive and are native to the region.


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Rosa-multiflora1.JPG
White Briar Rose



Cattails (Typha spp.) --
Summer (July-August). Cattails are very common in the Bay's marshes and tributaries. These aquatic weeds are perennials which may mature at 5 to 10 feet tall. The flower cluster or fruit is cigar-shaped. When mature, it becomes cottony and seeds are dispersed by the wind. Cattails germinate in April, maturing in late summer, July and August.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Typha_latifolia02.jpg

cattails mark where
stream joins river--
shrill of a blackbird

~ Denis M. Garrison, US


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Hyla_arborea_on_Typha.jpg



giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea) --
A bamboo native to the swamps and damp woods of the Atlantic coast of the United States.

World Kigo Database : Bamboo (take)



hollyhocks bloom (Alcea rosea) --
Originally from the eaastern Mediterranean and once widespread, hollyhocks are no longer so popular. They are usually seen in the dooryard gardens of old houses and bungalows. These small older homes are often showing their age and may be completely derelect. Sadly, when they get rennovated, the renovation includes only the house and not the garden. Hollyhocks can reach nine feet in height and bloom in a variety of colors, including singles, doubles, and puffball blooming habits. There upright stalks grow from a low rosette of very large leaves at ground level. The leaves are popular food for Japanese beetles. Biennel, hollyhocks reseed freely and are therefore effectively perenniel in favorable conditions.

hollyhocks in bloom --
the dooryard of
an abandoned house

~ M. Kei, US




morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) --
A large group of more than 500 plants, including numerous ornamental flowers which bloom in the morning, are pollinated by hummingbirds, bees, or other creatures, and die in the afternoon. Blue blooming bindweed (Ipomoea purpurea) is a common weed in the Chesapeake region. Species native to Asia and the Americas have longed been used in traditional medicine. However, if taken to excess, they are toxic. Care should be used to prevent ingestation by children and pets. The morning glory is known as asagao (morning face) in Japan, where it was imported during the 9th century.
WKD : Morning-glory (asagao 朝顔)

east wall in ruin--
morning-glories spill through
with the rising sun

~Denis M. Garrison, US
Previously published in Haiku Harvest and Eight Shades of Blue, Lulu Press, 2005.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:MorningGlories-Tonsofem.jpg



swamp maple (Acer saccarinum) --
Swamp maples, also known as water maples and silver maples, are native to eastern North America. Thriving in damp climates along waterways, they grow 25 - 35 meters high. They grow swiftly, and when given a little room, develop a broad shady canopy making them prized as shade trees, but their roots can be invasive, thanks to their quest for water. They acquired the name 'silver maple' because the underside of the leaf is white, so when blown by even a light breeze, the visual effect is striking.

Blown inside out
the maple leaves turn white;
summer storm.

~ M. Kei


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Silver-maple-leaves.jpg


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COPYRIGHT:

All poems copyright by the authors and used with permission. All images, unless specified otherwise, are courtesy of the WikiCommons project and are posted in accordance with the licensing agreement(s) accompanying each image on that site.

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Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Spring

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Summer

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Autumn

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Winter

Chesapeake Bay Saijiki: Non-seasonal topics, miscellaneous


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