Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Passing Through

Credits:lesley-oldaker@Deviant Art

Dear friends and followers,

This week's challenge for mind love misery 's menagerie is a wonderful painting by lesley-oldaker titled "Passing Through"
As I look at this painting ... it makes me sad. It looks like it's raining and people passing each other without looking at each other. They all are in a hurry to go at their home ... the rainy sphere makes me almost depressed ... and that feeling is caught already in the title of this painting "Passing Through".

There is a haiku written by Basho (1644-1694) which also has this feeling hidden in it. It's a not so well known haiku by the master:

Passing through the world
Indeed this is just
Sogi's rain shelter
© Basho (1644-1694)


What does this painted rainy and sad day bring me ... will it inspire me ... let me think it over becoming part of the scene. I feel the rain and the cold. I hear the sound of the rain and the feet of the people around me. Will there be a kind of perfume? I think so, because rain brings always a kind perfume ... the smell of wetted earth, or the sweet perfume of lavender ... I will see the people ... hurrying for home ...

Here is my attempt:

sweet perfume
mingles with the sound of rain -
a dog barks

© Chèvrefeuille


Well ... I hope you did like this post. See you next time.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, what a moment -- I can see it, feel, it hear it, smell it -- frozen in time. A great haiku, Chevrefeuille -- and thanks for sharing a great Basho haiku to go with it. :)

Anonymous said...

I love the thoughtful commentary, the way you invite us to look at your process. The poem you chose by Basho is the perfect compliment!

The fragrance of rain (petrichor) was such a beautiful aspect to focus on for your haiku! Wonderfully done =)

Unknown said...

As someone who fairly recently started trying to compact impressions into a haiku's structure, it's very interesting to see conjure up such a variety of sensations before the haiku takes shape. I especially liked the observations:
"the rainy sphere makes me almost depressed"
"rain brings always a kind perfume ... the smell of wetted earth"