Haiku Companions

This is Jean Hale. It would be hard to praise her enough for 

all the wonderful and cheerful help and support 

she has been to Yuki Teikei Haiku Society 

over many, many years. She served two long sessions 

as editor of our periodical GEPPO. 

I don't know how we would have managed 

many times to keep it coming out without her.

She did all this without wanting to show off

or make herself stand out in any way.

Her warm and gracious friendship

is treasured by all the members.
This picture was taken outside the Markham House
in San Jose's History Park after our meeting
there in February 2006.

Basho's friend, pupil and companion on some journeys, including the one to the far north, Oku no Hosomichi, was Sora (1648-1710.) His manuscript diary of the journey was rediscovered in 1943. Sora's record gives more details about that famous trip. Here are two of Sora's haiku which appear in Basho's account.

To and fro, to and fro,

Between the lines of barley,

The butterfly.
    

Sora

The stars on the pond;

Again the winter shower

Ruffles the water.
  

Sora

These translations appeared in

Simply Haiku: A Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry
Summer 2005, vol 3 no 2