At the Chinese Moon Festival

For several years Yuki Teikei held some of our meetings 

with ginko at Overfelt Gardens, 

a San Jose City Park on the city's East Side. 

Many haiku were written and shared here.

Part of this park has been set aside for 

a Chinese Cultural Garden

with a large statue of Confucius, and other monuments.

This picture of Kay Anderson reading her haiku

was taken during a year when we participated in the

annual Chinese Moon Festival here.

The letters in gold behind her are part of

an inscription of the translated words of Confucius

carved into a marble wall.

It is good stuff, but most of the inscription

is not visible in the photo.

WITH THE CURRENT

willow bank and spring flood in twilight

fine mist and lush green grass

the ox eats and drinks when it wants

the boy sleep soundly on a rock

P'u Ming

from

P'u Ming's OXHERDING PICTURES

&

VERSES

translated  by Red Pine, Empty Bowl, 2015 n.p.

Students of Chinese and Japanese verse

have written much critical material exploring

the connection and relationships between

the tradition of Chinese short poems

and Buddhism and the fertilization

of Japanese short form poetry by

these traditions. This short series

of poems was used in teaching

the Zen tradition. Many people

feel that this tradition nourished

the development of short form poetry

including haiku

in Japan.