haiku 0110

I was throwing discs (frisbees for disc golf) today, and one disc landed close to the pond on the property where Fálki and I are camping.

As I reached for it, I heard a splash that made me jump!

I figure it was one of the frogs I hear from our trailer in the evenings. I suppose it could have been a fish of some kind, but it was too loud a splash for that, I think.

That incident made me think of what is considered the most famous haiku. It's by the haiku master Bashō, and the translation I like best is this one:

The old pond —
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.

translated by Robert Hass

So this haiku is a tribute to Bashō. (Btw, if you are curious, you can read other translations of Bashō's frog haiku.)

You may note that I changed the disc to a stone in the haiku. I did that because I liked the sound of reaching for a natural thing, rather than for a piece of plastic.