I write, erase, rewrite
erase again, and then
a poppy blooms.
by: Tachibana Hokushi
This is the death poem of Tachibana Hokushi, sometimes wrongly attributed to the Japanese painter Katsushika Hokusai.
Tachibana Hokushi, whose real name was Tachibana Genjiro, was born in Kanazawa in 1665. Hokushi was one of Basho’s most famous students at the time, and he even accompanied the great master during part of his famous journey through the narrow roads of the North, from Kanazawa to Matsuoka.
Join The Naviar Haiku Music Challenge
This haiku poem is part of the Naviar haiku music challenge, where artists are invited to make music in response to a weekly assigned haiku poem. Participation is free and there are no limitations in the songs’ length or genre.
You have seven days from the posting of this haiku to submit your track. For information on how to make a submission, visit the Naviar Haiku Music Challenge page.
Submission deadline: 11th September 2024