[Elderly] Haiku with the theme of August: Introducing famous verses

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.

Do you compose haiku? Many older adults might enjoy them.

Since the sun is strong and we often spend time indoors in August, why not try engaging with haiku? In haiku, it’s standard to use a seasonal word called a “kigo” that indicates a specific season and to compose in the 5-7-5 pattern of 17 syllables.

For August, well-known kigo include morning glory, watermelon, the Milky Way, and cicadas.

In the haiku world, the period from around August 8 to around November 6 is considered “the three autumn months” and classified as autumn.

Therefore, August kigo range from ones with a strong summer feel to those that evoke autumn.

How about discussing what kinds of kigo there are and composing haiku on a theme you like?

[Elderly] Haiku with an August theme: Introducing famous verses (1–10)

A watermelon, with the name of the child entering the temple written on it.Umeshitsu Sakurai

This verse celebrates the start of a child’s learning as they begin attending the terakoya, a temple school.

The phrase “the child entering the temple” signals that the day is special.

A watermelon marked with a name may have been a gift, or perhaps something carried as proof of attendance.

The sight of the child cradling a watermelon inscribed with their own name is both proud and charming, tinged with the family’s hopes and a touch of nervousness.

The summer heat contrasts beautifully with the coolness of the watermelon, conveying a fleeting moment from everyday life in the past.

Within this simple custom, the verse records the beginning of learning.

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Bonfire send-off—faces peeking out across the riverSumitagi

The “Okuribi” bonfires that mark the end of August are cherished by many as an Obon tradition.

This verse depicts people gazing at each other across a river as they watch the send-off fires, reflecting a scene of gentle connection and farewell.

The seasonal word “Okuribi” carries a sense of nostalgia, and the warmth on the faces turned toward one another gently resonates with the memories of older adults.

A summer custom passed down through generations, and the quiet bonds between people—these are nuances one can savor more deeply with age.

It is a verse to read in a quiet moment on an August evening.

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If I turn my palm, the dance goes onAmano Seihe

Aono Seihō depicts a scene from a Bon dance resounding on a summer night.

The slight motion of turning over a palm sets the flow of the dance in motion, and the circle of people advances slowly.

By focusing not on grand gestures but on a single movement, the quiet beauty within the dance stands out.

Guided by the chant and the beat of the drums, the dancers receive it and spend time in the company of the unseen.

A prayer-like atmosphere gently rises from the verse.

Amid the bustle, the hush that lingers leaves a lasting impression.

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[Elderly] Haiku on the theme of August: Introducing famous verses (11–20)

August—night clouds reflected in the pond.Mantarō Kubota

Mantaro Kubota was born in Asakusa, Tokyo, and is said to have written many haiku that use clear, straightforward language to depict downtown life.

He was also one of the haiku poets active from the late Meiji period through Showa.

His haiku often convey a quietly moving, lingering flavor.

Kubota himself reportedly described his haiku as “lyrical improvisations rooted in everyday life.” Haiku in August are sometimes composed with a sense of autumn approaching.

The poem “August—night clouds reflected in the pond” may likewise have been written to capture the transition from summer to autumn.

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The lingering heat along the mountain ridge and the Daimonji bonfires.Mochizuki Sōya

The ceremonial bonfires, Okuribi, are held in Kyoto every year on August 16 starting at 8 p.m.

Enormous characters—such as “Dai” (large) and “Myō”—are ignited on the slopes of the mountains surrounding the city.

In a counterclockwise sequence, the fires are lit for Myō-Hō, Funagata (boat), Hidari-Daimonji (left Daimonji), and Toriigata (torii gate).

It is said that Okuribi has continued since the Edo period.

Some people may feel that summer isn’t over until they’ve witnessed the bonfires.

From the poem by Mochizuki Sōya, “Lingering heat along the mountain’s edge—Daimonji,” you can sense that even while feeling the heat, seeing the Daimonji bonfire brings a feeling that autumn is approaching.

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In the August rain, buckwheat blooms on the highlands.Hisa Onabe Sugita

It is said that there were few women composing haiku in the Meiji period.

In such times, Hisajo Sugita emerged as a pioneering female haiku poet.

Her haiku began with “kitchen haiku,” observing everyday life from a distinctly feminine perspective.

Later, her style shifted to a more romantic tone, characterized by concrete and candid expressions of simple emotions in daily life.

In the haiku “In August, soba blooms in the rain—how high this plateau,” the “August” likely refers to mid to late September, when buckwheat flowers bloom.

You can almost see the fields blanketed with pure white buckwheat blossoms.

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The rough sea— the Milky Way lies across Sado.Matsuo Bashō

On his journey, Matsuo Bashō beheld Sado Island floating at the edge of the sea and the Milky Way spanning the night sky.

Placing those two alongside “the rough waves” within a single verse suddenly expands the scale from nature to the cosmos.

The island of Sado, steeped in isolation, overlaps with the traveler’s solitude and life’s transience, while the Milky Way arching across the night feels both fragile and solemn.

Though no showy words are used, the poem has a grandeur that seems to fill the field of vision from end to end.

You can almost sense the quiet gaze from the place where he listened to the sound of the waves and looked up at the night sky.

It is a traveler’s verse, read in surrender to nature.

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