[For Seniors] Haiku for March: Enjoying a Spring Moment with 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.
Work experience in a hospital as a physical therapistNakamū
I worked as a physical therapist at a general hospital for about four years. I’ve supported a wide range of patients, from those needing emergency rehabilitation to those doing rehabilitation at home at a comfortable pace. As a writer, I’d be happy to share health-related information with many people. Thank you, and I look forward to working with you!

As March arrives, the days gradually grow warmer, and there are more moments when we can feel the coming of spring.

Haiku that capture these seasonal changes in the 5-7-5 form are perfect for recreational activities for older adults.

Famous verses that depict March’s unique scenes—such as the Doll’s Festival, fields of rapeseed blossoms, and the song of the bush warbler—carry a comforting warmth that soothes the heart just by reading them.

This time, we will introduce March haiku, focusing on approachable poets like Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki.

Why not savor a spring moment while recalling nostalgic landscapes?

[For Seniors] March Haiku: Enjoy a Spring Moment with Famous Verses (11–20)

Rapeseed blossoms, happily yellowingAyako Hosomi

Here is an introduction to Ayako Hosomi’s haiku, many of which are intuitive and centered on individual thoughts, emotions, and perspectives.

In “The rapeseed blossoms seem happy in their yellow,” you can imagine a scene where countless blossoms bloom under warm weather.

Looking at Ayako Hosomi’s life, however, allows for a different interpretation.

By her twenties, she had experienced partings from beloved family members due to illness and other reasons, and she herself spent a long period battling illness.

Unlike herself, the rapeseed flowers are in full bloom and appear happy, making this haiku feel strikingly contrastive.

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Nakajima Junko

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March’s sweet bean candies— ufufufufuNenten Tsubouchi

Let me introduce a haiku by Toshinori Tsubouchi, renowned as a leading figure in contemporary haiku.

“In March— sweet adzuki beans— ufufufufu” portrays the moment of eating candied beans in March, when spring is in the air.

From the playful “ufufufufu,” you can sense the delighted, involuntary smile that comes from enjoying them.

That instant when you eat a favorite food, joy just wells up, doesn’t it? What’s more, it’s said that Tsubouchi likes sweet adzuki beans so much that he has haiku featuring them for all twelve months of the year.

It might be enjoyable to explore Tsubouchi’s world of haiku together with older adults while sharing some sweet adzuki beans.

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Nakajima Junko

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In the plum blossom scent, all at once the sun rises on a mountain path.Matsuo Bashō

This is a haiku by the famous Matsuo Bashō, a haiku poet who was active in the Edo period.

It is said that he wrote this poem in the year he passed away.

The morning sun seems to peek out, lured by the scent of plum blossoms, and the onomatopoeic word ‘notto’ gives it a unique feel that really shows Bashō’s sensibility.

The contrast in texture with the plum fragrance is very intriguing—an unexpectedly fitting combination.

It’s also interesting how this short poem stimulates both the senses of smell and sight.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Spring sea— all day long, gently swaying, softly swaying.NEW!Yosa Buson

This is a haiku by Yosa Buson, a poet of the Edo period.

The opening words “spring sea” are a seasonal phrase that evokes the image of the calm sea in spring, conveying the season’s warmth and gentle light.

“Hinemosu” means all day long.

And the expression “notari notari” gently describes the slow, peaceful motion of waves lapping in and out.

When you read this verse, a scene comes to mind of the sea’s waves swaying leisurely all day on a balmy spring day.

Seeing this natural motion, Buson must have felt a serenity in which time flows slowly.

He put that feeling directly into words, creating a very gentle, tranquil poem.

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kepiko

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Dejectedly, stumbling as I pluck—horsetails.NEW!Takarai Kikaku

The seasonal word is “tsukushi,” read as “tsukushi.” For many people, spring immediately calls to mind tsukushi, doesn’t it? You can play with them, and they’re delicious simmered in soy sauce, too! This poem is a spring verse with tsukushi as its theme, but it doesn’t feel particularly cheerful.

Because of the word “sugosugoto,” which conveys a plodding, quietly persistent manner, it gives the impression of someone gathering tsukushi as if it were mere labor.

It makes you wonder why they’re picking tsukushi, doesn’t it?

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sasashina

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In both hands, peach and cherry, and kusa-mochiNEW!Matsuo Bashō

A verse in which Matsuo Bashō feels the delights of spring just as they are.

In spring, as he takes in the beauty of peach and cherry blossoms in full bloom, Bashō feels as if he is cradling spring’s fragrance and colors in both hands.

The kusa no mochi that appears here is a spring wagashi made with mugwort, embodying the very essence of spring in both scent and taste.

Kusa-mochi has long been eaten during spring festivals and seasonal observances and is a familiar seasonal word.

Reading this verse, you can sense spring’s joy gathering in your palms, as if savoring at once the blossoms’ hues and aromas and the gentle flavor of kusa-mochi—an uplifting, buoyant feeling.

Bashō gently wrapped the blessings of spring he saw and felt in simple, tender words.

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kepiko

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