Monday, July 14, 2008

Wine Berries

Ripening wine berries, my hill, this summer evening.

Even these long days
are not nearly long enough
for the skylark's song.

The haiku is by Matsuo Basho, translated by Sam Hamill, from Narrow Road to the Interior. Hamill says that Basho "wrote from within the body; his poems are full of breath and sound as well as images and allusions." That's why these poems still seem so alive -- quivering -- even though Basho lived from 1644-1694.

Photo taken at 5:23 PM, 7/14/08.

2 comments:

Admin said...

this is stunning!

Christine said...

Why thank you! You should have seen the jewel-like red in person. But I think the berry casings with their funny purplish antennae are my favorite part of the plant. Otherworldly.