Poetry Friday: Issa

One of the first gifts Bede ever gave me was a book of haiku called The Four Seasons. Prior to the gift, I wasn't all that fond of haiku. I'd not read much haiku beyond that which my fellow students and I had to compose in creative writing classes because hey, it was best to start with something short and simple, and what was more accessible than the 5-7-5 syllable meter? Hah! Good haiku is one of the hardest kinds of poetry to write.

So far, my favorite haiku poet is Issa. Issa's poems have tinges of sly, gleeful humor. Here are some of Issa's poems I like in particular (especially the last one):

Elegant singer
Would you further favor us
with a dance... O frog?

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Now take this flea:
He simply cannot jump...and
I love him for it.

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Congratulations
Issa!... You have survived to feed
This year's mosquitoes.

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Rainy afternoon...
Little daughter you will never
Teach that cat to dance.

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Edit via cloudscome:

Don't worry spiders.
I keep house
casually.