Winter Game :: Haiku of Japan #80
氷上を滑りし礫とどまれり
hyōjō o suberishi tsubute todomareri
on ice
sliding throwing stones
come to a stop
by Okamoto Kazuhiko
(Tr. David LaSpina)
(Print by Kazuyoki Ohtsu)
This is a game they play in Japan and elsewhere. You may have played it when you were a kid. I did. On a frozen pond kids throw stones low so they skim over the ice and then slide. The one who slides the furthest wins. Or sometimes the one who slides the closest to another object wins.
Funny I should pick out this haiku today, as it was a warm day around 15 degrees C (59F). Crazy warm for the winter. Warm winter days like this I always fine myself of two minds: on one hand, I really enjoy the warmth, on the other I worry because it shouldn't be this warm in winter.
I should find a frozen pond and throw some stones and stop thinking so much.
❦
| Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series! |
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Recent Haiku
- 71 — Born Lucky
- 72 — Late New Year's
- 73 — New Year's Cleaning
- 74 — Dreams of Turtles
- 75 — An Early Spring
- 76 — Fan After Bath
- 77 — High High is the Snow?
- 78 — Sunset Desire
- 79 — Secret Dream
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 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. |
'I should find a frozen pond and throw some stones and stop thinking so much.' HAHA 🤣
I just came back from Tokyo 2 weeks ago. I did not expect to see a frozen and partially frozen lake at the Shinjuku Gyoen.
its the first frozen lake i've seen in my life.
i was really curious so i threw some pebbles around ahaha. cant believe i enjoyed myself so much
That's the spirit! Pebbles were made to be thrown into lakes, or on ice covered lakes.
Almost makes me feel like "curling" . . . up with a book indoors... Love ice in a box (to keep my peas frozen). I challenge you and me both to stop thinking for a bit! However, the frozen pond didn't stop Okamoto Kazuhiko from thinking up this haiku - what is not a sliding stone to a poet?
The curse of being a poet—Buddha mind is forever out of reach as we just can't stop thinking. Your koan might help. What is not a sliding stone to a poet? Indeed!
Plop. Ice melts.