夕暮や馬糞の手をも菊でふく
yūgure ya ma-guso no te wo mo kiku de fuku


this evening
wiping horse poop from my hand
using a chrysanthemum
—Issa


(Tr. David LaSpina)

(Print by Yoshijiro Urushibara)

Leave it to Issa to give us an image like this. It's more of a slice of life haiku, with none of the allusion most of the haiku I post have. So what you see is what you get.

Having said that, if you want to really try to read something into it, he could be making some comment on the imperial house (whose crest is a chrysanthemum). I don't think that's the case here. It wouldn't fit his MO. But I could be wrong. What do you think?

❦

Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series!

#1–10 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #1
#11–20 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #2
#21–30 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #3
#31—40 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #4
#41–50 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #5
#51 — Dewdrop World
#52 — A Fleeting Life
#53 — The Only Sound
#54 — Autumn Clouds
#55 — Playing Dewdrops
#56 — To the Last Drop
#57 — A Rest From Moonviewing
#58 — Forever Young
#59 — Fading into the Mist

If you enjoyed this post, please like and resteem. Also be sure to follow me to see more from Japan everyday.

I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.

Who is David?
	David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time.