Saturday Rave: An old silent pond, by Basho.

I'm still having a reaction to reading some very long books, so how about a haiku?

Haiku were originally intended to act as an introduction to a longer (and often collaborative) poem, perhaps a tanka or a renga. Later, they began to be valued on as works of art in their own right.

The most famous and revered master of the haiku was probably Matsuo Bashō (1644 - 1694).

Bashō may sound like one of the more obscure Marx brothers, but he's renowned for his incisive delicacy, and in Japan he has even been made a saint.

Here's an example of his work:

 An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.

* * *

It's enough, isn't it?

Words To Use Today: some carefully-placed ones, perhaps.