On the Playground
from A Field Guide to North American Haiku by Charles Trumbull
For this chapter of the Field Guide, we have chosen the topic of playgrounds, by which we have in mind any space in which children gather for fun or comradeship. Mostly we envision a space in a public park or schoolyard dedicated to rest and recreation, but we don’t want to ignore backyard playgrounds. And, should there be no formal playground available, you can be sure the children will themselves find a place to gather:
子どもらが遊ぶ程ずつやくの哉
kodomora ga asobu hodo-zutsu yaku no kana
the children
make it a playground . . .
burnt field
Issa; trans. David G. Lanoue
Click of marbles
in the dry arroyo —
barefoot children.
Alexis Rotella
Before we get down to business, perhaps a technical note would be in order. Most of the verses in this chapter would properly be considered senryu, as they have more to do with observations of human nature than of Mother Nature and generally do not contain kigo, seasonal references, particularly to children, toys or playground equipment, and so forth. Issa’s verse above would be categorized as a spring haiku, while Rotella’s might conceivably be categorized under “arroyos come alive,” a winter season word according to the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society’s reckoning.
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