no strength left

Carpe Diem Special #145, Shida Yaba's "no strength left"

Basho had a lot of disciples and they were all very happy with him. Our haiku poet for this CD-Special is Shida Yaba (penname Yaba) who was born in 1662 and died in 1740. He was impressed by Basho's Karumi style of writing and became one of the masters of that style.

The following haiku by Shida Yaba he wrote when he heard the news of Basho's death (1694): 

chikara na ya hiza o kakaete fuyugomori

no strength left -
I wrap my arms around my knees
in winter solitude 

© Shida Yaba

After the death of Basho, Shida Yaba moved to Osaka were he became a haiku master. It is said that he had more than 1000 disciples. He tried to bring Karumi to the haiku poets to honor his own master Basho.

bursting into tears
touched by the spring breeze
first cherry blossom

© Chèvrefeuille

The period of mourning can be short or long lived.  There is no right or wrong way to grieve according to experts.  It is all about what is needed by an individual.  Not sure even what grief is at times.  Is it racking sobs or simply missing the person?  Some days it is not there, that feeling of wanting to tell them about something or show them a picture.  To share a story or ask a question about an ancestor.  A message left on the phone that is not from the person.  Cannot be, the person is dead .... they were just so tired, no strength to continue the fight.

flames contort skin
hell fire or funeral pyre
ashes in wind

©  Janice Adcock

Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on
CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI