Arco (TN)

Arco (TN)

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Shuukan . Persimmons - August 2, 2014

A symbol of autumn, at least here in Italy is the persimmon tree.  This is the word chosen today at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai for this week's shuukan!  Here are two poems by Shiki dedicated to the persimmon:

sanzen no haiku wo kemishi kaki futatsu   

having examined
three thousand haiku poems –
two persimmons
                 

© Shiki (1897)       
kaki bakari narabeshi Suma no komise kara          
displaying
only persimmons --
small store in Suma
         

© Shiki (1895)

Persimmons were very popular once upon a time here in Italy ... bu now, well they are one of those fruits which are delicate, much more than  let's say the apple, so farmers have more or less abandoned it as a money crop.  You can only find persimmons in the autumn ... and here in Trentino we find lots of them indeed!  If you ask, sometimes you can get some off the trees from someones garden.  You can't conserve them, though recently there have been new breeds of persimmons, with harder skin and pulp.

 
old persimmon
majestically decorated
 birds feast

leafless limbs
covered with orange balls
like a Christmas tree

persimmon
abundant fruitful tree
in November

the old persimmon
giving abundant fruit
garden full of pulp

6 comments:

  1. Lovely series, Cara. Now K have to reach this tree more

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  2. Lovely haiku -- and it *is* very Christmas-like in appearance!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah they really are ... the important thing is to clean up the fallen fruit at the end of season! :-)

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  3. Or a universe of suns and stars in competition creating new constellations and stories - in one's own backyard.
    I think I have heard of candied persimmons...I am not sure if I have ever tried this fruit. And now I am curious. :)

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  4. I've seen persimmon jam recipes on the internet but everyone I've known says it not possible. They're great fruits though .love'em when they're ripe ... otherwise they're as bitter AND make your mouth pucker.

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harmonious words ... like crystal clear water ... pure ectasy

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