The 4th Sensual Haiku Gathering Collection - Theme: "Snow"

The "Sensual Haiku Gathering" is held irregularly at the "Sapporo Haiku Club".

Whether the theme of "sensuality" can blend with the form of "haiku"... we hold these gatherings freely and enjoyably each time, with a sense of adventure. As the organizer, I am delighted that the number of participants is gradually increasing, the variety of haiku is expanding, and the gatherings are growing into something truly worth reading.

I dared to say that not only serious critiques but also "delusional readings" are welcome! And I received feedback like this.

There are no so-called "correct answers" for "selections" or "critiques," but even in ordinary (?) haiku gatherings, it seems some people have a psychological hurdle about giving critiques, fearing that they might be "off the mark." I have even been puzzled when people told me, "I want to choose the same haiku as you (the teacher)."💦

Certainly, as one gains experience, their reading may deepen, and they may become able to make judgments based on more haiku-like principles. However, there may also be things that are overlooked because of that. My selections are not "absolute," and there are many times when I read others' critiques and think, "That's a way to appreciate it too. I hadn't read it that way." Also, there are haiku that stay in my heart or catch my attention, even if I didn't select them.

For that reason, I write this haiku gathering report with care, not only to introduce the activities of the "Sapporo Haiku Club" to outsiders but also to look back on our precious gatherings.

The introduction has become long, but...

This time, we asked everyone to submit one haiku on the theme of "snow," plus one free-choice haiku.

Here are the high-scoring and notable haiku.

Mistaking the first man, then the snow settles for the season　　　　　　　Tsukinami

Traces of a love bite, rusting winter apple　　　　　　Yuriko

Only the eyes remain after the morning after, a snow rabbit　　　　　　　　Suzume

Deep snow, sinking me as it melts　　　　　Yoka Kirin

Orion's bruise on the inner thigh, frost drops　　　　　　　　Shiruma☆

Poinsettia, countless kisses　　Chiaki

Playing cards, absent-minded at the kotatsu　　　　　Masanori

Play with me beautifully, then throw me away into the snow　　　　Tanka

I think there were more haiku than usual that evoked a "story." One critique mentioned that "painfulness is inherent when it comes to sensuality in winter," and it is true that it may be easier to create settings with increased sensitivity compared to other seasons.

Utilizing the image of pure white and ephemeral snow, letting the clear winter atmosphere drift, or focusing on the "warmth" felt precisely because of the cold. Even when we say "sensual," it seems to be a trend that becomes clearer with each session that rather than directly describing "sexual scenes," speaking symbolically or letting the "scent of sex" drift between the lines expands the "reading" of the appreciator.

While mixing in "delusional readings," we will appreciate them one by one.

The first haiku. The "settled snow" that follows "mistaking" the "first man" is a choice of seasonal word that also feels like self-love within self-deprecation. Snow in the northern country that does not melt completely and keeps layering until the next spring. Could it be taken as a symbol of the "memories after the first man" that passed through the body? But it is a great achievement that it is finished with a haiku-like flavor that does not become too serious. Knowing the author, my imagination expands that it might be a love pattern set in Susukino.

Since the second haiku, 'Amagami' (gentle biting), is my own, I will offer a modest self-interpretation. In terms of feeling, I imagine a caesura after the word 'ato' (mark). I hope you read this as a playful interaction between a man and a woman, depicting the moment a winter apple, stored at low temperatures, meets the lukewarm sensation of a gentle bite (laughs).

For the third haiku, the discovery of a 'snow rabbit leaving only its eyes' may not be particularly novel, but by pairing it with 'kinu-no-asa' (the morning after a night spent together), it suddenly takes on the color of a courtly love story. It is as if the 'eyes' left behind—the time spent happily embracing and melting into one's lover—hold both the lingering warmth of the tryst and the loneliness of parting, as well as the anxiety until the next meeting. The strength of this haiku lies in how clearly the image of the eyes (likely red berries) left on the snow emerges.

The fourth haiku is a clever piece. If not read as a 'sensual haiku,' it could be interpreted as the 'I' who lives in deep snow struggling against it. However, when read within the field of 'sensuality,' it invites the reader into the act of lovemaking itself. It evokes the feeling of a 'swamp' of pleasure. Some also interpreted 'Miyuki' (deep snow) as a woman's name, which I found quite insightful. It seems some were even reminded of Mitsuru Adachi's 'Miyuki'... (laughs). Perhaps there was a 'strategy' involved, but the fact that it blends in without feeling lewd might be the reason for its success.

The fifth haiku has a startling opening. It moves from the word 'inner thigh,' which evokes body temperature, to the phrase 'Orion's bruise,' which carries a cold and noble air. Poetic sentiment dwells in this progression. Now, the question is where the 'perspective' lies. Is it the 'partner who saw the inner thigh,' or is it a haiku where the subject is looking at themselves? Personally, I felt the latter brought out more psychological complexity and made the beauty of the bruise stand out more.

I read the sixth haiku as a very straightforward 'love haiku' (low erotic content, haha). It is the image of a couple spending their first Christmas together. From the vivid colors of the poinsettia to the dynamic movement of exchanging countless kisses. By erasing the surrounding scenery, the blindness of the lovers and their immersion in the joy of love are conveyed powerfully.

The seventh haiku is a piece with a lot of negative space, combining two mysteries: the mystery of 'why is it uha-no-sora (absent-minded)?' and the mystery of the 'horigotatsu' (sunken kotatsu). Whether you take that as something you don't understand or fill it in with your own 'reading' is perhaps where the evaluations will diverge. Reading it in the context of a 'sensual haiku,' I was drawn to it because the contents of the 'horigotatsu,' which are not visualized, invite delusion. One person who chose it for a special selection commented, 'I am drawn into prying into what is happening inside that black box' (laughs).

The eighth haiku uses all hiragana and colloquial, spoken language, which transforms the 'extremity' and 'excessiveness' of the content into a fairy tale, expressing a unique worldview. The aesthetic sense of adding a note to 'play' with it 'beautifully,' or specifying that it be 'thrown away' into the 'snow,' may be the author's wish that connects not only to 'sex' but also to the eros of 'life' itself.

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The 'Sapporo Haiku Club' usually holds serious (?) general online haiku meetings and haiku excursions, but about once every six months, we hold a 'Sensual Haiku Meeting' as an event to set a different antenna and reset our sensitivity switches.

Participation is open to anyone, so if you are interested, please inquire here. The next regular haiku meeting using the Natsugumo system is scheduled for February 2024. (We also announce it on Twitter @yurikoseto).

For haiku and appreciations from the past three meetings, please see the articles below.