Our nephew Kelly had a school assignment to write a haiku that involved a river. We reviewed the classics:

• A Haiku Menagerie Living Creatures in Poems and Prints. By Stephen Addiss with Fumiko and Akira Yamamoto. Weatherhill, Boston MA, 1992
• The Sound of Water, Haiku by Basho, Buson, Issa and Other Poets. Translated by Sam Hamill. Shambala Centaur Editions, Boston & London, 1995
• Classic Haiku, The Greatest Japanese Poetry from Basho, Buson, Issa, Shiki and Their Followers. Edited and Introduced by Tom Lowenstein. Duncan Baird Publishers. London, 2007

Then the following emerged

At the forest pond
Leaping for the mosquitoes
The dark fish catches

By Kelly Carr inspired by Buson

River in my mind
The water is icy cold
Can’t wait for summer.

By Kelly Carr

Art teacher’s regret
Finger painting from hell is
For tiny people

Who would imagine
The river flows through Ukiah
Inspiring haiku

Ukiah and haiku
Like laughter and silly words
Just goes together

Nephew ponders things
Of poetry of rivers
Counts on his fingers

Contemplating the
Structured and the unstructured
Of modern haiku

Everybody dance now
Make an entrance with style
Just can’t stop myself

I’m gonna die soon
I swallowed five pounds of wax
Who gets my legos
(inspired by new braces)

New moon in blue sky
Chases light of setting sun
Overlap of the day

From the general
Mirth and splendor there emerged
Lighthearted phrases.