Haiku Classic: Sept. 18, 2022 -- Consciousness

neko-to umare ningen-to umare tsuyu-ni ho su

It was born a cat

I was born a human being

walking through the dew

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Shuson Kato (1905-1993). From "Kifuku" (Hills and Hollows) by Shuson Kato, 1949.

Does the circle of life come around and are souls reborn into another mortal frame to learn from each experience? Or is it blind luck regarding the mortal frame that a consciousness finds itself within when it becomes self-aware? Perhaps each was placed in that mortal frame by a higher consciousness? Whatever the case, the poet finds himself walking through the ephemeral dew of morning, soon to evaporate and disappear, pondering on the mortal frames we find ourselves in and why.

Selected, translated and commented on by Dhugal J. Lindsay

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Pique your poetic interest with more Haiku in English here.