Maestro Frogs

      following the frogs' directions
      an opossum crosses the road


These nights walking at twilight, it certainly seems as though the frogs in their watery roosts are directing everything: the last wayward starling, the startled yearling deer seen in a neighbor's yard, and the ground-brailling opossum lumbering his way to the hunt for night insects or low-lying bird eggs.

Then occurs that moment where my dog clacks past and the frogs dramatically lower the volume of their chirring, down, down, way down, as though condescending to hide their wall of sound. Only a few of us are here, not many. Not worth your time.


I've been reading some haiku literature again. I came upon some more comments from Jane Reichhold. She said, “the way I live in order to be prepared to receive haiku inspiration is more valuable to me than the poems I finally do write.” I believe that she means that in seeking to write haiku, she lives a better, more realized life than she would have if haiku were not an important part of it.

Reichhold also believes that if you possess the following six attitudes, then you will be blessed with the “gift” of haiku. Yes, she does consider them gifts. Here are the six states of mind she advocates for creating haiku. And if you don’t write haiku at all, it's still fine advice for living a good life.

She suggests “being aware, nonjudgmental, and reverent. “ Then she believes you should have “a sense of oneness, simplicity, and humility.”