***Master Poet Matsuo Basho created haiku in Japan in the 17th century

***Sensei means master teacher in Japanese

***Mistral is a cold, dry, northerly wind

***TANKA PROSE

Tanka prose is a poetic form combining two modes of writing, verse, and prose. It was created early in the history of Japanese literature, from the 8th to 11th centuries. There are three distinct parts to tanka prose -- title, the prose, and the ending tanka. The title is unique and not repeated in the prose portion of the tanka. The prose represents an instant in time where something is happening. Other than articles and conjunctions, words should not be repeated in the prose portion. The tanka usually concludes the poem. It is a five-line poem with 31 syllables or less written in a short-long-short-long-long format. click here for more information

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Thank you very much for taking the time to read and review my poem.

Gypsy

Cited works

*frog haiku

old pond
frogs jumped in -
sound of water

*The Narrow Road to the Deep North

The months and days are the travelers of eternity. The years that come and go are also voyagers. Those who float away from their lives on ships or who grow old leading horses are forever journeying, and their homes are wherever their travels take them. Many of the men of old died on the road, and I too for years past have been stirred by the sight of a solitary cloud drifting with the wind to ceaseless thoughts of roaming.

Last year I spent wandering along the seacoast. In autumn I returned to my cottage on the river and swept away the cobwebs. Gradually the year drew to its close. When spring came and there was mist in the air, I thought of crossing the Barrier of Shirakawa into Oku. I seemed to be possessed by the spirits of wanderlust, and they all but deprived me of my senses. The guardian spirits of the road beckoned, and I could not settle down to work.

I patched my torn trousers and changed the cord on my bamboo hat. To strengthen my legs for the journey I had moxa burned on my shins. By then I could think of nothing but the moon at Matsushima. When I sold my cottage and moved to Sampu's villa, to stay until I started on my journey, I hung this poem on a post in my hut:

even a thatched hut
may change with a new owner
into a doll's house

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