Helen Ogden

We are always surrounded by weather in its infinite manifestations, and the seasonality of haiku poetry lends itself to the subject. Being July, ‘hot weather’ seems an appropriate choice of topic. However, hot weather in these times has an alarming overtone due to the effects of global warming and the attendant climate change that is being experienced around the world. New extremes are being reached daily. Along with this change in global climate comes the question of how it may influence the use of traditional kigo, or season words, which are one of the defining characteristics of haiku. The seasons are no longer what they used to be. This month’s Haiku of the Day will be a limited sampling of poems on the subject of ‘hot weather’ and ‘climate change.’ Solastalgia, a word used to describe the nostalgic distress that is felt as a result of environmental changes in one’s home environment, will undoubtedly become an increasingly common theme of haiku as we collectively experience the consequences of our presence upon the Earth.

—Helen Ogden