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Jacob Salzer

The Haiku of the Day feature displays a new haiku each day at the top of our home page. www.thehaikufoundation.org . See also our Haiku of the Day Archive.

Haiku of the Day for February  2023 features Guest Editor Jacob Salzer’s collection on the theme of trees. This is what Jacob has to say by way of introduction to this theme:

Trees store carbon, provide oxygen, and are the homes for birds and things we cannot see. In cities, their cool shade helps regulate warm city temperatures. As a result, trees save big cities millions of dollars each year by reducing costs for public health; they manage stormwater, naturally filter city water (instead of using large, expensive man-made water filters), improve air quality, lower electricity costs through energy savings, and they also prevent soil erosion. In Indigenous cultures, trees are sometimes called the one-leggeds; they are seen as part of a larger family. I chose tree-related haiku to honor these spiritual giants and the haiku poets who noticed them.

—Jacob D. Salzer

 

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. The theme of ‘Tree’ is aesthetic and contemporary. Thank you, Jacob, for your beautiful write-up. I wish to share the following poems of mine for reading pleasure.

    moving closer
    to the old pipal tree–
    I talk to myself

    Otata 23, November 2017 (Ed. John Martone)

    *
    pine trees
    each pointing
    to the stars

    Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, May 2, 2022 (Ed. Kahleen Trocmet)

    *
    friendship day how thoughtfully birds live with the trees
    Presence # 73, 2022 (Ed. Ian Storr)
    *

    rows of trees
    along stretched seashore
    remain speechless
    perhaps the oceanic vastness
    interacting in deep silence

    Simply Haiku, Summer 2012, Vol.10 No.1 (Eds. Robert D. Wilson and Sasa Vazic)

    *** *** *** ***
    why keep
    seeds in a jar
    the trees
    climb up the sky
    showering flowers of joy

    Presence # 74, 2022 (Ed. Alison Williams)

    *
    we can draft an atlas
    reciting the anthem of unity
    to pour rains of hope
    we can endure living merrily
    like the trees residing side by side

    Contemporary Haibun Online, Issue 18.3, 2022 (Ed, Tish Davis)
    (Haibun: In search of solace)

    Pravat

  2. Wonderful topic! 🙂

    It was incredible observing and not disturbing the bird (Firecrest) moving from one specific tree to another:

    .

    oak and alder
    the firecrest weaves
    a restless song

    Alan Summers

    Commended, Anam Cara 2019 Haiku Competition (Ireland)

    The Comfort of Crows by Hifsa Ashraf & Alan Summers
    (Velvet Dusk Publishing, December 2019)
    https://tinyurl.com/ComfortOfCrows

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