re:Virals 477

Welcome to re:Virals, The Haiku Foundation’s weekly commentary feature on some of your favorites among the best contemporary haiku and senryu written in English. This week’s poem, chosen by Amoolya Kamalnath, was:

     
come as you are ...
cherry petals
in the wind
—Vladislav Hristov
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2024 international section Hon. Mention

Introducing this poem, Amoolya writes:

The insignificance of putting on an act to impress upon, and life’s ephemerality is delightfully portrayed in this haiku. The ‘ma’ gives this reader much fodder for thought. I look forward to learning what cherry petals in the wind mean to all the commentators…

Opening comment:

As many verses have been written on this theme as there are cherry petals in the wind — or so it must seem to the organisers of the Vancouver Festival’s annual competitive haiku event.  Even cross-fertilised with the usual tropes, it must be difficult to find any verse that stands out for simplicity, authenticity, originality, and/or atarashimi — the quality of novel re-invention, valued by Basho. His own haiku (one of many blossom verses) is prescient as well as retrospective:

sama zama no / koto omoidasu / sakura kana
many things
come to mind
cherry blossoms…

(How would that fare, submitted for the first time under an unknown name, with the principal ELH journals today?)

Vladislav Hristov’s verse has the immediate charm and simplicity of an instantly recognisable opening phrase used in informal invitations to a party. Indeed this could be the opening hokku of a renga party. Or an invitation to a blossom-viewing party.

“Come as you are…” suggests that there is no need for adornment, no need for pretence or posturing, you/we are as beautiful as the unconscious cherry petals. The beauty of life itself, the party to which we are all invited just as we are; and like the cherry petals, with which we are compared, we will be swept away one by one on the wind.

So, despite the production line of lookalike, soundalike haiku on cherry blossoms, it is still possible to find a good one honouring the traditions yet with a fresh, contemporary tone.   For me, the pick of the bunch.

Dan Campbell:

Meditation on a Poem by Nick While Strolling Through a Nudist Camp Somewhere in Virginia

“Come as you are…cherry petals in the wind” that line echoes through my mind as I walk through this place. I didn’t think it’d feel like this – not just the warm breeze or the soft earth beneath my feet, but this overwhelming sense of… liberation? Vulnerability, definitely. It’s funny because those words – “come as you are” – they invite me in, almost like they’re calling me to let go of something deeper than just clothes.

I see others strolling by, so at ease in their bare skin, like the cherry petals fluttering around us. There’s this beauty in their presence, in their calm acceptance of themselves and each other. It feels almost ceremonial, like we’re all participants in some quiet celebration of being alive.

It’s strange how the simplicity of that image makes me feel. You’d think a place like this would be all about appearances, or lack thereof, but it’s something else entirely. We’re all stripped bare, yes, but it’s the essence of that “come as you are” that I keep coming back to. There’s no hiding behind fashion, no carefully chosen outfits to express who we want people to think we are. We’re as fragile, as unique, and, yes, as beautiful as those cherry petals floating in the wind.

And I realize that’s what it’s all about – the poem, this place, this moment. It’s about embracing what is without judgment, without embellishment. We’re not just shedding clothes here; we’re shedding masks, too. It’s about walking out into the world in all our flawed, vulnerable, human glory.

Carol Reynolds:

This haiku had me at the first line, ‘come as you are’. It instantly took me back to a recent, much anticipated catch up with my four adult grandsons to celebrate the birthday of one, and the imminent overseas travels of another.  While grateful they had all taken time out from their crazy busy lives to attend, I could be forgiven for thinking the occasion was not as meaningful to them as it was to me.  With unkept hair under baseball caps, ill-fitting clothes and not all wearing shoes, the words ‘come as you are’ was an apt description.

By contrast I had spent a good amount of time earlier on my hair and outfit, hoping to appear the trendy G’ma. In hindsight I realise that beneath their lack of pretence are four responsible young men, happy and healthy, and making their way in a world much more complex than the one I grew up in. I am proud of them all and need to change my generational attitude of caring about external appearances. and think like a Gen Z.

I consider the last two lines of the haiku, ‘cherry petals in the wind’, a metaphor reminding us how fleeting life is. It seems no time at all since my grandsons were tender young babes. Grown up now and with the wind in their sails they are ready to go out and explore the world.

Melissa Dennison:

A thoughtful haiku and a novel take on cherry blossom.

come as you are…you are beautiful anyway, there is no need for artifice, dressing up, wanting to conform. Just be you, that’s good enough. What a wonderful message that we don’t hear enough.

There could be a metaphor here, that we are like those cherry petals blowing in the wind. Transient, just passing through, but what a magnificent sight, and what a journey.

Are we like these petals at the mercy of the wind? Or is there choice in this? Freedom? Maybe.

Just be. Enjoy this moment. Perhaps that’s all there is.

Lakshman Bulusu:

This haiku succinctly calls for cherry petals drifting down in the wind in their original form. ‘come as you are..,’ metaphorically means to ask anything to be present in its true form. Presence takes precedence over permanence. And the invitation of cherry petals is no exception. ‘come as you are….’ refers to the petals originally exist ing and not changing form due to seasonal effects like the wind blowing then distorted or otherwise.

L1 sets the tone and L2 and L3 stress on the beauty of cherry petals to alight on may be in the palm of one’s hand in their original form and not get carried away.

The seasonal kigo is implied and the haiku takes perfect shape as it progresses from L1 to L3.

Sheer beauty of them is the key and it can also mean calling someone beautiful in their purest form and not get digressed by the the influence of an outlier element.

John Daleiden:

Vladislav Hristov’s “come as you are …” haiku creates a sense of casualness in a familiar world. The setting is spring—cherry petals. L2 can only come from “cherry blossoms”–a spring kigo. The choice of “petals” continues the casualness of L1, “come as you are”, an off-hand, possibly on the spur of the moment invitation. This invitation appears to be made to a human, but the ellipsis at the end of L1 makes me pause and wonder if the call is also to the fragile “petals”. After all, spring can be a very fickle season—warm and encouraging for a few days, and then dismal, dark, and cold for a few days—a time of climate vacilation. Finally, L3, “in the wind” affirms the necessity of haste in the poet’s bidding—those lovely “petals” are being thrown about—they won’t last long, and if you want to see them on the trees—well, hurry—for soon the delicate sight will blow away.

The structure of the poem is enhanced with simple, direct language. Written on three lines with indirect reference to a kigo in L2, the 4-4-3 syllables (a total of 11 syllables) suggest a brief amount of time exists before this delightful sight of nature will disappear.

Hristov’s delicate spring haiku excellently captures the short-lived phenomena of annual cherry blossoms.

Linda Powers O’Dell — live free and glorious:

This lovely haiku epitomizes the freedom of cherry blossom petals floating in the wind. As we imagine the confetti of pink petals surrounding, embracing us, we are invited to live as freely and as gloriously. The phrasing creates a metaphor; we are wind borne, random waves of natural beauty.

Come As You Are is a Nirvana song with a double entendre. The invitation may be implying don’t worry about what you’re wearing, an interpretation that suggests don’t worry about your state of mental or physical being. Be free. This first line may also be a plea: feel free to express truly your sexuality.

The brevity of this haiku’s lines evokes the rising and falling of wind and petals. These images of freedom are emphasized by the realization that the petals are not full blossoms. They have been pulled and set free by the forces of nature. Instead of falling to earth, they have taken flight. The poet entreats us to live the same way.

Author Vladislav Hristov:

I grew up as part of the grunge generation since the beginning of the 1990s. In Bulgaria, as well as in the rest of the world, this music was a symbol of rebellion but also of the era of human alienation. It is because of this, Nirvana’s song “Come As You Are” is among the favourite songs of my youth. I wrote this haiku on April 5th, the day Kurt Cobain killed himself, just a few weeks before the sakura blossomed. In times of war and armament, today this song keeps being relevant and conveys a message of understanding and humanity: “No, I don’t have a gun”.

Thanks to all who sent commentaries. As the contributor of the commentary reckoned best this week, Linda has chosen next week’s poem, which you’ll find below. We invite you to write a commentary to it. It may be as long or short, academic or spontaneous, serious or silly, public or personal as you like. All with respect for the poet. Out-takes from the best of these take their place in the THF Archives. Best of all, the chosen commentary’s author gets to pick the next poem.

Anyone can participate. Simply use the re:Virals commentary form below to enter your commentary on the new week’s poem (“Your text”) by the following Tuesday midnight, Eastern US Time Zone, and then press Submit to send your entry. The Submit button will not be available until Name, Email, and Place of Residence fields are filled in. We look forward to seeing your commentary and finding out about your favourite poems!

Poem for commentary:

moonlight
in the breath of hill cattle
deepening cold

— Paul Chambers
Acorn 51, Fall 2023

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Footnote:

Vladislav Hristov is a Bulgarian short form poet. He works as a journalist and a photographer. His bibliography includes 7 poetry books and translations into 18 languages. He is an award winner in the 3rd Basho-an International English Haiku Competition (2020), the 10th Annual Akita International Haiku Contest (2021) and many another.

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Like Dan, I had the impish thought that “come as you are” might suggest “in the nude.” But quashed it immediately.  Although —

we arrive naked
and leave in a suit
what a party!

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