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’24 Contemplation: A Haiku Lesson on Correlation

high in the air/a butterfly crosses/ the depth of the valley//: Sekitei

I happened upon this haiku in a book from the library and found enlightenment
with the interpretation of the simple poem.

high in the air
a butterfly crosses
the depth of the valley

copyright © Sekitei

Interpretation:

A single butterfly is flitting from this mountain to that one. In between, there
is a deep valley. The deepness of the valley is making the altitude of the
butterfly’s flight seem more remarkable. The valley, moreover, is felt to be
even deeper owing to the altitude of the butterfly.

Haiku can also be seen as the poetry of correlation.

To me, this is yet another reason to enjoy being into poetry like we are here, and
I hope this was somehow helpful to you.

THE SEA BY MARY OLIVER

The poem in my book, pages 172-173
Mary Oliver: New And Selected Poems Volume One
Winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize
Beacon Press, Boston www.beaconpress.org

Stroke by
   stroke my
      body remembers that life and cries for
         the lost parts of itself—-
fins, gills
   opening like flowers into
      the flesh—-my legs
         want to lock and become
one muscle, I swear I know
   just what the blue-gray scales
      shingling
         the rest of me would
feel like!
   paradise! Sprawled
      in that motherlap,
         in that dreamhouse
of salt and exercise,
   what a spillage
      of nostalgia pleads
         from the very bones! how
they long to give up the long trek
   inland, the brittle
      beauty of understanding,
         and dive,
and simply
   become again a flaming body
      of blind feeling
         sleeking along
in the luminous roughage of the sea’s body,
   vanished
      like victory inside that
         insucking genesis, that
roaring flamboyance, that
   perfect
      beginning and
         conclusion of our own.

COPYRIGHT ©  MARY OLIVER

This poem originally appeared in American Primitive by Mary Oliver
(published by Little, Brown and Company).
Poem from Mary Oliver: New And Selected Poems Volume One
Winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize
Beacon Press, Boston www.beaconpress.org

Thanks for reading.
(Is anyone else excited about April right around the corner?
Well, NaPoWriMo and all that JAZZ!? Me, too!)
I hope to join it here: https://www.napowrimo.net/
You? Let me know.

Selma Martin
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This Post Has 21 Comments

  1. Cindy Georgakas

    A beautiful sharing and picture to heighten the meaning even more. Love both poems, Selma❣️

  2. Pooja G

    Absolutely loved the poems. I’m excited for April too but because it’s my birthday month haha. I’ve heard a lot about NaPoWriMo but I’ve never participated.

    1. Selma Martin

      A birthday on Poetry month. How cool is that. Happy Early Birthday greeting to you, Pooja 🤗
      Participation is easy. I added the link. Get a peek into everything you need to know there. (No pressure whatsoever) thanks for reading this post today. XoXo

      1. Pooja G

        Thank you and I’ll definitely check it out 🤗💕

  3. rajkkhoja

    Nice you sharing pics & poem.

      1. rajkkhoja

        Thanks,Selma

  4. Maria Michaela

    Thank you for sharing this, Selma. That haiku is just so beautiful. And of course, Mary Oliver 😍

    1. Selma Martin

      Happy this share helped you see beauty. Bless you. Xo

  5. I love the photo and haiku, and I’ve also been enlightened, Selma, by your example of ‘being into poetry.’ Mary Oliver is also one of my favorite poets. Lovely post, my friend. xo

    1. Selma Martin

      Yay. Happy to know you’re enlightened too my friend. Stay sweet.
      I’m suffering with sinusitis. But on the mend now.
      Blessings.

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