Birchfield Nursery
Kidders Lane
Henfield
West Sussex, BN5 9AB
- t: 01273 494058
- f: 01273 493696
- e: sales[at]birchfieldnursery.com
Opening Times
Mon-Fri 0830~1700
Weekend and Bank Holidays 0930~1630
The Musings of Musa Basjoo
Musa Basjoo can be contacted at musabasjoo@birchfieldnursery.com where he is known to be completely fallible but welcomes attributed or original material that broadly conforms to the spirit of the page. MB's decision to include or not is final!
Haiku
Haiku exists in both classical , three line, seventeen syllable form and also free form styles. Both are good. The writer endeavours to give glimpses of the true essence of the subject under discussion in a way that transcends the words on the page and moves the reader to moment of greater understanding - more instinctively known than learned. Haiku traditionally includes a 'season word'. Horticulture, with its dependence upon the seasonality of nature, has, I would like to think, an affinity with Haiku. When considering Haiku the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) is generally regarded as the 'boss'. How better to start this page than with one of his Haiku, with acknowledgments to all those who have translated his work over the centuries.
Summer grasses -
All that remains
Of soldiers visions.
Matsuo Basho.
Haibun.
Are a combination of poetry and prose. As such they allow the writer to expand upon his or her subject but also offer the opportunity to observe a moment in the form of Haiku. The whole being greater than the sum of the parts. The classic examples also come from Basho in his journals 'The Record of a weather-beaten Skeleton' and 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North'. Support your local book shop - buy them!
Haibun are quite fun to experiment with,
Chesil Beach
If the Chesil Beach was an animal it would be a slightly skinny, eighteen mile long wolfhound lying with its head between its outstretched front legs. Instead of its flank turning toward the warmth of the fire it would face the English Channel. Throughout both there is often a sense of power and of somehow being slightly aloof, possibly dangerous. At times I can find a space along the flanks of the hound to lie back, the cobbles giving, reluctantly making space for my bones. If I am lucky the wind is light and the sun warms these comforting alcoves. The sea sparkles - sea sprites? I'd like to think so. In the winter months it is possible to have the beach to oneself within the limits of sea fret vision. Dreams are possible and visions are true.
Even better if someone you love is with you.
On the tidal slopes,
incoming waves have graded
the winter shingle.
Chesil Beach, Abbotsbury
MB