Painting Frogs and Trying to Listen to Them

The general consensus was that Gerald's deftly-painted rows of little black frogs were best. Teacher, Tsuchi-no-ko-sensei, seemed to agree. Hailstone participants learnt something of the history and conceptual background of haiga (haiku-style painting) in a specially-arranged Nijo workshop on 16 June. Then they watched the teacher paint - not only frogs, but goldfish, dragonflies, swallows and globefish, too. Finally, they were given blank washi cards on which to make their own attempts at haiga. Some haiku in English were added later. Object: production of a few shochumimai greetings cards for friends.

rain ...
above its incessant drone
frog voices rise
(Jane Wieman)

Less than a week later, on Midsummer's Night, another small crowd of poets gathered to listen to different varieties of frog singing. Four habitats were visited - a mountain stream (for its kajika), a mountain forest (for moriaogaeru), a swamp (ushigaeru) and the paddyfields of Saga (various). The rain let up only an hour or so before we met, so there was a nice mist at Kiyotaki, but little audible frogsong: we imagined the frogs were too busy clinging on for dear life to the boulders and trees on either side of the raging torrent. The fireflies were magical, though. Later, we saw the silhouette of a wild boar charging along the tiny paths between paddies ... Kazue was so close to it, she could feel the breeze! Frogs are the voice of the rainy season, but when a crowd appears they certainly know how to clam up.

Creeping towards us
Through the single-lane tunnel
Mist
From the other side.
(Tito)

Frogs call!

floor upon floor mirrored

in the city ricefield

(Moya Bligh)

a bullfrog ceases to sing ...
just the sound of its limbs
slipping back into
the night marsh.
(Keiko Yurugi)