11/25/2007

Railway Haiku Train Station

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Railway and Train Haiku

***** Location: Worldwide
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

CLICK for more photos !


The eternal traveller ... here we collect haiku about railways, trains, train stations, platforms and related things.


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National Train Day
Railway Day


They come on different times of the year.

- Reference -


Japan's first railway opened on October 14th, 1872, between Tokyo's Shimbashi and Yokohama and the day was designated as Railway Day.

Railway Day in Japan

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Worldwide use

Philippines

Your haiku writer here is very much familiar with mass transport system; having been connected with the railway system here in the Philippines since 1985. I breathe rails and trains every day of my life. With this in mind, I would probably be sharing some aspects of my "mass rail experiences".

During the afternoon peak hours, the volume of passengers goes over the comfort limit/zone. The ride becomes relatively more inconvenient and altercations sometimes happen.

temperatures rise -
the train is northbound
to Monumento



- Willie Bongcaron, Manila


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU





良寛忌 東京駅で 友を待つ

Ryokan Memorial Day -
waiting for friends
at Tokyo station


You have to know the millions of people thronging through this central station every day to imagine the hustle and noise there. And know Ryokan, the lonely monk.

Gabi Greve, 1994 ... Ryookan Day

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empty platform
ivy clings to the face
of the station clock


Moonset Competition 2007
– Honourable Mention

© Lynne Rees

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Spielende Kinder
auf den Eisenbahnschienen...
Grashalme zittern

© psychronicon


children playing
on the railway tracks ...
grass is trembling

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

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夏草に汽缶車の車輪来て止まる
natsukusa ni kikansha no sharin kite tomaru

Up to summer grass,
wheels of a locomotive
coming to a stop.

trans. Kodaira and Marks


in summer grass
a steam engine's wheels
come and stop

Seishi, trans. Higginson


. Yamaguchi Seishi 山口誓子 .



kikansha no kanbo moe tsutsu umi wataru

A winter evening--
a flaming locomotive
rides across the lake.


Seishi,
trans. Kodaira and Marks



hasu no hana saku ya sabishiki teishajoo

Lotuses
blooming there--
the lonely train station


Shiki,
trans. Watson



kisha sugite kemuri uzumaku wakaba kana

a train goes by,
its smoke curling
around the new tree leaves


Shiki,
trans. Watson




kishadoo no ichidan takaki fuyuta kana

Winter rice fields--
railroad tracks running
a level above them


Shiki,
trans. Watson



kisha-michi ni hikuku kari tobu tsuki-yo kana

Railroad tracks; a flight
of wild geese close above them
in the moonlit night.


Shiki,
trans. Henderson




setsurei to gekiroo no aida kasha nagashi

snow-capped mountains,
rough waves, and between them
a long freight train

Yoshino Yoshiko,
trans. Ueda

Compiled by Larry Bole, Kigo Hotline


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Waterloo sunset
the Thames disappears
from the Tube map


inter-city train journey -
a rattling window top
shuts itself


Alan Summers


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CLICK for more Japanese trains !

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Related words

***** Ships, boats (fune)


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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

train delay ...
but my lesson plans
are on schedule

This could also be revised to read:

traffic jam ...
but my lesson plans
are on schedule

This next one just occurred to me:

train delay ...
my students hope
I postpone a test

:>) Ella Wagemakers

Anonymous said...

train whistle
after the rest take flight
one sparrow

terrytip

The train whistle is a classic image in American song for having the blues, and all kinds of loneliness. Not only is the train whistle a melancholy sound in-and-of itself, but trains and train stations are emblematic of the departure of loved ones.
Reading this haiku, I think first of Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," especially the first verse:

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry

Larry Bole
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simply_haiku/message/21414

Anonymous said...

... a couple of years back, I was going by train to the city of Bikaner in the State of Rajasthan, which doesn't have much rainfall:

train to Bikaner~
a tattered scare-crow
guarding parched fields

Sunil Uniyal, India

Anonymous said...

station concourse -
busy bodies disappear
from escalator

station platform -
my elbow rubs with
another's elbow

fastfood stalls
at the train terminal -
chop sticks pick noodles

Ao-Suzume

Anonymous said...

Train station revelation ~
Every passing remark
Connects

Caught in the act-
Trespassing minds
Quickly look away

Empty mind
Now full
...Crowded train

Strange breast, sweaty back -
Enveloping warmth
In the crowded train

(This was written thinking back on the rides I have taken on the Mumbai electric trains that pulsate as a world unto itself during peak commuting hours everyday )

Beneath the train
Thrilling in speed,
Stones by the track move an inch

Unending suicide attempt
Stained, shaken・et alive
Stones on railway track

-Malini Rao

anonymous said...

traffic jam --
a red car knocks down
a black dog
stanly joshua, Kenya