MITSUAKI KOJIMA

Unlike tanka poetry that often contains rhetorical questions about unrequited love, the one-moment focus of haiku rarely concerns itself with romance. But this week heartstrings were stirred by Valentine's Day, and several haikuists decided to give love a whirl. Jacek Margolak went window shopping on a snowy February day in Poland. Quamrul Hassan penned his haiku in Bangladesh. Rebba Singh writes about an unforgettable experience in Lucknow, India.

Valentine's frost
in every window
ikebana

The clock sings twelve
I pen a haiku
to my Valentine

Just a glance
imprinted forever
as poetry

Francis Attard bit into a fine Italian chocolate made by the Baci chocolate company. Wrapped in a distinctive blue foil wrapper, the chocolates contain romantic poems and quotes about love written in English and Italian. "Baci di dama" translates to "the kiss of a woman." Judging from his haiku, the taste may have been bittersweet. Angelee Deodhar finds the sweeter taste of the chocolates she received at home in India more to her palate.

Into the north wind
Baci's foil wrapper
somewhere to alight

Foggy day--
the sweet taste of
Valentine chocolate

Sosuke Kanda celebrated his February birthday by strolling about Ginza decked out in red. Doc Sunday sported a darker shade of red in Hiroshima on his special day.

Ginza stroll
red muffler my best choice
70th birthday

Angels smile
60th birthday
wine red scarf

Francisco Handa was walking down a house-lined beach in Sao Paulo that had recently been hit by a storm. The inhabitants seemed to be taking the adverse weather in stride, because he heard love songs playing from one of the houses. Murasaki Sagano was pent up in a hospital room. Kevin Kato heard an old love song on the radio while out for a drive in snowy Iwate.

The window
of a storm-damaged hut
love songs

Endless gaze
through the ward's window
glimpse of snow

On the radio
what once we had called "our song"
but now you're gone

Polish poet Marek Kozubek was moved by the melody of a love song played on a piano.

Love melody--
on keys of the piano
her cool touch

Philippine poet Khrishner Mendoza's haiku was inspired by a Beatle's tune. Michael Corr came up with the idea of combining Zen with the Beatle's in a haiku.

Reborn love
failed a creature cries
Let it be

Air sutra
Sergeant Pepper's tune
Zen New Year

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Contest-winning haiku will be analyzed in the March 1, 15, and 29 issues of the Asahi Haikuist Network. Mail haiku about spring and haiku you have previously entered in contests to David McMurray at the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, 5-3-2 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8011, fax 03-5541-8539, or e-mail <is@asahi.com>.