Steps lead over Natagiri Pass in the Tohoku region of Japan.
three wayfarers
we catch up to Bashō
by bullet train
Narrow Road
everyone driving
on the wrong side
dancing maples
we clap and clap
for bears
A view of Matsushima Bay
all words drown
in its depths . . .
Matsushima Bay
a crow
cawing cawing
smoky hojicha
autumn leaves
Bashō’s dreams
endure in stone
on his walk too
the rhythm of rain
on bamboo
Three wayfarers hike along Bashō’s 1689 route in Tohoku.
a little more wear
from our boots
sunken stone steps
a banana tree
waves hello
Bashō museum
straw sandals
how long they last
in the display case
steaming onsen
the long trail
dissolving
— Annette Makino, published in Modern Haiku, 57.2, Summer 2026