Bashō Updates His Facebook Page

First published in Spring: The Journal of the E. E. Cummings Society, #23, Fall 2020 [actually December 2021], page 122. Also published on Jessica Tremblay’s blog in December of 2014. Originally written in December of 2014. See also “E. E. Cummings Updates His Facebook Page.” +

Monday: Took a walk around the pond today to enjoy the spring sunshine. Heard a frog jump in. Thought I’d write a poem about it.

Tuesday: For centuries, poems about frogs have celebrated their croak, so writing about the sound of a frog jumping into the water seems pretty radical. Any of you homies think I should go for it anyway?

Wednesday: Got the last two lines down of my new poem: kawazu tobikomu | mizu no oto. But I’m stuck on my first line. Shoot me your suggestions if you’ve got any.

Thursday: Settled on furuike ya for my first line. Thanks, buddy, for the suggestion (you know who you are).

Friday: Decided against the frog legs for dinner.