Scarecrow Songs

Autumn Wind, a haiku of Issa (1763-1827) and translated by Peter Beilenson in Haiku Harvest published by Peter Pauper Press, heralds the ominous onset of the perils of cold windy nights signalling possible destruction for the scarecrow. The crispness of consonants and quick repetitions of phrases combined with the ponderous sounds of piano or marimba leave little doubt of the fate of the fragile scarecrow.