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Karina Klesko

Akari

with Matsuo Bashō
guest haiku by Kobayashi Issa

I keep on looking
for the old philosophers —
mightn’t they be still
in that invisible world
where I reside now 

I do lament
the luster of the sun…
that wanders
about the cemeteries
beyond the shores of the sea

…but today Bashō has prepared the matcha

wabi-cha
allowing the leaves to breathe in
slowly — the gentle mist
just for today
in honor of 'what is'

Akari:

the scent
of
an exotic tea
between
us
a cracked gourd
dripping rainwater
and melon flowers
	—Bashō 

In polite conversation, I ask about the newcomer.

He answers, “Ah yes — Kobayashi Issa.”

We will watch and see —
already, he has captured time:

Don’t weep, insects —
Lovers, stars themselves,
Must part.
               — Issa
in remembrance
of the earth there, below
through a ring of fire —
untouched, autumn's harvest
awaits the waxing moon 

As the guests leave, Bashō bows and says aloud —
 “A-ka-ri“

Author’s Note: The Japanese word “Akari” (明) primarily means “light” or
“illumination”

About the Author

Karina Klesko resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been writing most of her life. In addition to writing children’s books and Christian bible study plans, she writes rengay, tanka, renga, renku, cinquains, zipped haiku and renga, crystallines, haibun, and creates haiga. She also works with young children developing haiku learning exercises.

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14 thoughts on “Karina Klesko: Akari”

    • Hi Alan,
      Thank you, somehow, I thought I replied already, smile. Thank you so much for taking the time and commenting, I so appreciate your input. All the Best, Karina

      Reply

  2. Your tanka prose is a delightful read, Karina! I love the blending of dialogue with the poems of Basho and Issa.

    Reply

    • Sumitra,

      You are always so kind and gracious, thank you – I so appreciate hearing your words. Blessings, Karina

      Reply

    • Hello Biswajit,

      So happy to see you here, what a treat. Well maybe they are in that world where only poets reside.

      Thank you so much for stopping by.

      All the Best, Karina –I’ll look for your name but if not, you should try it next time….these are all fun to read. So far, I have loved all I have read.

      Reply

  4. Hi Karina, Dialogue haibun/tankaprose are rare and valuable. It brings the masters to the forefront, and just a snippet may be sufficient to encourage haibunists and tankaprosists to read Basho’s and Issa’s journals. Ray

    Reply

    • Thank you Ray, what a nice surprise. Yes, this was my first attempt at this style. I enjoyed the deeper research into Basho and Issa. Since they were both in different places in time, I wanted to create a space where they could meet–in-between time with hopes it would land and be understood in this presentation.

      It seems that in my twenty years of writing and reading poems of these two great poets, I have only scratched the surface in realizing the depth of their contributions and the distance these short eastern forms of poetry have traveled. The two different styles of these poets would have been interesting to watch at a renga competition. Very competitive and fun.

      All the Best, Karina

      Reply

  5. Dear Karina,

    A beautiful literary dialogue between Basho and you, and the tanka interspersed with conversations and haiku gives it such a unique and beautiful feel. A serene beautiful piece of writing with Basho’s blessings, and a deeply inspiring literature form! Enjoyed reading it so much.

    Warm regards,
    Vaishnavi

    Reply

    • Vaishnavi Ramaswamy
      April 6, 2026 at 5:55

      Dear Vaishnavi,

      Such a beautiful message to wake up to on Monday Morning.

      Thank you for all of the kind words it is poetry to read. It pleases me that you found merit in the use of dialogue interacting with tanka. Thank you so much for taking the time.

      Much Love, Karina

      Reply

  6. Thank you Ray, what a nice surprise. Yes, this was my first attempt at this style. I enjoyed the deeper research into Basho and Issa. Since they were both in different places in time, I wanted to create a space where they could meet–in-between time with hopes it would land and be understood in this presentation.

    It seems that in my twenty years of writing and reading poems of these two great poets, I have only scratched the surface in realizing the depth of their contributions and the distance these short eastern forms of poetry have traveled. The two different styles of these poets would have been interesting to watch at a renga competition. Very competitive and fun.

    All the Best, Karina

    Reply

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