Margaret Chula
Komomaki
If you visit Japan in early winter, you may see
straw “belts” wrapped around pine trees a few
feet above the ground, especially in traditional
gardens. Besides being aesthetically pleasing,
these serve a utilitarian purpose—protecting
the tree against pests. Specifically, the pine moth
caterpillars that feast on pine needles and
weaken the tree. When offered cozy straw,
the larvae will happily settle in for the cold
season. This makes it easy to eliminate them.
In the spring, gardeners remove the matting
along with the caterpillars and burn everything.
The ashes are returned to the soil as fertilizer.
my dead kitten
Nana heaves its stiff body
onto the compost heap
About the Author
Margaret Chula has been writing haiku, haibun, and tanka for over forty years. Her haibun memoir, Firefly Lanterns: Twelve Years in Kyoto, received a NYC 2022 Big Book Award in Multicultural Nonfiction. Her new haibun chapbook, Clothes to Go Out In, was recently released. Maggie lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.