After wrapping up self-isolation periods and so on,

How are you getting along with your “With Corona” lifestyle?

Personally, the time I spend walking around my neighborhood has gone up.

Walking along a river nearby my attention turns to the seasonal flora,

I appreciate the varying rays of light in morning, at noon and dusk,

And I gaze on as an old lady walks her dog.

Suffice to say, I’m enjoying a laid-back lifestyle.

That being said, my walking route has become fixed,

And has started to become a touch too routine.

It was as I began to feel this way that I happened to read some poetry of the Haiku and Senryu variety and thought to myself,

Oh, these are pretty amusing!

It was then that I began to take the sights from my walks, the seasons, the city, and the people, and turning them into verse.

Haiku take some concentration to write and are a bit too rigid and formal though, requiring the inclusion of a seasonal word and so on. So instead, I’ve taken to writing Senryu, like the one below, which are much more free-form.

“With Corona”, nature’s stinging cold air, my walking route.

“Online Classes”, blinking weary eyes, time for a nap.

If you find your eyes frequently blinking and dry,

Take it as a sign and please take frequent breaks.

＊Check out our homepage if the online lifestyle starts to tire you out.

Among other information we have a variety of relaxation techniques you can try from home.

https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/ssr/en/kokoro/