As spring approaches, a renewed feeling of optimism comes with it.

春風や希望あふれる気配かな
harukaze ya kihou afureru kehai kana

fresh spring wind
bring a new sense of
hope

^{Hiroshige - Distant View of Kinryūzan Temple and Azuma Bridge}

Edit: I wrote this post a few weeks ago, before the official start of Spring, so that's why I mention a few timing things that might not make sense.

Spring is here! By the traditional Japanese almanac, we’ve already been in spring for a while. By the modern calendar, we still have a few days to go. But regardless of either, it’s starting to feel like spring—and that’s what matters. Cold one day, warm the next, but we’re getting there.

Spring always brings a sense of renewal. Nature practically shoves that in our faces with blooming flowers and trees, but it’s not just visual—the feeling is in the air too. It’s warm again. We can go outside without bundling up. We start feeling good instead of just cold all the time.

There’s an old saying: “Spring, when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love.” True—but more broadly, I think spring brings with it a kind of hopefulness, a refreshing optimism.

Some of the news we hear out of the West hasn’t been too positive lately. I’ll leave it at that—you can interpret that however you want. I’ve been carrying a growing sense of dread for a while now. But the other day was different: sunny, birds singing, warm—a beautiful day in every way. And it did wonders for my mood. It lifted my spirits and made it feel like everything might be okay after all.

It was in that mindset that this haiku came to me.

【Also published on my website】

❦

David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Mastodon. 【Support @dbooster with Hive SBI】