It’s the birthday of Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa.

Born in Kashiwabara, Japan in 1763, he is one of the masters of the Japanese form of haiku.

He spent most of his adult life traveling around Japan, writing haiku, keeping a travel diary, and visiting shrines and temples across the country. By the end of his life, he had written more than 20,000 haiku celebrating the small wonders of everyday life.

three raindrops
a greeting card from heaven…
midsummer heat

summer moon—
this river beach crowd
gone tomorrow

wood fire—
oh happy age!
on every face

the summer mountain
leans
on the cove

a happy sight—
on purification evening
the Milky Way

the ordinary bee
struts like a peacock…
Buddha’s birthday flowers