Mijika yo ya!
Ashiato asaki
Yui-ga-hama.
How brief is this life!
Faint footprints on the sands of
Yui-ga-hama.
The name Yui-ga-hama literally means “ Hot Spring Beach.” In Japan, a volcanic country,
there are a number of places where hot water wells up through the sand,
but in the town of Kamakura at its southern boundary, there is a beach known as “ Yui-ga-hama.”'
Each day at all monasteries and temples in Japan the stones are raked freshly.
The previous day's imprints are gone. Calm beauty is restored. Our inner "raking" can be similar,
particularly in an age of profound agitation. What I like best about this haiku is that first line,
also to be remembered each day. How brief indeed is this life! How precious! Stephanie Dowrick 9/4/2026
Raked white pebbles at the Edogawa Commemorative Garden at East Gosford
where we meet for our White Pebbles Haiku writing group
in each of the four seasons each year
