KOKORO 03 · Current edition
KOKORO 03
KOKORO
A Japanese word often translated as heart.
But also mind.
Spirit.
Feeling.
Awareness.
The place where the world touches us,
and where we touch the world.
These haiku and photographs are offerings from that place.
Pierre Geslin
Scott Creek, South Australia
2026
dropping the blindswinter outsidefire in the oven
stores baissésdehors l’hiverle feu dans l’âtre
a log shiftsthrough the firethe doorway opens
une bûche basculeà travers le feula porte s’ouvre
cold hearthin the corner of my eyeshe tends the fire
âtre froiddu coin de l’œilelle veille au feu
old photograph ~a familiar facemelts away
vieille photo ~un visage familierse dissout
after the rainwater over stonesnote after note
après la pluiel’eau de pierre en pierreune note puis l’autre
running watereach rock another noterhyming the night
l’eau vivechaque pierre une autre notefait rimer la nuit
autumn currentmy shadow loosensfrom its name
courant d’automnemon ombre se détachede son nom
rain endingbetween one dropand the next
fin de pluieentre une goutteet la suivante
plum puddingthe table is setfor the bees
pudding aux prunesla table est misepour les abeilles
all this blueand still the plum treehas somewhere to go
tout ce bleuet pourtant le pruniercherche plus loin
wattle rattleone small branchholds the sky
frisson du mimosaune seule brancheporte le ciel
heat of the daythe long way down through the treespromise of a drink
la chaleur du jourune longue pente entre les arbresla promesse d’un verre
In the Adelaide Hills of South Australia,
moments appear and disappear
as winter begins to loosen its hold.
Rain ending between one drop and the next.
The plum tree still has somewhere to go.
One small wattle branch holds the sky.
These haiku and haiga
are invitations to pause,
to notice, and to rediscover
the extraordinary hidden
within ordinary life.
Water remembers.
So does the heart.
Pierre Geslin
Haiku writer, photographer, and mindfulness practitioner.
Creator of Kaze Dōjō - The Way of the Wind.
Adelaide Hills · South Australia