I Wish it Would Rain
May 2026

Here in Middle America on the Great Plains, the rains fall sporadically. A farmer who plants his crops prays for rain. And the nearby Arkansas River is not so mighty as the Mogami River in faraway mountainous Yamaguta in central Japan.

The Temple of Yamadera (Risshaku-ji) was where Matsuo Basho stayed for a week on his Journey into Japan’s Northern Exterior. Here, Basho composed one of his most famous haiku.

閑さや岩にしみ入る蝉の声
Shizukasa ya / iwa ni shimiiru / semi no koe

An eerie silence
Deep within these massive rocks,
A cicada’s speaks.

One might argue that it is not that the cicada speaks. A cicada doesn’t speak it cries. Basho’s word choice is “voice.” Its sound seeps into or penetrates the stone — cicada and stone becoming one.

It seems the rain delayed his trip, or perhaps it was the beauty of the area. For the following week Basho climbed Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono, the Three Mountains of Dewa, holy to Japan’s Shinto religion.

Another momentous moment was Basho’s leaving Yamadera and his trip down the raging Mogami River, headed to Japan’s western shores.

五月雨をあつめて早し最上川
Samidare o / atsumete hayashi / Mogami-gawa

Gathering rains of May,
Swift and fierce it flows
— the Mogami River

I have taken kayak and canoe down raging creeks and overflowing rivers in Kansas, but I don’t recommend it to the faint of heart.

Better wait for better weather. Better paddle lakes or ponds.