I have composed a haiku with three seasonal words overlapping. Overlapping seasonal words are considered taboo in haiku. However, there is a famous haiku by the haiku poet Yamaguchi Sodo, who was active in the early Edo period, which goes: ‘In my eyes, fresh leaves – the mountain hototogisu, the first bonito.’ This verse effectively conveys the essence of early summer sensed through the five senses of sight, hearing, and taste. Of course, my haiku cannot compare to this verse, but it is a moaning verse, hoping to convey a momentary coolness amidst the intense heat just after the end of the rainy season.
By the way, let’s talk about Warabimochi. This is a traditional Japanese confectionery made from the starch extracted from the roots of the bracken fern (warabi). It has a soft and smooth texture. In the old days, it was said to be a favorite of Emperor Daigo. It is usually eaten with roasted soybean flour (kinako), powdered green tea (matcha), or black syrup (kuromitsu) poured on top. However, the amount of warabi powder that can be obtained is extremely limited, so most warabimochi is made by mixing warabi powder with other starches.

季語三つの季重なりの句になりました。季重なりは俳句ではタブーとされています。しかし江戸時代前期に活躍した俳人、山口素堂に「目に(は)青葉　山ほととぎす　初鰹」という有名な俳句があります。目、耳、口の五感で感じた初夏の趣きを的確に伝えています。もちろん我が俳句はこの句に及ぶべくもありませんが、梅雨明け直後の猛烈な暑さに一服の涼しさが伝えられたらと呻吟した句です。ところでわらび餅ですが、これはワラビの根茎から取れる澱粉を原料とする、柔らかく口どけの良い伝統的な和菓子です。古くは、醍醐天皇の大好物と伝えられていて、きな粉や抹茶の粉、黒蜜をかけて食べるのが一般的となっています。ただわらび粉が取れる量が極めて少なく、わらび餅もワラビ粉に他の澱粉を混ぜた物がほとんどです。