Micro-Season: “The Earthworms Rise” (2023)

We have entered the micro-season of “The Earthworms Rise.” This is the first micro-season of the mini-season of First Summer. All the micro-seasons within First Summer are:

• The First Frog Calls (May 05 – May 09)
• The Earthworms Rise (May 10 – May 14)
• Bamboo Shoots Appear (May 15 – May 20)

The micro-seasons were established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. While they are specific to Japan, they can be helpful to people all over the world. No matter where you live, you can use these seasons as a starting point for exploring the natural world.

To celebrate this season we will learn about earthworms and read seasonal haiku from Basho, Buson, Issa, and Reichhold. 

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About Earthworms:

Earthworms are land-based invertebrates that are part of the phylum Annelida. Animals in this phylum are also known as segmented worms.  There are about 22,000 species in the phylum Annelida including earthworms, ragworms, and leeches.⁽¹⁾  

The “Common Earthworm” (Lumbricus terrestris) is native to Western Europe but also found throughout North America and Western Asia. Lumbricus terrestris is considered an invasive species in parts of northern North America. 

Three Classification of Earthworms

Lumbricus terrestris is considered an anecic earthworm. The term “anecic” is Greek for “up from the earth” or “out of the earth”.  This means that the earthworm builds deep vertical burrows and then rises to the surface to feed.  This is different from the endogeic worms that burrow through the soil looking for food and epigeic earthworms that feed and live on the earth’s surface.  

Colorado State’s Master Gardener Program provides us with the lists below describing the different traits of each type of earthworm

Anecic (Greek for “up from the earth” or “out of the earth”)

• • Capable of burrowing to depths of 6’
• • Build permanent burrows into the deep mineral layers of the soil
• • Drag organic matter from the soil surface into their burrows for food
• •  The Lumbricus terrestris is included in this category

Endogeic (Greek for “within the earth”)

• • Build extensive non-permanent burrows in the upper mineral layer of
• soil
• • Feed on the organic matter in the soil
• • Live exclusively in soil and usually are not noticed, except after a
• heavy rain when they come to the surface
•  The Allolobophora chlorotica, also called Green Earthworm, is in this category.

Epigeic (Greek for “upon the earth”)

• • Live on the soil surface
• • Form no permanent burrows
• • Feed on decaying organic matter
• • The Eisenia fetida or red worm, is in this category

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This illustration by Rich Kollath found on the Earthworm Society of Great Britain website provides a great visual representation of these three classifications of earthworms.

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Some other facts about Common Earthworms by California State University.

• The common life space for an earthworm is 6 years.
• The worm can grow up to 14 inches in size.
• Earthworm’s bodies are made up of segments, called annuli, which is how they move and burrow.
• Capable of digging down as far as 6.5 feet.
• Worms are hermaphroditic but not self-fertilizing.
• Earthworms breathe through their skin, due to their lack of lungs

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Seasonal Haiku

The World Kigo Database groups “earthworms” and “mole crickets” in the same listing. Part of the reason for this is because mimizu naku, which is literally translated to earthworms singing, “refers to the sounds coming from insects on the earth (as opposed to the birds in the sky or the many four-legged animals).”⁽⁵⁾  However, Mimizu (earthworm) is a summer kigo and Mimizu naku is an autumn kigo.

When looking at the spring animal category in The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words as selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, we notice that earthworms are not listed.  However, “silkworms” are late spring kigo.  In  Jane Reichhold’s A Dictionary of Haiku, we also notice that earthworms aren’t listed. Instead, we find “slugs”, “caterpillars”, and “snails” as spring kigo.

With all this in mind, let’s read some haiku.

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Issa

if they were people
they'd be Buddhas!
sea slugs
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

Although this season is primarily talking about land animals, this haiku by Issa was too good to skip. See the Sea Slug Forum for more information about the relationship between sea slugs and land slugs.

the caterpillar
transformed flies away...
morning moon
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

Basho

dirtying their sleeves
fishing for mud snails
no time for leisure
(translated by Jane Reichhold)

Buson

struck by a 
raindrop, snail
close up
(translated by Janine Beichman)

Jane Reichhold

sleeping late
on the doorstep
two slugs

my eye
the spot on the larva's back
where wings emerge

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Haiku Invitation

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu that references any type of invertebrate.

Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can’t wait to read what you write!  

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Resources:

1. “Earthworm”; Wikipedia
2. “Lumbricidae”; Wikipedia
3. “Earthworms” Colorado State’s Master Gardener Program
4. “Earthworms” California State University
5. “Earthworm (mimizu) and mole cricket”; World Kigo Database

 Issa’s haiku was retrieved from David G. Lanoue’s HaikuGuy.com.  Jane Reichhold’s Haiku was retrieved from A Dictionary of Haiku. Buson’s haiku was retrieved from The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology, edited by Faubion Bowers.  Basho’s haiku was retrieved from Matsuo Bashō’s haiku poems in romanized Japanese with English translations