Cicadas are such a part of summer in Japan, and for the past two summers, for whatever reason, it seems to me like they are appearing later and later in the season.

It’s one of those things that you can’t remember ever noticing before, but since I’ve started writing haiku, I’ve paid more attention to the seasonal changes, and since last year, it’s been a noise that I’ve found myself waiting for. Whereas in the past, it seemed like I was always just surrounded by it, until one day I wasn’t (for another season).