Stuart,
Thanks so much! And your alternative reading reminds me of another element I didn't explicitly mention that Lee, and others on the links, regard as characteristic of great haiku:
Indeterminacy - the absence of fixity in the image - which allows the image/s to resonate, to make ripples in the mind. Nothing is nailed down, so various interpretations are possible. Artful ambiguity produced by sharp-edged clarity.
Fascinating - how you see the action of the images! Do you know, I don't see the 'first frost' as morbid or only menacing. It is cold, and it does change everything - the way one experiences everything - but it is also beautiful, so beautiful, the chill, and it is the beginning of wisdom. I see the frost as patience, as waiting - deep waiting, like a seed waits.
That we both saw similar yet different things in it, is further testament to its power. Thank you for mentioning Mallarme, too, and giving me more to think about!
Cally
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