Tag: Japanese poetic forms

Oodles of water
chucked from grey into gulleys,
it rains frogs and toads.
The homeless warty man croaks,
if only it would rain coins.

Photos:

• (Top) The Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
• (Bottom) The Common Toad (Bufo bufo) 

Addendum 1

Identifying Frogs and Toads

• Both types of amphibians belong to the order Anura.
• Generally, frogs have long legs and smooth skin covered in mucus, while toads have short thick legs and rough thick skin, often covered in warts. However, there are a few frogs with warts, and toads with smooth, moist, slimy-looking skin.
• The hind legs of frogs are more powerful than those of toads. Frogs take long high jumps, while toads run or take short hops.
• Frogs have narrower bodies than toads.
• Frogs have higher, rounder, more bulging eyes than toads.
• Frogs lay their eggs in clusters and toads lay their eggs in long strands.
• Frogs need to live near water to survive but toads do not.
• Frogs have loads of predators but toads have few predators due to their bitter taste and smell.
• Frog and toad tadpoles are equally vulnerable to predators.
• Neither frogs nor toads will give you warts, despite the old wives’ tale to the contrary.

Addendum 2

Facts about Homelessness (according to the UK charity Shelter)

• 300,000 (1 in 20) people in the UK are officially recorded as homeless or in inadequate accommodation.
• 281,000 people are in temporary accommodation.
• 21,000 people are in single homeless hostels and social services accommodation.
• 4,500 people are sleeping rough.