However strange it may seem, many poets chose to end their lives with a satirical poem, and some even mock this mockery itself.

One kyoka poet wrote down, before dying, the well-known death poem of another poet, prefacing it with the words "I borrowed this poem from someone," and adding after it, "This is the last act of plagiarism I shall commit in this world."

Morikawa Kyoriku (1656-1715), a pupil of Basho's, also wrote a kyoka death poem. The poem and its background have been left for us:

Kyoriku ... came from an ancient samurai family and was a talented painter. When he became Basho's pupil, Basho said to him, "For painting, you shall be my master; for haiku, I shall be yours."

Kyoriku was extremely proud of his talents and considered other poets no better than dogs. . . . He would boast of himself, "I alone have gone straight to the heart of Basho's poetry."

Before his death, Kyoriku wrote:

Till now I thought
that death befell
the untalented alone.
If those with talent, too,
must die
surely they make
a better manure?

Another writer puts Kyoriku's apparent boastfulness in a light that is probably more in keeping with the spirit of his death poem. When asked by a man to teach him the art of poetry, Kyoriku refused, saying that he was "not talented enough." Surprised at this answer, the man reminded Kyoriku of his extravagant praise of himself - to this Kyoriku answered, "All that is only a joke. Don't take it seriously."