Sunday, December 30, 2012

Carpe Diem #83, Narcissus (suisen)


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This is it ... the last day of the year 2012 and the last day of our Carpe Diem month December with all those wonderful classical Japanese kigo. I have read wonderful haiku this month, but I haven't had the time to 'Look Back' on all your entries. I hope that I can write the Look Back Carpe Diem Preview on December next week. And than I will also grant someone with our Carpe Diem Award for most valuable haiku poet this December month.

Today our prompt is 'Narcissus (suisen)' a late winter kigo, because Narcissus are early Spring (or late winter) flowers.

I have found a few nice haiku written by Buson on Narcissus:

suisenya bijin koubewo itamurashi

Narcissus
and a lovely woman
with a headache


(c) Buson (1769)

And this one written by Buson in 1777:

suisenya samuki miyakono kokokashiko

Narcissus!
In the chilly capital,
some here, some there


(c) Buson



And of course there is the story of the youngster Narcissus who only had eyes for himself and was in love with his reflection in the pond.


Narcissus
in love with his reflection
vainglorious guy



Credits: Narcissus

Well ... that was our last prompt of December. Have fun, be inpsired and share your haiku with us on Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'til January 1st 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt and the first one for January around 10.00 PM (CET). That prompt will be 'Fireworks'.



8 comments:

  1. I will be posting a "tanka" about Narcissus tomorrow. Happy New Year to you wishing health and happiness

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  2. This one was a little challenge. I wanted allude to the narcissus mythology but not everyone knows the story...

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  3. True beauty is humble; false one is proud of its fleeting success.
    Flowers are humble; stupid men prefer contemplating themselves than flowers...some here, some there...
    Happy New Year, Kristjaan!
    :)

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  4. Tough to write about narcissus in the dead of winter! Happy New Year Kris. Your site is wonderful! Am enjoying the prompts and especially everyone's poems. I am learning!

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  5. Wow! Thanks for a whole month everyday of haiku ~ like your vainglorious haiku ~ Happy New Year ~ ^_^

    (A Creative Harbor ~ aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^)

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  6. LOL. I stand corrected. Seems most everyone knows the story, which is awesome!

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  7. http://planetcyberluz.com/2012/12/31/promise-of-spring/

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  8. Happy New Year !

    Two feet of snow on the ground...no narcissus to be found. Sigh.
    Cheery yellow blossoms found in recesses of memory...thanks for a
    reminder of what's to come !

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