Monday, September 9, 2013

Carpe Diem #293, Kiri hitoha (one Pawlonia leaf, arrival of autumn)


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It looks like autumn outside, because it's raining and the wind becomes stronger. My garden already changes it's colors and leaves are tummbling around. Really autumn has come ... Thank you Bjorn for your kind words you have shared here and I think you are right. As we started in Ocitober we were with a few haijin and now we are growing to a wonderful community of haijin in which you all have created your own personal style of writing haiku and that makes me happy ... I think we have reach the dream I had "to share haiku with the world and promote our all so beloved haiku". Wonderful ... to see that there are others who are sharing that dream with me and I am happy, proud and always humble, that I may be your host here.

Today we have another nice classical Japanese kigo for autumn. Today we share haiku on Kiri Hitoha (one Pawlonia leaf, arrival of autumn), a 'royal' tree which was meant after a Dutch Queen.


Credits: Pavlonia Flowers

Paulownia is a genus of from 6 to 17 species (depending on taxonomic authority) of plants in the family Paulowniaceae, related to and sometimes included in the Scrophulariaceae. They are native to much of China, south to northern Laos and Vietnam, and long cultivated elsewhere in eastern Asia, notably in Japan and Korea (오동나무). They are deciduous trees 12–15 m (40–50 ft) tall, with large, heart-shaped leaves 15–40 cm across, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem. The flowers are produced in early spring on panicles 10–30 cm long, with a tubular purple corolla resembling a foxglove flower. The fruit is a dry capsule, containing thousands of minute seeds.

The genus, originally Pawlovnia but now usually spelled Paulownia, was named in honour of Queen Anna Pawlovna of The Netherlands (1795–1865), daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia. It is also called "princess tree" for the same reason. 

The Pawlonia is gorgeous tree, and as the leaves start to color ... then you can say "autumn has arrived". A wonderful haiku written by Issa


kiri hitoha futa wa mi wa yo wa sewashina ya

a paulownia leaf falls,

a second, a third, a fourth --
what's the big hurry?

Isn't it gorgeous? It's very clear that in this haiku by Issa autumn has arrived.

My attempt to write a haiku about Pawlonia leaves:

in the shade of a leaf
the little child hides benaeth
the Pawlonia tree


The leaves of the Pawlonia are really big as you can see here after:


Credits: Pavlonia leaf
Well ... I hope you liked this episode of Carpe Diem and that it will inspire you all to write your own haiku. This prompt will stay on 'till September11th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will (try to) post our next episode, Ran (orchids), later on today around 7.00 PM (CET). !! Pawlonia leaf is open for your submissions at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Namaste




3 comments:

  1. Love the description.. and thank you for your kind remarks on my comment... but I think it's so amazing. Having soon writing on the prompt for a year... I can see my own writing developing... I have learned kigo... there is so much good things....

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  2. These trees are so amazing...their size, the shape of the trunks, the blossoms...wow.

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  3. I read about the tree and it is an amazing tree with the many uses.
    My disappointment was the lack of photos of the leaves in the fall.
    I did understand that they fall early and quickly...a great prompt,
    Kristjaan. Thank you.
    Peace,
    Siggi

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