Carpe Diem Utabukuro #3 how it all started

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a day late with this new episode of "Utabukuro", but I just had to make a new episode. As you all know this special CDHK feature is about haiku (or tanka) you like. Use a favorite haiku or tanka and explain why it's so special for you and to write an all new haiku (or tanka) inspired on your favorite. No prompt or something, but this time a theme "how it all started".

I discovered haiku in the late eighties and I remember that I wrote my first haiku themed Honeysuckle. I became addicted to haiku and several years later, as I became more known worldwide I choose the "nom de plum" Chèvrefeuille, French for Honeysuckle. I think I have written a lot of haiku (and tanka) during the years and so my archive grew to at least 10.000 haiku (and tanka) I think. So a rich archive as I may say it myself (smiles).

In 2005 I wrote my first English haiku, which you could have read in our first episode of "Utabukuro". That haiku brought me in a way worldwide fame, but that's not my place to say so, sounds to immodest.
As the years went and come I realized that there was more to promote haiku, my beloved haiku, and so I started several weblogs on haiku, but the greatest development was our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai which I started in October 2012. I love to share the first haiku I wrote for CDHK here again.

waterfall of colors
leaves whirl through the street -
departing summer

(c) Chèvrefeuille

I wrote it to inspire my first visitors at Carpe Diem (as CDHK was titled than) with the first prompt ever "waterfall".

waterfall of colors

It was the start of one great adventure and that adventure is still going on. We are running towards our third anniversary .... as I started with CDHK I didn't know it would become as great as it already is and of course I hope that CDHK will grow further. There were several occasions that brought to a point to stop with CDHK, but I couldn't, I just couldn't. Why stop with a great formula?

During the years of CDHK I created several special features and since late 2014 I have built my own publishing house "Chèvrefeuille's Publications" and I started to make/create e-books. Of course I was delighted as I got the exclusive rights to publish the e-books of Jane Reichhold at CDHK .... yes CDHK has grown to a community in which unknown and wellknown haiku poets and poetesses have opportunity to share their haiku, tanka, haiga and haibun ... isn't it awesome. This is not only my merit, but we have accomplished it together and that makes Carpe Diem Haiku Kai the place to be if you like to write and share haiku (and other Japanese poetry forms).

As I told you above I have an outgrown archive of haiku and I just love to share here several haiku which I wrote on Honeysuckle. Hamish once wrote "Chèvrefeuille's favorite theme for his haiku are Cherry blossoms". That's very true, but next to the Cherry blossom I have another favorite theme ... yes Honeysuckle. I have written a lot of haiku themed Honeysuckle and so here are a few examples from my archive:

Honeysuckle (in French Chèvrefeuille)

midsummer night -

the scent of Honeysuckle
tickles the senses

fortuneteller touches
the heart of Honeysuckle
the path to wisdom

midsummer night
Honeysuckle in full bloom
Ah! that perfume

scent of Honeysuckle
the smell of dew on her flowers
Holy incense

my dreams wander
along the path of my life ...
Honeysuckle blooms

Honeysuckle blooms
sharing her sweet perfume
I dream away

(C) Chèvrefeuille

Of course I have to create an all new haiku inspired on this favorite(s) ao here I go:

closing the garden
no one to disturb my thoughts -
Virginia Creeper

(C) Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Virginia Creeper

All haiku themed with Honeysuckle. I will make a compilation of all my haiku on Honeysuckle this month and will make it available here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

This episode of Carpe Diem Utabukuro is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Saturday July 4th at noon (CET). Have fun! Share your favorite haiku, tanka or haibun with us all and write an all new one inspired on that favorite haiku (or tanka, or haibun).