Carpe Diem #789 Lotus flowers

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As I started preparing this episode I realized that Lotus flowers is a prompt which we have had several times earlier here at our Kai, but why did I decide to do this? Let me tell you.
As I was a kid, say around 10 years old, I was introduced through school to Egypt and The Nile and the first thing I saw of Egypt, next to the famous pyramids, the Lotus flowers on The Nile. I immediately "fell in love" with those beauties. Maybe it was my first step to Enlightenment. As you will know Lotuses are starting deep down the water in the mud and they finally grow to the light and expose their beauty. Spiritually seen this is where Lotuses stand for ... Inner Growth and becoming wise.
Since my childhood we are more than 40 years further and I am still growing, my Inner Wisdom grows and there will be a moment in time that we call Enlightenment, maybe soon or not I will reach that moment ... Haiku and tanka, have helped me to become wise and in balance and of course I hope that you are having that same feeling.

spirit grows -
from the bottom of the pond
into the light
the Lotus reaches from the deep -
enlightenment

© Chèvrefeuille

Egyptian lotus

Recently Hamish (of Haiku Forest) said to me, in one of his comments, that my haiku are looking different than former haiku I have written. He said, some what like this: "I can see your happiness and enthusiasm for this new month. Your haiku are becoming more mysterious".

I think he is right, because I am experimenting with a more mysterious way of writing haiku, more spiritually, more from my Inner Self, my Inner Wisdom, maybe more Zen .... I even have thought to give this way of composing haiku another "name" instead of haiku, something like shinpi tekidesu which means "mysterious" in Japanese, but ... well I will stick to haiku I think.

Well ... we are busy with our journey over The Nile to find its source. We will see a lot of beauty and more ....

To conclude this episode I have gathered several "lotus-haiku" from my archives which I love to share here again:

awakening
at last - Lotuses start blooming
in the old pond

uncertain of its goal
rising from the depths of the pond
lotus flowers

hummingbird
chases for honey in the Lotus
in Buddha's hands

don't hide your light
let it shine bright without regret -
Lotus will bloom again

in deep prayer
eyes closed in devotion -
Lotus starts to bloom

deep hidden thoughts
reaching for the morning sunlight -
Lotus opens her heart

green dragonfly
almost invisible on the Lotus leaves -
the sound of raindrops  

© Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Green Dragonfly of Lotus leaves

A Tan Renga once written in response on a haiku by Cathy Tenzo:

the Buddha himself
did not start enlightened
he walked the path        (Cathy Tenzo)

following the signs along the path
the lotus comes to full bloom          (Chèvrefeuille)

All wonderful haiku, as wonderful as our journey over The Nile in our papyrus boat with full sails. I hope you did like this episode.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until August 6th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, our first Tokubetsudesu episode this month in which our runner up of the "summertime" kukai, Jen of Blog It Or Lose It, will be the featured haiku poetess, later on.