Carpe Diem #1194 Cherry Blossom (Sakura)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy ... today I may share a post about one of my favorite themes in haiku (and recently tanka), Cherry Blossom (Sakura).
As you maybe know I have an old Sakura in the backyard and I am proud of it. Every late winter and early spring I am observing it and every time again as I see the first cherry blossoms I am happy. That day is a day to celebrate and I love it every year again.

In our CDHK library you can find an e-book titled "fragile beauty" in which I have gathered a lot of my cherry blossom haiku and (I think) it is a wonderful e-book to read and to inspire you.

My Sakura 2013 (photo © Chèvrefeuille)

Maybe you have heard from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF). The VCBF organises every year again during their festival a haiku invitational  and I have submitted haiku almost every year since 2010. I even had the honor that in 2010 and in 2013 one of my haiku received a honorable mention. Maybe this year my haiku will be again honored .... we will see. I submitted two haiku and upcoming September the VCBF will announce the winners. I am looking forward to it.

Here are a few haiku crafted by Basho (1644-1694) about Cherry Blossoms. Maybe you know them, for sure that last one you know I think, because that haiku is an example of Basho's karumi-style his live's goal challenge.

from among the peach trees
blooming everywhere,
the first cherry blossoms.

a lovely spring night 
suddenly vanished while we 
viewed cherry blossoms

from every direction 
cherry blossom petals blow 
into Lake Biwa 

from all these trees – 
in salads, soups, everywhere – 
cherry blossoms fall

© Basho

Cherry Blossoms (photo found on Pinterest)

Cherry Blossoms so fragile but so beautiful. A rich source for haiku (and tanka) I think this episode can give you enough inspiration and joy. So have fun!

I have created an all new haiku for this episode and I have tried to create it the classical way:

on a gust of wind
the cherry blossoms dance through the streets
in praise of the Creator

© Chèvrefeuille

Is this a classical haiku? Let me take a closer look:

5-7-5 syllables  check
a short moment  check
a kigo  check (cherry blossom)
a kireji  check (after the first line)

interchangeable first and third line  check

in praise of the Creator
the cherry blossoms dance through the streets
on a gust of wind

And last, but not least, a deeper meaning  check (Creator, but also wind, the wind is the messenger of the gods)

Well ... I hope you did like this new episode and I hope I have inspired you to create haiku or tanka with this classical kigo, cherry blossom.

!! I am behind with commenting, but I will visit you all a.s.a.p. !!!

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until April 24th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new "weekend-meditation", a new episode of Universal Jane, later on. For now ... enjoy!

Share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form, following the classical rules and with this nice kigo, cherry blossom, with us all here at our Haiku Kai, the place to be if you like to write and share Japanese poetry.

1.	Virginia Popescu	5.	Ken Gierke / rivrvlogr	9.	Dolores
2.	Kim M. Russell	6.	kaykuala	10.	Sara McNulty
3.	Nicole Pottier	7.	Paloma
4.	gillena	8.	Day 23 - Cressida

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