Carpe Diem Extra March 4th 2018 a few things I love to share

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have a few things that I love to share here with you. First I hope to publish the results of the Troiku kukai later on this week. I am very busy at work, so I cannot guarantee if I will succeed in this ... but we will see.

As I told you earlier this week my mom is hospitalized because cardiac failure. She has had medicines and slowly she is recovering. Thank you all for your warmth thoughts and prayers.

Than I love to invite you to be part in a new Renga session here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. Maybe you can remember that we have done this earlier. One of the Renga was titled "In The Twilight". You can find that renga above in the menu or by following this link.

For this new CDHK Renga party I have chosen a haiku written by one of the classic haiku poets, renown haiku poet Matsuo Basho. The haiku, which I love to use, was written in Autumn 1689. The title for this renga is: "best for seeing the moon". As the title of this renga tells us the haiku is a real autumn verse. As you (maybe) know the moon is a seasonword for autumn. In Japan they find the moon of autumn the most beautiful and there are lot of haiku written with the autumn moon. The moon was (and is still) a seasonword for autumn. In my country, The Netherlands, poets find the moon of winter the most beautiful. Maybe that's true, but as a haiku poet I find the moon of autumn the most beautiful and spectacular. Why? I can't say why it's a feeling. Maybe it's because of my interest in the classical haiku, maybe it's because the Japanese haiku poets have written such beautiful haiku about the autumn moon.

Here is the haiku, the hokku of this renga party, by Basho:

let's visit the places
best for seeing the moon
sleeping on a journey

©Matsuo Basho

This haiku was part of a 15 link renga written at the house of Tosai, who lived in Fukui. The renga was recorded by Miyazaki, a disciple of Basho in Ogaki. By the way Miyazaki recorded it in Basho O Tsuki Ichiya Jogo Ku. 

Which places are the best for moon viewing? The shore, the mountains, a Temple or what ever?I look at the moon from my backyard, because I love the sight of the moon rising up above the surrounding houses. It's leaving me in awe as the moon rises just around a chimney. Or as a mysterious circle behind thin clouds. I love the moon of every season, but ... it's true in autumn the moon is the most beautiful.
  Are you with me? You can subscribe to this CDHK Renga Party "best for seeing the moon" through the comment field. We will create a so called "kasen-renga" (a renga of 36 verses). The subscription for this Renga Party is NOW OPEN and will run to March 18th 10:00 PM (CET). Than I will make the line-up.

Have a nice week and I hope you will participate in this new CDHK Renga Party.

Namasté,

Chèvrefeuille, your host