Carpe Diem #32, All Souls Night/Halloween

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our first Carpe Diem prompt for November All Souls Night/Halloween and a new logo for this month. I wonder how this month will go. Will Carpe Diem grow further? Will I read wonderful haiku again? We shall see.
Our first Carpe Diem month was really great. I am glad that I can host this event for another month. Of course at the end of this month I will grant the Carpe Diem Award for November to one of our haijins. Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with Carpe Diem.
Our first prompt isn't easy and therefore I hope to inspire you with a nice You Tube video of Loreena McKennitt 'Mummer's Dance', this is also the prompt for tomorrow, but I had to share this wonderful video based on the wonderful song by Loreena McKennitt.

Listen to the music and maybe it will inspire you to write a haiku.

Here's mine:

all souls night
the sound of howling wolves
awaken the dead

awaken the dead
by singing holy hymns
all souls night

I love it when a haiku feels good.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 2nd 11.59 AM (CET). The new episode of Carpe Diem I will post today around 10.00 PM (CET). The prompt than is mummer's dance/all souls day.

Enjoy the fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us here on Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem #31, wedding bells

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a bit sad. Today is our last Carpe Diem October prompt wedding bells. But I am glad too that I have started Carpe Diem. It was an adventure and it still is. I have published the prompts for November and I hope to see you all again sharing your wonderful haiku with Carpe Diem.
The first prompt for Carpe Diem November is all souls night/halloween and I am looking forward to your haiku on that prompt, but first ... back to today's prompt wedding bells.

When I married there were no wedding bells, because the chapel where my wife and I married had no wedding bells, but nevertheless it was a great day (almost 22 years ago) and I am still happily married and in love.

through the mist
the sound of wedding bells
of far away

wedding bells sound
through the autumn haze
early this morning

early this morning
the sound of church bells
through the mist

Not a very strong series, but well ... it was a joy to write these haiku. I will thank you all for the pleasure you have given me as your host for Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 1st 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post the first prompt for our new month of Carpe Diem today around 10.00 PM (CET)

Carpe Diem Preview #5 looking back with excitement (2)

Dear Haijin, Visitors and Travelers,

The first Carpe Diem month is almost over. I have read wonderful haiku written and inspired on the given prompts. In Carpe Diem Preview #4 I looked back to the first half of October. In this part I will look to the second half and will mention haiku posted in that part of the month. At the end of this Preview I will give the name of the Haijin (haiku poet) which will be granted our first Carpe Diem Award.

The haiku on the award is by Matsuo Basho, the haiku master which was the haijin for our Special prompts. If you would like to know more about that haiku visit: Basho Revisited my weblog on Matsuo Basho.

Well ... 'till so far our Award ... we will be back to our Award at the end of this Preview.

On October 15th we had for prompt Chrysanthemum, a flower that's seasonword for Autumn and Winter. In our part of the world it's a seasonword for Autumn, but the ancients used it as a seasonword for Winter.

I wrote my first haiga for that prompt:

Chrysanthemum tea
a whole new sensation
tickles my senses

Hillary provided us with this wonderful haiku:

Wild field, open and full,
Chrysanthemums bloom,
hazel shy smiles

(c) Hillary Ginger Piety

And Janet surprised us with:

Autumn looks hotter
when peonies outsmart peers to
match Chrysanthemum

life is much duller
without Chrysanthemum's light
peony lets it live

(c) Janet Mooster Zhou

On October 17th we had our third Special Prompt a haiku by Basho. I will reproduce that haiku here again:

a butterfly flies
only in the field
of sunshine

(c) Basho (1685)

This inspired me to write:

dancing butterflies
the scent of a sunlit meadow
ah! the summer breeze

(c) Chèvrefeuille 

Butterflies were an inspiration to several of Haijin for this day's Carpe Diem. E.g. the haiku by Magical Mystical Teacher:

in places of light
seeking butterfly wisdom
guide for the journey

(c) Magical Mystical Teacher

Or this one by Mark M. Redfearn:

butterfly
brushing the mountain
with one wing

(c) Mark M. Redfearn 

The prompt 'Religion' we had on October 19th was difficult, but there were great post to that prompt e.g.

burial
planting seeds I wait for
resurrection

(c) Kathy Donlan


Or this one by Dulcina, who provided us with a wonderful series on religion.

humble chapel
where farmers pray for cattle
and daily bread

(c) Dulcina of Dulcina's Garden

Joanne 4Joy wrote the following one:

love others instead
tolerance and peace today
all hate and war gone

(c) 4 Joy - Joanne 

There were several other prompts this second half of October that weren't easy to write a haiku about. On October 23th we had e.g. 'praying'. And as I had thought ... that wasn't an easy one, but Bjorn Brudberg granted us with a nice one:

vicious predator
praying mantis far from good
deceitful pose

(c) Bjorn Brudberg

Reading Pleasure granted us also with a praying mantis haiku:

stunning decadence
praying mantis on the loose
the men run, confused

(c) Reading Pleasure 

And there were post in which the prompt praying became prey as I did myself:

praying eagle
looking for his prey
in the meadow

(c) Chèvrefeuille

On October 24th (the birthday of my youngest daughter) we had a Special Prompt on a haiku by Basho:

falling to the ground
a flower closer to the root
bidding farewell

(c) Basho 

It was one of the better days in our Carpe Diem history. Eleven Haijin posted their haiku. I will reproduce a few here:

E.g. Carol and ArtMuseDog of 'A Creative Harbor' posted:

leaf falling downward
dancing to it's nature song
gently descending

(c) Carol and ArtMuseDog 

Becca of 'On dragonfly wings with buttercup tea posted:

swirling colors drop
orange, red, purple, yellow
blazing wonder trails

raining dappled leaves
sprinkle, drizzle, shimmering
majestic demise

(c) Becca Givens  

When I stumbled in to childhood pictures when I was cleaning out my study I ran into a few nice childhood pictures. It made it easy to write a haiku on 'childhood' a prompt given by Mariya Koleva. We had childhood for prompt on October 27th and I have read beautiful haiku with this theme.

Kaykuala shared a wonderful triplet of haiku with us I will reproduce that triplet here:

a fleeting moment
seemed like only yesterday
apple of the eye

cute and cuddy, given
to smothered kisses and hugs
radiant and playful

of infants and youth
must it all end suddenly
childhood wrested off!

(c) Kaykuala 

This was really an adventure to me. hosting a daily haiku meme was great and still is. I have read wonderful haiku and I have met new people that granted us with their haiku. It's really awesome as I look back ... I only can say 'Thank You All' and bow my head humble.
And of course I hope you all will continuing to share your haiku with Carpe Diem. A new Carpe Diem month will soon start ... be welcome to share ...

For closure:


As I told earlier this month I will grant one of the participating haijin with the 'Carpe Diem Award'. I have read wonderful haiku, haiku sets, series of haiku, cascading haiku, classical and non-classical haiku. It was really a joy to host this first Carpe Diem month.
I will thank you all for participating and I hope that you all will continue to post your haiku in our second Carpe Diem month.

The Carpe Diem Award for October goes to ... (drum-roll) ... Dulcina of Dulcina's Garden she has granted us with lovely series of haiku (with a lot of wonderful pictures). Thank you Dulcina for bringing every day joy with your posts.

Our first Carpe Diem Award Winner
Dulcina

If you accept the award Dulcina ... copy and paste the Award into your new post for Carpe Diem. Congratulations!!

Namaste 

Carpe Diem, Special Prompt #5

Special Prompt #5

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our last Special Prompt is on. This Special is a haiku by Basho. This one is part of his haibun 'Oku no Hosomichi' 'Narrow Roads to the Far North'.

hitosu ya ni   yujo mo ne tari   hagi to tsuki

in one house
prostitutes lie down to sleep
bush clover and the moon

This verse, was published in 1694, with a long explanation about Basho meeting two nuns he overhears talking in the next room. The next day, one of them asks him if they might travel together (figuring they would be safer from bandits with two men who look like priests) but Basho refuses and tells them to trust in the gods of the Ise Shrine for their safety. Because Sora, Basho's companion, doesn't mention such an incident at all, in his more factual diary, it is suspected that Basho inserted this incident in the same way one would have a love-verse in a renga. However, Basho's reaction is the very same as when he was confronted by the abandoned child in his book, he refused his help.

Credits: Narrow Road to the Far North

Well ... let's go compose a haiku inspired on the one by Basho. This will not be easy, but ... you know me so I will write a new haiku here.

together
sleeping under the moon
in a bed of clover

in a bed of clover
laying down with my wife
Honeysuckle and Moon

Hm ... nice one ... really ... both are great. I loved doing this.

This prompt will stay on 'till October 31th 11.59 AM (CET). The new prompt and the last one of this first Carpe Diem month will be wedding bells another great prompt I think. I will publish it today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and go with the flow ... write and share your haiku, classical or non-classical, with us. Please leave a comment after linking.

Carpe Diem #29, flying

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another Carpe Diem, seize the day to write a new haiku. Our prompt for today is flying and I think it's not an easy one to write a haiku about.

Just try it, have fun, be inspired and share your compositions with Carpe Diem.

flying away
into oblivion
drinking to much

drinking to much
once in a lifetime
flying away

flying away
into the dream world
dreamcatcher shield

dreamcatcher shield
splitting the bad from the good
flying away 

dreamcatcher

Dreamcatchers are amulets that are protecting you from bad dreams and help you to remember your dreams. I can't remember my dreams, but I once had a dream to become a haiku poet ...
The set of haiku above were written with that dream in mind ...

This prompt will stay on 'till October 30th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will publish our new Special Prompt #5 today around 10.00 PM (CET). The new Special Prompt is the last Special of this month and it's also the last haiku written by Basho which I will use. The Special Prompts of November will be haiku written by Kobayashi Issa (1763-1826)

Kobayashi Issa

But that's for November. To give you the opportunity to think about our last Basho Special Prompt I will give the haiku here:


in one house

prostitutes lie down to sleep
bush clover and the moon

Well ... the first month of Carpe Diem is almost over. As promised I will publish our new promptlist for November today around 10.00 PM (CET)

Carpe Diem #28, perfume

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy it was to read your haiku on childhood yesterday. I really liked them all. Today we have another wonderful prompt perfume and I think that this one will bring nice haiku on all kinds of flowers and their perfume. Good luck and be inspired.

Lavender

lavender field

their perfume overwhelmes me
pleasant dreams

pleasant dreams
a lavender stuffed pillow
Ah! that perfume

Japanese Honeysuckle 

sweet perfume
honeysuckle blooms
makes me drowsy

sweet perfume
the scent of the one I love
Ah! Honeysuckle

Hm ... the perfume of lavender and honeysuckle ... how sweet ... Mother Earth provides us with all those wonderful perfumes.

Have fun and be inspired. Write your haiku from your heart and share them with Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till October 29th 11.59 AM (CET). I will post the new prompt flying today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #27, Childhood

 

When I started with this new weblog Carpe Diem Mariya Koleva provided me with a few prompt suggestions one of her suggestions was childhood the prompt for today. Thank you Mariya for this wonderful prompt.

Childhood ... for everyone a wellknown time. Maybe you had a wonderful childhood or maybe you had not, but we all have had our childhood. My childhood was great. My parents were the best parents my brother and I could have. We had everything and we had a warm family. Yes my childhood was very well, nice, good, wonderful and exciting.

 

I have sought for a nice photograph of myself as I was young. This photo was taken in the winter 1963/1964 I was almost one year old.

 

Chèvrefeuille (pseudonym of Kristjaan Panneman) 1964

I was a cuty don't you think? (smiles)

 

childhood memories
a life of satisfaction
sweet memories

sweet memories
growing up in a warm family
a great time

a great time
my childhood was an adventure
as my life is now

 

Not a strong one, but it was a joy to compose this cascade.

 

This prompt will stay on 'till October 28th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will publish the new prompt perfume today around 10.00 PM (CET).

 

I am looking forward to your childhood haiku. Thank you all for being a participant in Carpe Diem.

 

 

Carpe Diem #26 EXTRA Trick or Treat

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today I love to introduce a new item at Carpe Diem. I have called it 'Carpe Diem Extra', and it's a irrigular posted prompt ... say ... a surprise prompt. For this first Carpe Diem Extra I have chosen for 'Trick or Treat', Halloween so to say.
For this Carpe Diem Extra not a theme-prompt (in word), but a picture for your inspiration. Have fun, enjoy writing and I hope that you all are inspired to write a classical or a non-classical haiku.

Have fun. This Carpe Diem Extra will stay on 'till Monday October 29th 11.59 AM (CET)

Carpe Diem #26, laughter

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Yesterday our prompt was tears, today I will grant you with the opposite emotion 'laughter'. Another day in Carpe Diem paradise with a lovely prompt. Laughter, the positive energy, to enjoy every day life. Laughter ...

children laughing
seeking sweet chestnuts
between colored leaves

between colored leaves
children playing with each other
throwing leaves

throwing leaves
my grandchildren playing
Ah! what a joy

Isn't it a wonderful picture? Children playing with autumn leaves. They enjoy and don't have need for their Nintendo's or Playstations. They are happy and have fun. Enjoy autumn.

This prompt will stay on 'till October 27th 11.59 AM (CET). Our new prompt childhood (given by Mariya Koleva) will be published today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #25, tears

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our prompt is tears a sad prompt or a happy prompt. Tears we can shed through sadness or through happiness. It's all up to you.

weeping willow
sheds his tears on the last summer day
leaves turning yellow

leaves turning yellow
in the bright sunlight
a golden tree

a golden tree
autumn has come, tears fall
weeping willow

A lovely cascading set of haiku I think. It brings happy memories to me. As I see the weeping willow turn into a golden tree my eyes begin to twinkle. It looks so gorgeous. Ah! Autumn what a season.

This prompt will stay on 'till October 26th 11.59 AM (CET). The prompt for our next Carpe Diem will be laughter, the opposite of tears, and I will publish it today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku and comments with us.

By the way ... I hope you like our new lay-out ... it's autumn so I have given our weblog an autumn-jacket.

Carpe Diem, Special Prompt #4

Special #4

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Our fourth Special prompt is on today. Another nice haiku by Basho, a haiku master, for your inspiration. It's again (in my opinion) a wonderful, not so wellknown, haiku by him.

This one he wrote in Spring 1687 and it had a title. In that time a title for a haiku was a commonly used practice. The title of this haiku was: 'Mourning over the death of Priest Tando'.

chi ni taore   ne ni yori hana no   wakare kana

falling to the ground
a flower closer to the root
bidding farewell

As we look closer to this haiku we see how sad Basho was when he heard of the dead of this Priest. He falls to the ground and weeps. Shedding his tears as a farewell. He composes this haiku with that strong feeling of loss and sadness. It could easily be what they call a dead haiku. Every haiku poet wrote his last haiku around the moment that they died, that's why they call that a 'dead haiku'.

To write a new haiku inspired on this one ... not so easy I think, but I have to try it.

last farewell
a last leaf swirls to the ground
compost for new life

Hm ... not a strong one, but it's a haiku in the spirit of Chèvrefeuille, could it be in Basho's Spirit as well?

This Special prompt will stay on 'till October 25th 11.59 AM (CET). Our new prompt for October 25th I will post today around 10.00 PM (CET) and will be tears.

Enjoy the fun of writing a classical or a non-classical haiku, be inspired and share your composed verses with Carpe Diem. Please leave a comment after linking.

Carpe Diem #23 praying

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we have praying for prompt in our Carpe Diem haiku meme. Praying is a powerful craft to seek support in difficult and sad times. I think everyone, if you belief or not, prays sometimes. I myself pray when I can't decide on something I have to do or to seek support by a Higher Power. I don't believe in God, but I believe that there is something I use to call 'Higher Power' or 'Spirit'.
As you maybe know I am an oncology nurse and when I had to graduate for it I had to do a research. I researched the need for spirituality and religion for patients with cancer. That research was an eye-opener ... patients with cancer had a big support of their religion or spirtuality. They even felt a better person notwithstanding their illness.

Credits: Praying

Praying ... not an easy one to write a haiku about, but I think I can of course write a haiku about it. Let's go doing some haiku composing on praying.

praying hands
stronger than weapons
I believe

I believe
praying to a Higher Power
gives me strenght

praying eagle
looking for his prey
in the meadow

in the meadow
a campagnol seeking for food
will become food

praying eagle
dives down to the meadow
catches a campagnol

This prompt will stay on 'till October 24th 11.59 AM (CET). I will post our new Special Prompt #4, another haiku by Basho today around 10.00 PM (CET)

This is the Special Prompt haiku by Basho:

falling to the ground
a flower closer to the root
bidding farewell

Carpe Diem, #22 Sunflower

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's a joy to write another episode of Carpe Diem. Every day I am glad to see that you're inspired every day again and that you provide me with wonderfully composed haiku. Thank you all for being faithful to Carpe Diem. I hope to see that this haiku meme will be growing further. So ... if you know other haijin or poets who love to write haiku ... well ... draw attention to them on Carpe Diem. I love to see our Carpe Diem grow and I hope that I can go on with this daily haiku meme ...

from the bottom of my heart that you are participating in Carpe Diem

Today our prompt is sunflower that wonderful flower that looks like a bright shining sun. I have warm memories to sunflowers and when my brother died in 1995 I provided my parents with a haiga on sunflowers. They had a hard time when my brother died and they were very sad about his loss.
I can't retrieve the haiga (it was an watercolor painting with a calligraphed haiku) I can reproduce the haiku here:

in dark times
sunflowers give
a bit of sunlight

Credits: Sunflower Watercolor

My parents had a big support of it in those dark times after the dead of my brother.

This prompt will stay ou 'till October 23th 11.59 AM (CET). Our new prompt is praying and I will publish that today around 10.00 PM (CET)

Have fun writing your haiku. Be inspired and enjoy. Your haiku may be a classical or a nono-classical one. Feel free and be creative.

Carpe Diem, #21 Nightingale

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today another wonderful prompt ... Nightingale ... The Nightingale is a wonderful bird, it's not very colorful, but notwithstanding the lack of color ... it has the most wonderful voice. In classic Japan the Nightingale was a beloved bird to hold in a cage at home or court. Maybe you know the fairy tale of the Nightingale at the court of the Chinese Emperor. A beautiful story ...

Nightingale singing

I love to share that fairytale with you here.

The Nightingale

Once upon a time in China there was a great emperor. His palace was the most beautiful in the world, and was surrounded by a garden with the most beautiful flowers. They had pretty silver bells tied to them, which tinkled so that everyone who passed could not help noticing them. Nearby, there was a forest that was home to a nightingale that sang so beautifully even the fishermen, who had so much to do, would stop to listen.
Travelers from every country in the world came to the city of the emperor, which they admired very much. When the visitors heard the nightingale, they all declared it to be the most wondrous of all.
The emperor had never heard of this nightingale. When he heard travelers speak of it, he said, “What is this? I know nothing of any nightingale. Is there such a bird in my empire?”
The emperor demanded that the nightingale be brought to him.
But where was the nightingale to be found? All of his lords-in-waiting looked high and low for the famous bird but were unable to find it.
At last, a poor little girl in the kitchen said, “Oh, yes, I know the nightingale quite well; indeed, she can sing. She lives down by the seashore.”
“Please lead us to the nightingale,” said a lord-in-waiting. So she did.
“My excellent little nightingale,” said the lord-in-waiting, “I have the great pleasure of inviting you to a court festival this evening, where the emperor can hear your charming song.”
“My song sounds best in the green wood,” said the bird. But still she came willingly when she heard the emperor's wish.
At the festival, the nightingale sang so sweetly that tears came into the emperor's eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Her song touched everyone's heart.
The nightingale's visit was so successful that she was now to remain at court, to have her own cage, with liberty to go out twice a day and once during the night. Twelve servants were appointed to attend her on these occasions. Each servant held her by a silk cord fastened to her leg. There was certainly not much pleasure for the nightingale in this kind of flying.
One day the emperor received a large packet on which was written, “The Nightingale.” Inside was an artificial nightingale made to look like the living bird and covered with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. As soon as the artificial bird was wound up, it could sing like the real one and could move its tail, which sparkled with silver and gold, up and down. It was a gift from the emperor of Japan.
 This new bird was as successful as the real bird, and it was even prettier to look at. It sang without ever getting tired. The people would gladly have heard it again, but the emperor said the living nightingale should sing something. But where was she? No one noticed when she flew out of the open window, back to the forest.

The emperor missed the real nightingale, but the music-master praised the artificial bird. He said it was even better than a real nightingale, not only because of its beauty but also because of its musical power.
“With a real nightingale we can never tell what is going to be sung, but with this bird everything is settled. It can be opened and explained, so that people can understand how the waltzes are formed, and why one note follows upon another,” said the music-master.
So, the real nightingale was banished from the empire, and the artificial bird placed on a silk cushion close to the emperor's bed. A year passed, and the emperor, the court, and all the people knew every little turn in the artificial bird's song. For that same reason, it pleased them better. They could sing with the bird, which they often did.One evening, when the artificial bird was singing and the emperor lay in bed, something inside the bird popped. Then a spring cracked and the music stopped.
The emperor immediately sprang out of bed and called for his doctor. But what could he do? Then they sent for a watchmaker. After a great deal of talking and examination, the bird was sort of fixed. But the watchmaker said that it must be used very carefully because the bird's mechanism was getting old and it would be impossible to put in a new one without injuring the music. The bird could only be played once a year.
Five years passed, and a real sadness came upon the land. The emperor was ill and not expected to live much longer. Cold and pale, he stayed in his royal bed. One day, the emperor awoke with a strange weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw Death sitting there. He had put on the emperor's golden crown, and held in one hand his sword of state, and in the other his beautiful banner. All around the bed and peeping through the long velvet curtains, were a number of strange heads — some very ugly, and others lovely and gentle-looking. These were the emperor's good and bad deeds that now stared him in the face.
Death continued to stare at the emperor with his cold, hollow eyes, and the room was fearfully still. Suddenly there came through the open window the sound of sweet music. Outside, on the branch of a tree, sat the living nightingale. She had heard of the emperor's illness and had come to sing to him of hope and trust. And as she sang, the shadows grew paler and the blood in the emperor's veins flowed more rapidly, giving life to his weak limbs. Even Death himself listened, and said, “Go on, little nightingale, go on.”
“Then will you give me the beautiful golden sword and that rich banner? And will you give me the emperor's crown?” said the bird.
Death gave up each of these treasures for a song, and the nightingale continued her singing. Soon, Death floated out through the window in the form of a cold, white mist.
“Thanks, you heavenly little bird. I know you well. I banished you from my kingdom once. Yet you have charmed away the evil faces from my bed, and banished Death from my heart. How can I reward you?”
“You have already rewarded me,” said the nightingale. “I shall never forget that I drew tears from your eyes the first time I sang to you. These are the jewels that rejoice a singer's heart. But now sleep, and grow strong and well again. I will sing to you again.”
And as she sung, the emperor fell into a sweet sleep. When he awoke, he was strengthened and restored.
“You must always remain with me,” said the emperor. “You shall sing only when it pleases you; and I will break the artificial bird into a thousand pieces.”
“No, don't do that,” replied the nightingale. “The bird did very well as long as it could. Keep it here. I cannot live in the palace, but let me come when I like. I will sit on a bough outside your window, in the evening, and sing to you.” Then the nightingale flew away.
The servants now came in to look after the emperor. To their tremendous joy and astonishment, there he stood, healthy, saying a happy good morning. (Source: Nightingale, a fairytale )

A wonderful fairytale don't you think? Maybe it helps you as a source for inspiration. Enjoy the fun, be inspired and share your haiku with Carpe Diem, Seize the day a daily haiku meme.

This prompt will stay on 'till October 22th 11.59 AM (CET). I will publish our new prompt, Sunflower, for October 22th today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem, #20 rough sea

Shalom,

A new day rises and with the rise of the sun there is a new Carpe Diem. Today the prompt is rough sea a lovely prompt I would say.

When I was preparing this episode for Carpe Diem a haiku by Basho came in mind.

the rough sea
flowing toward Sado Isle (*)
the River of Heaven

(*) When direct control from mainland Japan started around the 8th century, the island's remoteness meant that it soon became a place of banishment for difficult or inconvinient Japanese figures. Exile was a very serious punishment, second only to the death penalty, and people weren't expected to return. (Source: wikipedia)

Sado, seen from the sea

This haiku was included in 'Oku No Hosomichi' or 'The Road to the Deep North', a haibun written by Basho. Here is my haiku for rough sea for your inspiration.

dark clouds drifting
waves become higher
a rough sea



Rough Sea



This prompt will stay on 'till October 21th 11.59 AM (CET) and the new episode of Carpe Diem I will publish today around 10.00 PM (CET). That will be nightingale.

Be inspired, be happy, have fun ... write and share your haiku with Carpe Diem.

 

Carpe Diem, #19 religion

 

Good day to you all,

 

Another day in our Carpe Diem adventure. Today our prompt is religion and I think this one isn't easy, but ... well I have given other difficult prompts this month and you have always written such nice haiku. So I think (and hope) that you all will succeed.

 

I have tried it myself of course and came up with the following haiku:

 

all Gods are One
when will we be one?

share God's Love

share God's Love
with everyone and everything
in rejoice

in rejoice
of Mother Earth's inhabitants
all Gods are One

 

Not a strong one I think, but ... it came right from my heart. Namaste.

 

Source: All Gods Are One

This prompt will stay on 'till October 20th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will publish the new prompt rough sea today around 10.00 PM (CET)

 

Be inspired and enjoy writing haiku. Please leave a comment after linking.

 

 

Carpe Diem Special #3

SPECIAL #3

Howdy my dear haijin, visitors and travelers,

A new Special today. The haiku by Basho he has written in the Summer of 1685. He was an well respected haiku master now and had several students. It's in this time (the last ten years of his life) that he travels a lot. His haibun 'Oku no Hosomichi' is one of his most known haibun. However the haiku for today isn't part of that haibun.
Basho's legacy of haiku are mostly haiku he used in Renga sessions. A Renga was a chain of poems and was written with more than two poets. Renga was a game that was played often at the Imperial Court. Basho was the haiku master that brought this game to the people and made it a joyful activity.

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

Well ... so far a little background on Basho. Let's look at today's haiku.

a butterfly flies
only in the field
of sunshine

It's a nice haiku and I can see the scene in front of my eyes. A meadow bathing in the sun, full of blooming flowers, the sound of a summer breeze and the dancing butterflies. A sereen scene ... almost meditative. How to write a haiku on this one ... with the same feeling?

sunlit meadow
butterflies dancing together
from flower to flower

Another one:

dancing butterflies
the scent of a sunlit meadow
ah! the summer breeze

Well ... I think I have caught the essence of Basho's haiku. It was really a joy to compose these two haiku with the one of Basho for an inspiration.

This Special will stay on 'till October 19th 11.59 AM (CET). Our new prompt for October 19th will be religion and will be published today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Enjoy writing haiku, be inspired ... see you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem, #17 thunderstorm

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in haiku paradise's Carpe Diem. Today we will write haiku on thunderstorm a kind of weather we see often in Autumn (and also in the other seasons). I wonder ... is there a deeper meaning for thunderstorm? I have sought the internet and came along the following deeper meaning.

This is what I found on: dream dictionary .
Anything that takes place on the ground in dreams deals with the facts and reality of your life. The sky links with ideas and the possibility of change. So the storms may link to a sense of uncertainty and turbulence in your mind. But often people get storm dream sand feel no stress or worries about the future. But really dreams can be related to specific issues and stress and uncertainty associated with one thing.

Credits: Thunderstorm

OK ... let's do some haiku composing.

inner mind storm
grabs me by the throat
a nightmare

a nightmare
struggling for life in a thunderstorm
no more balance

no more balance
dreaming of heavy rain and thunder
inner mind storm

This is something heh. I have had times in which I really felt what I just composed in this cascading haiku. That was a very nasty time in my life. I was depressed and suicidal ... had a Burn Out ... but I survived and became a better person with a stronger mind and body.

This prompt will stay on 'till October 18th 11.59 AM (CET). Our new prompt will be the 3rd Special with a haiku of Basho. I will give that haiku hereafter.

a butterfly flies
only in the field
of sunshine