Carpe Diem #58, Indian Summer (koharu)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our third month of Carpe Diem's daily haiku meme is starting with a new series of daily prompts and with a new logo of course. I hope you like this new logo I have made with a picture of 'Dutch Skies'.
This month I have chosen for the classical Japanese kigo or seasonwords as they were used in Classic Japan by our fellow haijin in that time. Kigo were words which referred to the season e.g. tulips are a kigo for Spring and frost for Winter. These Kigo or Seasonwords are still in use.
In this month we will have an every day prompt for Winter. I have divided this month in three parts, 1) early winter; 2) mid winter and 3) late winter. So we start today with 'early winter' kigo. Today our prompt is Indian Summer. The Specials for this month are haiku written by Buson (1716-1783) he's one of the four greatest haiku-masters next to Basho, Issa and Shiki (who's by the way our Special haiku-master for January).
Before I start with our new prompt I love to share a haiku by Buson:

winter rain on moss
soundlessly recalls those
happy bygone days

Isn't it a wonderful haiku? By the way 'winter rain' is a kigo for early winter.

OK ... let's go composing our first haiku for this new month of daily Carpe Diem pleasure (smiles).

I love to share some interesting info on Indian Summer (in my country, The Netherlands, it's known as 'oude wijven zomer' or in English 'Old Wives Summer').

This is typical for Indian Summer

An Indian summer is a heat wave that occurs in the autumn. It refers to a period of considerably above-normal temperatures, accompanied by dry and hazy conditions, usually after there has been a killing frost. Depending on latitude and elevation, it can occur in the Northern Hemisphere between late September and mid November.
The expression 'Indian summer' has been used for more than two centuries. The earliest known use was by French-American writer John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur in rural New York in 1778: "Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer."In British English St. Martin's Summer was the most widely used term until the American phrase became better known in the 20th century. In the United Kingdom, the term Indian summer is used loosely for a period of unseasonable warmth and sunshine in late September, October, or November. In former times in English-speaking regions of Europe, 'Indian summer' was called Saint Martin's Summer, referring to St. Martin's day, November 11. An alternative was Saint Luke's summer. Another alternative was "All-hallows summer", as All Hallows' is November 1. In the United Kingdom Indian summer is often used to describe warm weather that comes late in the year after unusually cool summer months.In the Netherlands it is sometimes called "oudewijvenzomer" or "sint-michielszomer" ("St. Michael's Summer"), although the term "nazomer" ("late summer") is used more often. 

OK ... now we know something more about 'Indian Summer' ... time to start writing haiku:

after a warm day 
a thin layer of fresh fallen snow
covers the garden


This prompt will stay on 'till December 2nd 11.59 AM (CET) and I will publish our new prompt 'withering wind' later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and creative. Share your creativity with Carpe Diem's daily haiku meme.

Carpe Diem #57, first snow

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a little bit sad, because today is our last day of our Carpe Diem November. It was really a joy to make these every day posts for you. I am a lucky man ... you're all great and I will thank you all for your every day posts and participation. It makes me humble ...
I am glad to be your host for Carpe Diem.

Today our prompt is first snow and it's of course the 'ouverture' to our next month of Carpe Diem ... December the month of winter.

covered with snow
on the first day of winter
Buddha's statue

first snow has fallen
prints of bare feet to the fence -
sweeping the path

Well ... this was my last haiku for Carpe Diem November. I will prepare our first prompts for December. December will be a wonderful Carpe Diem month and a tough month I think. The prompts for December are all classical kigo or seasonwords. To me those classical seasonwords are all a bit familiar, but it will also be tough for me.

For Carpe Diem December I have created a new logo:

Our New Carpe Diem Logo for December (Dutch skies)

This prompt will stay on 'till December 1st 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our first Carpe Diem prompt for December 'Indian Summer (koharu)' later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired, be creative and share your haiku with Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem Special #9, plum blossom

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

A new Carpe Diem Special, the last one for this month and also the last one with a haiku written by Issa. Our next haiku-master who will provides us with his haiku is Buson, also one of the four greatest haiku poets.

Today a haiku written by Issa on Pine Trees and Plum Blossom. I think this is an example of Issa's brilliance. Issa's brilliance is sometimes discussed, because there are several sources who state that Issa wasn't a haiku poet, but just a poet. I think however that Issa is for sure a haiku master and that he for sure can be mentioned in one breath with Basho, Buson and Shiki.

In Issa's haiku we can see, feel and read that he was a devotee of Buddha Amida, a sect of Buddhism.
This haiku I have chosen is (in my opinion) a masterpiece and in this masterpiece we can find Buddhism as Issa was devoted too.  

As we look closer to this haiku we see the strong pine tree rising to the sky, always green whole year through and the fragility of the plum blossom. In this is Buddhism ... eternity, but also transience. This haiku is balanced and the picture it paints is gorgeous.  

In this Issa humanized the plum blossom and suggests that it is resting on the roots of the pine tree on it's downward journey. The plum blossom will the food for the pine tree when completely decayed ... it becomes one with the pine tree. All is one ... a true Buddhist lesson.

Credits and Copyright: Pine Tree and Plum Blossom

matsu ga ne [ni] hito iki shite wa ume no hana

catching its breath
on the pine tree's root...
plum blossom

This haiku Issa wrote in 1805.

To write a new one inspired by this beauty of Issa will not be easy ... so good luck and have fun, be inspired and creative. Share your creativity with Carpe Diem.

My inspiration:

fragile plum blossom
struggles in the Spring Breeze -
petals fall in the mud  

even a pine tree
falls in love with the blooming plum -
just like humans

Well it was fun. I loved writing these haiku and this last Carpe Diem Special on Issa for you my dear Haijin, visitors and travelers.

This Special will stay on 'till November 30th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our last prompt for November first snow later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem Preview 8, look back (2)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Our November month of Carpe Diem is almost over. I have granted our award already as you could have read in the post on full beaver moon. And it's time to look back at the second half of this month.

In my last Carpe Diem Preview fire was the last prompt on which I looked back. The first prompt for this 8th Preview to look back at is 'jade'.

I wrote for this prompt the following haiku:

everlasting love
my jade butterfly talisman -
the smile of my wife

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Bjorn Brudberg (our award winner this month) shared a set of haiku on jade with a glacier as theme:

mountain lake
precious jade and emerald
glacier cold

(c) Bjorn Brudberg

And what do you think of this one, written by Tarun Mazumdar:

his hanging shoulders
the jaded eyes say it all
pocket is empty

(c) Tarun Mazumdar

Or this one:

come hither my love
I shall wear my finest jade
Oh to dance, my love

Oh to dance my love
in thou arms, butterflies
sing, heavenly tune

(c) Crystal

On November 17th we had our second Carpe Diem Special with a haiku written by Issa:

the peony falls
spilling out yesterday's
rain

(c) Issa 

It was an inspirational haiku for you all and I have read wonderful haiku inspired on the one by Issa. I will reproduce a few here:

the daisy dies
dropping dawn's
dew

(c) Dulcina

she called them 'pineys',
delighting in their fragrance -
my Grandma Ann

(c) Mark M. Redfearn

Or tis one written by Becca Givens:

ruffled velvet bowls
perennial favorite
mischievous elves hide

(c) Becca Givens

white peony bows
weighted with virginal dreams
soft petals weeping

(c) 4Joy-Joanne

Or this one by Siggi of Maine:

peonies galore
rainbow colors beautiful
stop traffic gorgeous

(c) Siggi of Maine

Mark M. Redfearn granted us with another one on peony:

peony
drunk with evening rain
slumps to rest

(c) Mark M. Redfearn 

There were several prompts which were visited a lot. So we had 'mist' on this prompt there came 14 entries and I will share them (or a few) them here with you.
In my post on 'mist' I told you about the story of the 'witte wieven', the 'white bitches' and wrote the next haiku on those really spooky creatures:

stories told
white bitches dancing on the heath
just tendrils of mist

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Kaykuala wrote:

crowds streamed endlessly
in but emptiness at dusk
misty in the dark

(c) Kaykuala

ray of sun
dismisses a gray mist
his smile 

(c) WabiSabi

harbor glazed fog
mist hovering over, embraced
nature's love warming

(c) Carol and ArtMuse Dog

Rheumatologe Lothar was also inspired by this prompt and wrote:

mists rise at dawn
colours fade
first snow is near

rising smoke
into the morning mist
white heron circling

(c) Rheumatologe Lothar

Credits: White Heron

Tarun Mazumdar had a different take on mist, he used it as 'smoke' in this nice haiku by him:

the night moon hangs
armed men march to crush mankind
houses on fire

(c) Tarun Mazumdar

Our month has flown away and as I look back than I was the most proud on the prompt rose. It was a lovely episode and I enjoyed it very much to share something more on the meaning of roses and I came up with the following haiku:

on this fresh grave
one single white rose
she was just a child

(c) Chèvrefeuille 

Or this one:

a rainbow
everywhere I look roses
in thousand colors

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Nimue shared this one with Carpe Diem:

a bed of roses
they together walked upon
healing scars from past

healing scars of past
they sow seeds of love and care -
tree of happy life

(c) Nimue

my love a red rose
freshest sprung in early June
melody inside

(c) Bjorn Brudberg

Green Speck wrote the next entry for Carpe Diem's rose, a wonderfully composed cascading haiku:

flying roses sing
blessed melody of red love
nectar on her lips

nectar on her lips
he tastes sweetness of the rose
divine time stands still

divine time stands still
witnessing the game of hearts
flying roses sing

(c) Green Speck

imagine
red roses growing
in tar pits 

(c) Mark M. Redfearn

On November 23th we had another Carpe Diem Special with a haiku by Issa:

spring peace
a mountain monk peeks
through the hedge

(c) Issa

watching a geisha
monk from high up in the mountains
he's also a man 

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Dulcina of Dulcina's Garden wrote the next haiku inspired on the one by Issa:

convent calm -
an old virgin peeps
through a keyhole

through her keyhole
the novice's eye meets ...
whose eye ...?

(c) Dulcina

Magical Mystical Teacher wrote:

monk in the desert
lusting for distant mountains -
long thorns bar his way 

(c) Magical Mystical Teacher

tea leaves boil -
high above the mountain
ascetic smiles

new day beckons
kept in wraps by prayers
silent blessing

(c) Nimue 

my love flies
soul free. loves again
bluebirds sing

(c) Siggi of Maine 

Bjorn Brudberg provided us with a few prompts this month. The one I will look back at is rain.

every raindrop
a little rainbow diamond
in the early sunlight

(c) Chèvrefeuille

life giving water
fern and moss saturated
sunshine after rain

sunshine after rain
I cup my hand and drink
life giving water

(c) Bjorn Brudberg 

puffy clouds rising
sending rain showers over earth
nature's cleaning day

(c) Carol and ArtMuse Dog

Also in this month we could greet a few new contributors to our Carpe Diem's daily haiku meme. As the following haiku was written by 'gossip':

tiny knives fall free
from the mouths of wide-rimmed clouds
piercing every heart

(c) Gossip 

Or JRB who posted a haiku first time on love:

two sides of the coin
love's currency is spent
head over tails

it's not about you
I've learned to love another
the mirror smiles back

pulses soft and tender
sweet ripe cherry tomato
love's salad days

(c) JRB

Our New Carpe Diem Logo for December

And that encloses this Carpe Diem Preview 'look back'. In our first 'looking back' Preview next month I will also look at the last few days of November.

In our next Carpe Diem month we are going classic ... all our prompts are classical Japanese kigo or seasonswords. It will be a tough month I think, but also a wonderful month. So I hope to see you all again in December.

Warm greetings,

Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem #56, Full Beaver Moon

Today it's full moon. The full moon of November is called 'Full Beaver Moon', and today that's the prompt. Why is it called Full Beaver Moon?

A Beaver moon is, according to North American weather folklore, the first full moon which occurs in November. This full moon occurs in fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The moon may also be called the Frost moon or the Frosty moon.

Two reasons are given for the coupling of the November moon with the flat-tailed aquatic animal: (a) November is a month when many hunters used to set leg hold traps for beaver, and (b) November is a month when many beaver families are especially active in rebuilding their beaver lodges and dams. Much of the mammals' building and repair work takes place by moonlight, because the beaver is primarily nocturnal. Both explanations implicate November's position as the last full month before the coming of winter, as beaver (which do not hibernate) need to have ready access to food during the cold months, and need to grow an especially lush pelt of fur so as to be prepared. By the traditional valuation standards of the fur trade, a late-fall beaver pelt was worth more than a pelt harvested during other seasons of the year. (Source: Full Beaver Moon )

Credits: Full Beaver Moon

And does this creature has a spiritual meaning? Yes it has ...Beavers are ingenious builders, orchestrating megalith dams that can change the flowing course of entire rivers. This impressive aspect along with its association with water makes the beaver an analogy for building our up dreams.
In essence, the beaver tells us to believe in our dreams as if they were real. Build on them as if the dream is your reality. Change the course of your life flow by structuring your life with a goal to coax your dreams into your physical reality. (Source: Spiritual meaning of the Beaver )

Well ... isn't it a wonderful creature? 

Credits: Beaver

OK ... back to our goal ... writing haiku ... for your inspiration I have written the next haiku:

chasing your dreams
like a beaver building it's dam -
make your reality

make your reality
keep on dreaming like the beaver -
full beaver moon


In the Classical Japanese Seasonwords November 28th is also Bashooki or Basho's Memorial Day. Today they have a festival in honor of Basho's Memorial. So I love to share a few haiku written by Basho in this post.

Credits: Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

how wild the sea is,
and over Sado Island,
the River of Heaven

on Buddha's birthday
a spotted fawn is born -
just like that

Credits: Spotted Fawn

on Buddha's deathday,
wrinkled tough old hands pray -
the prayer beads sound

where's the moon?
as the temple bell is -
sunk in the sea

Credits: Prayer Beads

This prompt will stay on 'till November 29th 11.59 AM (CET). I will post our last Carpe Diem Special later on around 10.00 PM (CET). Another haiku by Issa for your inspiration. I will reproduce this (last) haiku by Issa hereafter:

catching its breath
on the pine tree's root...
plum blossom

I have granted Bjorn Brudberg our Carpe Diem Award for November for his continuing post every day in that wonderful cascading form. Thank you Bjorn for sharing your creativity with us here on Carpe Diem. Congratulations!!

Our Award winner for this Carpe Diem month is
Bjorn Brudberg

  

Carpe Diem #55, sadness

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in haiku paradise Carpe Diem, a daily haiku meme. We are on our way to the end of this month. It's a joy to host this daily haiku meme. And I am looking forward to all your wonderfully composed haiku, senryu and haiga. I wonder if the prompt for today will deliver us with new gems and diamonds.
Today our prompt is sadness ... Sadness a strong emotion which we sometimes have to conquer. I hope today ... that you, my dear friends, can conquer this (difficult) prompt.

Credits: Sadness

lonesome guy
left by his girlfriend
what a sadness

decaying roses
love slipped away through my fingers -
lonesome guy


What a sadness ... this photo is titled 'the beauty of sadness'. Can there be beauty in sadness?
Yes ... I think so. When sadness is conquered love will return and bring new life and happiness.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 28th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt Full Beaver Moon today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku, senryu or haiga with Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem #54, love

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are in the last week of Carpe Diem's November Month. Still have five days to go and than our new month of daily haiku writing will start. I have already posted the prompts for December. December will be a tough Carpe Diem month, because I have chosen classical winter kigo (seasonwords) for the prompts. Also at the end of this month I will grant one of our contributors with the Carpe Diem November Award for the most valuable Haijin. I will re-read all of your posts and than I will grant one of you with this award.

The New Carpe Diem Award for November

OK ... back to our prompt for today. Today it's all about love. Share your creativity with Carpe Diem on this prompt.

A haiku written by Issa (our haiku master for November):

squeezing in next
to my lover ...
quilt-covered brazier

With this one came a prescript 'Lovers'. In Romanji the haiku is written as follows:

omou hito no soba e warikomu kotatsu kana

Gabi Greve (a well known name in Haiku) says about this one:

'To sit near a person you love in a kotatsu (a quilt-covered brazier) is quite a different thing than sitting beside a fireplace. Nobody can see your legs in the dark, and we often call it 'playing footsies'.

playing footsies
in a dark corner of the bar
that's real love

together on the bench
our legs covered with a quilt
feet on a chafing dish

Credits: chafing dish

This Chafing Dish has a section underneath to place a ceramic or metal container filled with hot charcoal. It was used to set your feet on and warm them. The 'quilt-covered brazier' is very much the same as this Chafing Dish (or 'stoof' in Dutch).

This prompt will stay on 'till November 27th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt 'sadness' around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired, be creative and compose your wonderful haiku for today's prompt on Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem #53, Rain (provided by Bjorn Brudberg)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today Bjorn Brudberg provided us with the prompt rain  a wonderful prompt to write haiku with. I can remember that I have once posted on Chèvrefeuille's Haikublog a haiku for Haiku Heights September Challenge 2012 with rain for prompt. I even recall that episode was a good one. So I hope for today that you, my dear Haijin, visitors and travelers, can write lovely haiku on rain. I am looking forward to your posts.

Credits: Rain

What a beautiful rain-photo don't you think too? For inspiration maybe? Let's go and do some haiku composing on rain.

I love to share a haiku written by Kobayashi Issa, our November haiku-master:

spring rain -
growing side by side
the talking pines

The Pines 'voices' refer to the sighing of wind through their branches. And 'growing side by side' refers to married people. With this haiku came a prescript 'Congratulations on a new marriage'.

Another one by Issa:

the bright moon in raindrops
from the eaves ...
the geese depart

Both verses by Issa are well done ... they paint each a nice imagery ... in this Issa was a master.

OK ... now I have to write a haiku or two by myself ... let me think ...

on bamboo sprouts
the shimmering sunlight
in raindrops

Another one:

the old pond's face
trembled by the heavy rains -
my face wrinkled

And what do you think of this one?

every raindrop
a little rainbow diamond
in the early sunlight

Well ... what a joy to write these little gems for you my dear friends.

For closure a nice haiga. Enjoy today's prompt, be inspired and creative, share your haiku with us on Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 26th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt love later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Namaste

Carpe Diem #52, Silver Birch

Dear haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we will find our inspiration in Silver Birch a wonderful tree, with his white/silverish skin. I have sought out the WWW for some more background information on the Silver Birch.

Renewal and Purification

• Following the last Ice Age, the robust and weather-hardy birch tree would have been among the first to re-colonize ice-ravaged landscape. In botanical terms, it is known as a pioneer species. In Celtic mythology, therefore, the birch is a symbol of renewal and purification.

Steps to Heaven

• The birch tree is one of the national trees of Russia. In Siberia, shamans use the tree for initiation rituals. A candidate carves nine notches in the trunk of a birch to represent the nine steps to heaven of shamanic folklore.

Love

• In German folklore, the birch is regarded as a tree of life and was traditionally used to make maypoles, around which lovers danced. Welsh folklore associates the birch tree with love, too; lovers met under a birch tree.

Protection

• In the Swedish city Umea, according to popular legend, the silver birch tree halted a fire that nearly burned the city to the ground in 1888. Silver birch trees are now planted all over the city. In Celtic mythology, the birch was used to protect against evil. Babies' rattles and cradles were made of birch (Source: Meaning of Birches )

Credits: Silver Birch lane

Now we have learned a bit more about the Silver Birch I think we can write a wonderful haiku about it. Let's give it a try ...

in pale moonlight
silver birches look like ghosts
rustling leaves

rustling leaves
in the Autumn sunlight
like golden coins

like golden coins
the goldplated birch leaves
in pale moonlight

I hope you all enjoyed the read. This prompt will stay on 'till November 25th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt rain, provided by Bjorn Brudberg, today around 10.00 PM (CET)

Have fun, be creative and inspired ... share your haiku with Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem Special #8, Spring Peace

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As you may know this Carpe Diem month has for it's Specials haiku written by Issa, one of the four greatest haiku-masters. And today our third Carpe Diem Special of November is on. I love to share the next haiku by Issa for your inspiration.

spring peace -
a mountain monk peeks
through the hedge

In Romanji it's written as follows:

nodokasa ya kakima wo nozoku yama no so 

When he wrote this haiku is unknown, but nevertheless it's a wonderful haiku. It's referring to a classical story titled 'The Tale of Genji' (chapter 5). In this tale Prince Genji peers through a brushwood hedge and catches sight of Murasaki, a ten-year old.
In Spring even a mountain monk becomes a 'peeping Tom' notwithstanding their rule of chastity. It's a haiku full of humor I think and it is a joy to read this haiku again and again to visualize the painted scene.

Credits: Mountain Monk

All alone meditating in the mountains, contemplating on Buddha. Strong man (and woman) these Mountain Monks.

Well ... let me think (meditate and contemplate) this haiku by Issa over and over again. As a sort of Koan and write a new haiku in Issa's Spirit.

deep meditation
high up in the mountains
a Buddhist monk

a Buddhist monk
even he violates chastity
watching a geisha

watching a geisha
monk from high up in the mountains
he's also a man

Credits: Wisdom Seeking Mountain Monk

Isn't it wonderful? Seeking for wisdom in the mountains, that would be something, but I can find my wisdom just here at home, or at work or just in the city parc.

This Carpe Diem Special will stay on 'till November 24th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt Silver Birch today around 10.00 PM (CET).

I am looking forward to your posts. Be inspired and share your creativity with Carpe Diem.

Namaste.

Carpe Diem #51, beach

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Yesterday we had our 50th (except the Specials) prompt. I have read wonderful haiku inspired on 'Circle of Life'. Today our new prompt is more of Summer, but ... well I love to make a walk along the seashore, the beach, notwithstanding the season. As today we are gonna walk along the beach, because beach is our prompt for today.

Credits: Autumn Beach

walking along the sea
with the one I love dearly -
Autumn's beach

Autumn's beach
I feel lonely, no sunbathing people,
just the ground swell

Isn't it a wonderful experience? Walking with the one you love over a lonesome Autumn Beach.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 23th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt, our new Carpe Diem Special later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

The new Special (number 8) is the following haiku by Issa:

spring peace -
a mountain monk peeks
through the hedge

Carpe Diem #50, Circle of Life

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We have a little party today. It's our 50th prompt (counted without the Specials) and this prompt is a feast 'Circle of Life'.
It's the title of a song by Elton John for Disney's 'Lion King'. The 'Lion King' is a wonderful musical and movie. I have sought on You Tube for a nice video on this prompt.

Isn't it a wonderful song? It is for sure very inspiring ... so I hope to see and read wonderful haiku. I am grateful that I may host this daily haiku meme Carpe Diem. It's really a joy to write haiku and share them with you. Thank you all for your continuing participation and sharing ... it makes me humble and also proud.

circle of life
Mother Nature's purpose
for all her inhabitants

circle of life
blooming flowers, decaying,
will bloom again

Credits: decaying flowers

This prompt will stay on 'till November 22th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt 'beach' later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun! Thank you for being a participant in Carpe Diem for already 50 prompts.

Carpe Diem #49, rose

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As I write this episode of Carpe Diem I realize that tomorrow we have our 50th prompt. As I started this daily meme I didn't thought that it will be a success, but ... well it has become a success. I know there are a lot of haiku memes and Carpe Diem is one of many. So I am grateful that I can (and may) host Carpe Diem. Your contribution to this haiku meme are very well appreciated and I am glad that I can do this. It's a lot of work, but ... well ... I love writing haiku and share them with the world as you all seem to like sharing your creativity.
Today we have rose for prompt and I think this is a wonderful prompt to write haiku about.
I have sought out the WWW for the meaning of roses and this is what I found:

Credits: Red Rose

Rose meaning and rose symbolism is known by almost everyone on some level - otherwise it wouldn’t be the most popularly sent flower on Valentine’s Day! 

 Some helpful keywords pertaining to symbolic rose meaning: Love; Honor; Faith; Beauty; Balance; Passion; Wisdom; Intrigue; Devotion; Sensuality; Timelessness

In mythology, rose meaning is associated with Aphrodite (Greek) goddess of love who was often depicted adorned with roses around her head, feet and or neck. In lore, we track down this association when we discover that a rose bush grew within the pool of blood spilled from Aphrodite’s slain lover (Adonis). We can interpret the symbolism here several ways. The most common interpretation is that the rose symbolizes an immortal love or a union that will never fade - even through time or death.

Aphrodite

Seeking symbolic meaning of the rose from an esoteric perspective, we can look at the Tarot, in which the rose is considered a symbol of balance. Here the beauty of the rose expresses promise, new beginnings, hope. This beauty is contrasted with its thorns which represents defense, physicality, loss, thoughtlessness. The rose is seen in the major arcana as: Magician, Strength, Death and Fool cards. All of these cards hold strong meanings of balance and equilibrium.

Rose meaning is found in their color too:

For example:
Yellow Rose: Joy, Protection against envious lovers, Mature love. White Rose: Purity, Sanctity, Secret admirer, Mysticism  Red Rose: Sacrifice, Immortal love, Health, Memorial, Passion  Pink Rose: First love, Innocence, Healing 

(Source: Rose meaning ) 

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

a wild rose
red delicacy in nature -
my sweet love

on this fresh grave
one single white rose
she was just a child

Credits: Yellow Roses

    

what a joyful day
the yellow rose in my backyard
starts blooming

a rainbow
everywhere I look roses
in thousand colors

 

Credits: Rainbow of Roses

This prompt will stay on 'till November 21th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt 'circle of life'  today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun!

Carpe Diem #48, mist

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in Carpe Diem paradise (smiles). Today Dulcina provided the prompt mist and I think that's a nice one to write haiku about. So let's go do some haiku composing.

Credits: Ken Sturm - Freeland Mist

a haunted forest
with pines reaching to the sky
clad in mist

clad in mist
the pine tree forest
so mysterious

In my country we have in some regions stories about as we call them 'witte wieven' or in English 'white bitches' those are stories to frighten children that they can't go outside when it's dark. Something like the 'boogie-man'. The 'white bitches' are witches that look like tendrils of mist and you can see them in the dark forests of e.g pine trees that we have a lot of in my country. But the 'white bitches' are also in the wetlands and on the heath.

Credits: White Bitches (in Dutch: Witte Wieven)

spooky heath
white bitches dancing -
it's a mystery

tendrils of mist
scaring little children
'the boogie-man comes!'

stories told
white bitches dancing on the heath
just tendrils of mist

Well ... I love it ... those stories are great and I like them very much. What a nice idea to bring such a story in haiku. Thank you Dulcina for this wonderful and inspiring prompt.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 20th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt rose today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and creative. Share your creativity with Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem #47, relationship

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As I have written in several of my haiku during time I am married with kids so I am in a relation. I love my wife and kids. And I have already six (6) grandchildren. I work as an oncology-nurse and so I have colleagues. And of course ... you my dear friends ... in a way you and I have a relationship.
Relationships I cherish and as I am a haiku poet I cherish all my friends here on Carpe Diem. Our new prompt is relationship not an easy prompt I think, but worth a try heh (smiles). I hope to read several wonderful haiku on relationship.
This is mine:

cherish kids
they need to grow up
without suffering

drinking red wine
laying in front of the fireplace
cherish my love

Credits: fireplace

in the hospital
relations grow with patients
and colleagues

this community
haiku poets of all places
share their verses

Hm ... not very strong these haiku set, but I loved writing them and I cherish every piece of it. Hope you liked them.

This prompt will stay on 'till November 19th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode of Carpe Diem 'mist' provided by Dulcina of Dulcina's Garden today around 10.00 PM (CET).
Have fun! Be creative and share your haiku my dear friends.