Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #88 Back In Time "Revise That Haiku"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of Tokubetsudesu. As you know this month all the Tokubetsudesu episodes are about earlier special features here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This week I love to take you back to one of those special features, "Revise That Haiku".

I love to challenge you all to 'revise' a classical haiku written by Shiki (1867-1902). One of the most extraordinary things about nature, from the scientific and intellectual point of view, is its asymmetry. Life is asymmetrical in its essential character, and it is natural for us to rejoice in it, for it is the guarantee of our spiritual freedom. Even the Great Buddha, for all the Law of Karma and the inviolable Wheel of the Law, the snow melts irregularly. On the sunny side, the snow is gone; on the other, there still remains a white mantle. To our human eye at least, it is a secretly felt confirmation of our inner conviction that 'with God all things are possible'.

Where does this lead to? Well ... it's to show you the picture which is (can be) seen in the following haiku by Shiki, which we are going to revise.

Daibutsu no katahada no yuki toki ni keri

the snow has melted

on one shoulder

of the Great Buddha

© Shiki

As you maybe know in this special feature the goal is to revise the given haiku and write/compose a new one. Not an easy task and it needs some courage to revise a haiku by one of the greatest four haiku-poets ever (Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki), but ... well it challenges you to look in a different way to the classical haiku.

at the sunny side

the snow in the backyard has melted -

snowdrops are blooming

© Chèvrefeuille 

What a joy. Notwithstanding the snow, the print of winter, new life conquers it. The snow is melting and the snowdrops, the first messengers of spring, are starting to bloom.

I hope you will take up this challenge and I love to encourage you all to 'revise' the haiku by Shiki.

This Tokubetsudesu episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 24th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our new epsidoe, Elder, later on. For now ... have fun!