Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017 #8 The flower of a pumpkin (Tomiyashu Fusei)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day has gone, we are running to halfway this wonderful Tan Renga Challenge month and until today I just loved all the continuations and completions you all have shared here. Thank you all for participating in this daily challenge to create Tan Renga.

Yesterday we had a nice haiku by Hamish Managua Gunn and so today it is time for another classical haiku poet, however ... our "hokku" of today is written by Tomiyasu Fusei (1885 - 1979), a contemporary of Shiki and maybe not that classical as other haiku poets from the past I used here, because Tomiyasu died in 1979. I had planned to use another haiku written by him, because I really didn't know more about him. So as I was doing some research for this new episode I ran into other beauties written by him. So I decided to use another haiku.

Tomiyasu Fusei

Let me tell you first a little bit more about Tomiyasu Fusei:

Tomiyasu Fusei was a famous member of the Hototogisu Haiku Group (started by Shiki), from Aichi prefecture. He later founded the "Haiku Association of Tokyo University", Toodai Haiku Kai with Mizuhara Shuoshi and Yamaguchi Seishi. They were all students of Takahama Kyoshi.

Ishizuchi mo nankin no hana mo ooi nari

The flower of a pumpkin
as well as Mt. Ishizuchi
is great in scale

© Tomiyasu Fusei (1885 - 1979)

He was born in Aichi Prefecture as the fourth son to father "Saburo" and mother "Naka", in 1885. His real name was "Kenji". Naka's father had the Haigo (pen name) "Baigetsu (plum moon)", so his literary talent was descended from his mother.

In May of 1937, he retired as the vice minister of communications after 27 years' service with the Ministry of Communicaions. In July 1937, he visited Matsuyama for the first time and arrived at Niihama, he composed this Haiku as his first impression of Ehime. (Mount Ishizuchi is a famous holy mountain in Shikoku Island.)

Mount Ishizuchi in autumn (Shikoku Island Japan)

Shikoku Island is a once in a lifetime to do pilgrimage for every Buddhist along the 88 temples on this island. A few years ago we did this pilgrimage virtually here at CDHK (February and March 2014, you can find those posts through the "archive-list" at the right side of our Kai.)

The haiku by Fusei which I shared above is our "hokku" for today and here is my attempt to create a Tan Renga with it by adding my two-lined second stanza.

the flower of a pumpkin

as well as Mt. Ishizuchi

is great in scale                                   © Tomiyasu Fusei 

glowing Halloween eyes
scaring the ghosts away                     © Chèvrefeuille

Not as strong as I had hoped, but as I read "pumpkin" I just had to use Halloween in my continuation. And now it is up to you to add your second stanza through association.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 15th at noon (CET). I will try to post our next episode, a new "weekend-meditation", an episode of Namasté, The Spiritual Way, later on. For now .... have fun!

PS. I have included a new exclusive CDHK E-book on Troiku, titled "Flamingo Clouds", in our CDHK Library. A preview of this new CDHK E-book you can find above in the menu.