Carpe Diem #1229 Yin & Yang

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the first episode of a new month full of challenging prompts to inspire you to create Japanese poetry like haiku and tanka. As I do every month I have chosen a new theme for the prompts. This month we will explore modern art.

Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation.

Isn't that we are doing with haiku? As I discovered haiku back in the eighties I wrote longer poems and stories, I used a lot of words to tell the stories and had the feeling that I said nothing. Than there was haiku ... a very short poem originating from Japan. As I started reading haiku, and for sure that wasn't easy, I immediately was caught. These short poems told a lot about a short moment in the life of the poet with maybe 10 to 15 words and those scenes were really awesome. If I had to describe that scene I would need for sure more than 15 words ... In other words ... haiku experiments with
words to tell a lot ... that is ... in my opinion modern art.

logo August 2017

The above logo is my choice for August and you can find this same modern art painting on the background of our Kai this month. It's an abstract oil painting on canvas produced by everfun.com visit their website and see what they have more (click on the caption under the above logo).

This month it's not only about haiku or tanka, but it is about modern art in all its different appearances.

Our first prompt for this month fits our haiku in a great way because of its spiritual meaning. Today I love to challenge you to create haiku inspired on a sculpture by Joel Shapses. He introduces himself to you:

Joel Shapses

As an Award winning sculptor my works are prominently displayed in private collections and public venues throughout North and South America. The more, avant garde statements that are made in the mixture of neon, led lights, metal, fused glass and stone media to elicit an excitement that occurs when the artist takes a quantum leap toward ingenuity. Whether realistic or abstract, the viewer's tactile senses are aroused with almost a sense of urgency to explore each form in greater depth than just visually. Born in New Jersey, Have spent most of my life on the Eastern coast of the U.S. Having an inherent artistic gift, I began sculpting in a primitive way at the age of five. Early on in my sculpting career, I worked under the same roof as famed sculptor Enzo Gallo. From a period of over the fifty years I have exhibited in many shows and has won over seventy awards and recognitions and have completed over six hundred works of art.

A wonderful artist I would say and it is one of his sculptures that is featured on our first day of August 2017. The sculpture is titled "Yin Yang" and that's our prompt for today. What does Yin Yang mean? Let me tell you that, but I think that the most of you know what it means.

Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang

Yin and yang is a complex, relational concept in Chinese culture that has developed over thousands of years. Briefly put, yin and yang represent the two opposite principles observed in nature.

Generally speaking, yin is characterized as feminine, still, dark, negative, and an inward energy. On the other hand, yang is characterized as masculine, energetic, hot, bright, positive, and an outward energy.

Yin and yang elements come in pairs, such as the moon and the sun, female and male, dark and bright, cold and hot, passive and active, and so on.

But it is important to note that yin and yang are not static or mutually exclusive terms. The nature of yin yang lies in the interchange and interplay of the two components. The alternation of day and night is such an example. While the world is composed of many different, sometimes opposing, forces, these forces still coexist and even complement each other. Sometimes, forces opposite in nature even rely on each other to exist. For example, there cannot be a shadow without light.

The balance of yin and yang is important. If yin is stronger, yang will be weaker, and vice versa. Yin and yang can interchange under certain conditions so they are usually not yin and yang alone. In other words, yin elements can contain certain parts of yang, and yang can have some components of yin.

It is believed that this balance of yin and yang exists in everything.

Yin and Yang ... a hidden part of haiku maybe, because we can see this balance, the existence of this balance, in all and everything ... and therefore also in haiku. Isn't that what haiku is? Haiku is about nature and humans as part of nature that brings the balance between humans and nature ...

Yin Yang by Joel Shapses

Well ... a lot to think about I would say ... so I will give you more time to respond instead of five (5) days you can now respond within seven (7) days. I am looking forward to this month because I love to bring modern art more to the attention of the world and maybe through CDHK's month August 2017 that will happen.

balance
black and white together
as one

© Chèvrefeuille

Not as strong as I had hoped, but it is a haiku in the modern way, because that's the other challenge this month try to create your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form in a modern way as did for example Santoka Taneda. (See our promptlist for August 2017 above in the menu)

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until August 7th at noon (CET). Have fun.

Carpe Diem #1228 sunset (CD Imagination)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This is the last prompt for July 2017. this month we have explored several kigo for summer, classical and non-classical and I hope you did like this month.

Our last prompt for this month is sunset and I have made it myself easy, because I had a busy day. I will share an image of a summer sunset to inspire you.

sunset

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until August 4th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, the first of our "modern art"-month, later on. For now .... have fun!

Carpe Diem Extra July 29th 2017 new prompt-list

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am glad to present you our new CDHK prompt-list for August. In this upcoming month I will challenge you with modern art ...

The new prompt-list you can find above in the menu, but it isn't complete yet. The open dates I will fill later with prompts.

Namasté,

Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem Time Travel #5

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday July 30th at 7:00 pm (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new "weekend-meditation" here at CDHK. This week our "weekend-meditation" is an episode of Carpe Diem's Time Travel, Ancient Japanese poetry to inspire you. And this week I love to inspire you through a few poems from the Man'yoshu, an anthology of myriad poems. For this episode I have chosen a few poems from the 20th book of the Man'yoshu, here is the first by Wakayamatobe no Mimaro of Aratama District, a man of serviceable age in the service of the Registrar’s Office. :

wa ga tuma pa
itaku kopirasi
nomu midu ni
kagö sapë miete
yö ni wasurarezu

My wife
Loves me dearly, it seems
For in my drinking water
Her form appears
In life, I never can forget her.

It's a sad poem in which you can feel the loss of the poet. His wife died, but in everything, even the most simple things like water, he sees and senses his wife. A strong poem full of love, unconditional love.

Japanese woman

Here is another poem with the seem tone and feeling. This poem is by Mononobe no Komaro of Lower Naga District:

wa ga tuma mo
e ni kaki toramu
iduma mo ga,
tabi yuku are pa
mitutu sinöbamu

My wife
In a picture I’d draw,
Had I but the time,
Then on my journey
Would I gaze at it, remembering her.

It seems like this 20th book of the Man'yoshu is filled with this kind of sad poems, so here is another one to inspire you:

sasa ga pa nö
sayagu simo yo ni
nana pe karu
körömo ni maseru
körö ga pada pa mo

The leaves of bamboo grass
Rustle on this frosty night;
Wearing sevenfold
Garments cannot compare
To my darling’s skin.

© poet's name unknown

And with this third poem I return back to the goal of the "waka", "uta" or "tanka" ... these poetry forms are meant for love and all that has to do with it. In this last poem I sense the deep love of the poet for his / her darling and in this poem he / she describes that in a wonderful way ... longing for the one you love ... that's unconditional love.

And for closure a tanka I created last year, but this one fits the idea of the above poems, so I share itr here again:

deep dark forest
seeking for nature’s mysteries –
a new day rises
after a hot and steamy night
she departs … without a kiss

© Chèvrefeuille

I hope you all will have a wonderful weekend and I am looking forward to all of your responses on this Time Travel episode in which we explored a few poems from the 20th book of the Man'yoshu.

This episode is open for your submissions next Sunday July 30th at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until August 3rd at noon (CET). Have a great weekend ...

Carpe Diem #1227 waiting for autumn (Aki tikashi, Aki wo matsu)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I had an amazing day today ... we had a wonderful nice, not to hot, summer day here in The Netherlands and my wife and i could be almost the whole day outside in the garden. I love my garden in every season, but especially in the tiny line between summer and autumn I love being in my garden. The leaves start coloring and the rains fall more often. Than I smell that nice perfume of wet earth and the starting of decay ... yes maybe this is my time of year.

Our classical prompt for today, waiting for autumn (Aki tikashi, Aki wo matsu), is extracted from the Kiyose, a collection of classical Japanese kigo (seasonwords). And it gives me the same feeling as described above. I am waiting, no longing, for autumn (Aki) and I can already smell it in the thin air of this summer day ... awesome.

autumn dreams

While I was doing my research for this episode I ran into several beautiful haiku with this theme, waiting for autumn, here is an example by Aioi Gakikajin:

Autumnal voices
in which of the windows
are there more?

© Aioi Gakikajin

And here is an other nicely crafted haiku. Deer start dating in autumn, and the lonely ones make a forlorn mating call that has become associated in Japan with lust and yearning:

Still with antlers, still
with love, the male deer —
— dashes!

© Kaneko Mukanshi

This second example makes me smile, because of the scene, but also of the true longing, waiting for autumn feeling in it. really an awesome haiku.

Longing for Autumn

Of course there are also beautiful tanka (waka or uta) about this waiting, longing for autumn. I found a nice one in the Man'yoshu written by Princess Nukata (ca. 630–690):

While, waiting for you,
My heart is filled with longing,
The autumn wind blows— 
As if it were you— 
Swaying the bamboo blinds of my door.

© Princess Nukata

And to conclude this episode ... I love to share the following tanka:

the scent of autumn
that sweet smell of decaying leaves -
after the rain - stronger
makes me think of days past
and my first real love ... 

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you did like this episode. I enjoyed creating it. This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 31st at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new "weekend-meditation" later on. For now ... have fun!

Carpe Diem #1226 swamp

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new day in our wonderful summer kigo month, July 2017. Here in The Netherlands it's raining almost all day, but temperatures are okay, around 22 degrees Celsius. So not really a summer feeling, but this sultry day is perfect for our prompt for today. A modern kigo extracted from "A Dictionary of Haiku" by Jane Reichhold.

Our prompt for today I didn't associate with summer, but than I remembered a hot summer day several years ago, I was a young adult, around 22 yrs of age. I wandered around my home town and ran into a swamp-like environment just outside of my home town. Not really a swamp, but it almost looked the same. Here in my home town we call that place "the willow storage". It's a part of the polder that looks like how earth looked in the prehistory ... and it is a marvelous piece of nature to be in.
As that young adult I was exploring who I am and who I wanted to be. I had a free mind and on that hot summer day I decided to "dive" into "the willow storage", but it was really hot and very sweaty, because of the high moistured air. Well ... as a free minder I decided to took of my clothes, put them in a bag, hide it, and walk into the willow storage completely naked. It felt great, it felt like being 100% in tune with nature. I heard the buzzing of mosquitoes and bees. I bathed in the warm waters of the willow storage and laid down on a nice spot of grass somewhere in the middle of it. It was a real nice day ... I even tried to create a haibun about this beautiful day several years later.

The Willow Storage

The willow storage is a wonderful place and as I was preparing this episode I thought back to that wonderful day.

Today our prompt is swamp and I don't hink it needs further explanation, so here is a haiku Jane wrote as an example for this modern kigo:

black cypress
draining into the swamp
strands of color

© Jane Reichhold (1937-2016)

Awesome haiku I would say. Here is another haiku this time written by myself:

hot summer day
wandering through the swamp
mosquitoes buzzing

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope I have inspired you.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 30th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, waiting for autumn (Aki tikashi, Aki wo matsu), later on. For now ... be inspired and share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with us all.

Carpe Diem #1225 cool, cool evening, cool wind (Suzushi,Ryofu)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a bit late with this new episode, because I had a very busy day-shift at work. So my apologies for this small delay. Yesterday we had "dunes" for prompt and today I love to inspire you with a classical kigo for summer, cool, cool evening, cool wind (Suzushi,Ryofu), and the first thing that came in mind was a haiku by my master Matsuo Basho (1644-1694):

Matsuo Basho

You remember for sure Basho's haiku 'Old Pond', this famous haiku we have seen here often, we even have created an e-book around this famous haiku (see for the link to this e-book, the right side of our Kai):

an old pond
a frog jumps in
the sound of water

The following haiku by Basho has the same third sentence but fails to achieve the importance that it does have in the above verse.

Basho wrote the following haiku in the Summer of 1688.

taneshisa ya   aota ni suzuma   mizu no ato

delightfulness
cooling one self in a rice paddy
the sound of water

As we look closer at both verses we can see the picture, but in 'Old Pond' the main figure is the frog and in 'delightfulness' it's a human. Basho uses the same third sentence but, there is a difference in 'the sound of water'. In 'Old Pond' the sound of water is very short. It's just the frog who breaks the water. That sound is the essence of haiku, short as an eye-blink, just an 'aha-erlebnis'.
In 'delightfulness' the sound of water is made by a human who is cooling his feet in the water of the rice paddy. That 'sound of water' is a longer sound, the sound of splashing. In 'delightfulness' the cool water of the rice paddy is the 'aha-erlebnis'. How refreshing the cool water of the rice paddy on a hot summer day.

In my opinion 'the sound of water' in 'Old Pond' is stronger and important for the picture. In 'delightfulness' 'the sound of water' is less important for the picture. It's the coolness of the water of the rice paddy that's important.
Well it's just a thought, a reverie ....

dew drops on grass

The above image I used several years ago as the cover for a haiku-book in Dutch, but it also was used to illustrate the haiku I wrote in response on the above delightful haiku by Basho:

with my bare feet
in the cool grass of dawn
Ah! what a feeling

© Chèvrefeuille

Another haiku by Basho with the same theme, coolness, is the following:

essential to life
the little space under my hat
enjoying the coolness

This is a not so well known haiku of Basho. The Japanese hat in this haiku is the so called "kasa".

kasa

The "kasa" was an umbrella like hat. In some way through wearing this 'kasa' Basho always had his own shady place at hand.

such a hot day
my shadow needs to cool down
under the willow

© Chèvrefeuille

Another one with the same theme:

hot summer day
the shadow of the willows
Ah! that coolness

© Chèvrefeuille

the shadow of the willos

In some of Basho's haiku he refers to himself as part of the scene or looks to the scene from a distance. Not very common for haiku poets. It isn't done to be part of your own haiku as haiku poet, but rules are there to be once read and than to forget them immediately.
In the following haiku he does both. He is part of the scene, but is also watching it from a distance. I think it's a great way to write haiku (unless it wasn't common).
This "not being part of your own haiku" is still in our times one of the rules. Rules? Basho once said: "Know the rules of writing haiku and forget them immediately". Well ... that's my way to write haiku. So I 'forgot' the rules of the classical haiku and embraced the rules of the Kanshicho style in which Basho wrote his haiku between 1683 and 1685. In that style the syllable count is different and less important. But as Basho said: "Forget the rules immediately". Well I can say "forgetting the rules feels good and makes my mind free". With that thought I have written a lot of haiku.

kawa kaze ya   usu gaki ki taru   yu suzumi

a river breeze
the one wearing a light persimmon robe
enjoying the coolness

© Basho

Basho wrote a preface to this haiku.

"Enjoying the cool breeze on the bank of Shijo, an observance is practiced from the beginning to the middle of June. A special floor is set up right on the river, and people enjoy drinking and eating all night. Women tie their sashes correctly tight, and men wear their formal long coats. I see even the apprentices of a cooper and the blacksmith. They seem to have too much leisure time, singing and making noise. This is probably a scene which can only be seen in the capital (Edo, now called Tokyo)".

summer coolness

observing the crowd
having fun on the seashore
almost naked

© Chèvrefeuille

I love the full beaches in summer. Everyone has fun enjoying the warm summer and the coolness of the sea.
Children laugh making sandcastles, grown ups reading, playing, drinking, eating and laughing. Summer is a wonderful season and I think ... everyone enjoys it.

Sorry ... maybe a long (to long) read this episode, but I was on a roll. I hope I have inspired you to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 29th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, swamp, later on. For now ... have fun!

Carpe Diem #1224 dunes

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend and I hope I have inspired you with our "weekend-meditation". Today we will go on with our Summertime month full of classical and non-classical kigo (seasonwords).
There are a lot of classical and non-classical kigo for summer and today I love to share another nice one, a modern one this time extracted from Jane's "A Dictionary of Haiku". Today I love to challenge you with dunes.

the cry of a seagull
resonates through the dunes
waves pounding the beach

© Chèvrefeuille

As I was preparing this episode the first thing which came in mind had nothing to do with summer. I thought of the novel series by Frank Herbert, Dune. I remember that I read this complete series (6 volumes) as a teenager and I loved it, loved it dearly. It inspired me to write my own novel several years later.

Dune (part 1) Frank Herbert cover

Let me tell you a little bit more about this beautiful series of novels by Frank Herbert:

Dune is a 1965 epic science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in Analog magazine. It tied with Roger Zelazny's This Immortal for the Hugo Award in 1966, and it won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel. It is the first installment of the Dune saga, and in 2003 was cited as the world's best-selling science fiction novel.

Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which noble houses, in control of individual planets, owe allegiance to the Padishah Emperor, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose noble family accepts the stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis. As this planet is the only source of the "spice" melange, the most important and valuable substance in the universe, control of Arrakis is a coveted—and dangerous—undertaking. The story explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the forces of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its "spice".

Herbert wrote five sequels: Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune. In 1984 Dune The Movie was created. A great movie which followed (in my opinion) the novels in an awesome way.

Virginia Beach Dune

Okay ... back to our prompt for today, dunes, a modern summer kigo. Here are a few haiku by Jane Reichhold (1937-2016) to inspire you.

rain-wet dunes
scraped with yellow light
of sunset showers

noon shadows
following the contours
of desert dunes

living in desert dunes
the ups and downs
of curved sand

© Jane Reichhold

Three beauties ... Jane was really a great haiku poetess. Here is another one by her. I think this one is one of her best on dunes:

the shape of wind
writing in dunes
loneliness

© Jane Reichhold

It will not be an easy task to create haiku or tanka in the same brightness and beauty as the ones shared here by Jane, but  ... I had to try.

hot summer day
seeking for relief and shadow
between the dunes
exchanging body fluids with the one I love
while seagulls cry

© Chèvrefeuille

Hmm ... nice tanka I think. What is your opinion on this tanka?

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 28th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, cool, cool evening, cool wind (Suzushi,Ryofu), later on. For now .... have fun!

 

 

Carpe Diem Writing and Enjoying Haiku #3 classical haiku

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday July 23rd at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's almost weekend and that means ... time for a new episode of our "weekend-meditation" feature. This weekend I have a nice episode for you of "Carpe Diem Writing and Enjoying Haiku", inspired on the book by Jane Reichhold (1937-2016).
In the last episode of "Writing and Enjoying Haiku" you had to create haiku without rules, this time, I love to challenge you to create haiku following the rules, the most basic rules of haiku. You may choose your own theme, but you have to follow the following rules:

1. A kigo seasonword)
2. A kireji (cutting-word or punctuation)
3. 5-7-5 syllables (onji)
4. The theme is nature
5. A spiritual, Zen-Buddhistic layer / meaning
6. First and Third line are interchangeable
7. In your haiku you may not use "I", because in haiku the poet isn't visible

All rules ... you (we) have to follow, but as Basho once said "forget the rules". Well for this episode of Writing and Enjoying Haiku you (we) cannot forget the rules.

As you all (maybe) know I am not a haiku poet that follows the rules, I am more like Santoka Taneda and try to create my haiku in the "free-style" way. So this challenge will not be easy for me, but of course I had to give it a try and created this haiku following the rules:

a fragile cobweb
dressed in crystalline dewdrops
treasure at sunrise

© Chèvrefeuille

Pff ... that wasn't easy. In my opinion this is a nice haiku, but it looks somewhat artificial, but after re-reading I had to change my opinion. It has become a real nice haiku. I think all the "rules" are in it, but about the Zen-Buddhistic layer I am not sure. What do you think?

This "weekend-meditation" is open for your submissions next Sunday July 23rd at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 28th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, dunes, also around 7:00 PM (CET) next Sunday. Have a great weekend!

Carpe Diem #1223 Raspberry

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you all are well and in a good mood to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form, because I have another nice and beautiful classical kigo for you. Today our prompt to work with is Raspberry (Kiichigo), and it's from the Shiki Saijiki, a classical anthology of kigo (seasonwords).

Raspberry (Kiichigo)

An example by Jane Reichhold:

low winter sun
raspberry leaves glow
red and green

© Jane Reichhold

I love to share a little bit of spiritual / magical background on this fruit.

Wild raspberry caught the eye of early cave dwellers, as evidenced by the remains of raspberry canes found at a variety of dig sites across Europe, Asia, and Northern America, and raspberries have been a part of our diet ever since.
Raspberry teaches us to be acquiescent. First year canes do not produce fruit but are essential to the fertility of the plant, establishing her root system and filling her canes with the strength and energy she’ll need. After the cane has weathered a year, she’s ready to bloom and fruit. Raspberry reminds us that maturity and proper conditioning are essential to abundant and healthy reproduction. It is best to be patient, Raspberry councils, when beginning any creative endeavor.
Raspberry’s thorny canes remind us, too, to be protective of the fruits of our labors. If we truly want to share our work, we would be wise to be picky about who will carry it into the world.
If Raspberry has come into your life around a specific project, you would be wise to consider carefully with whom you share the fruits of your labors. Is the person in question one who must be won-over, or is he or she already adapted to your way of thinking? Will the person in question carry word of your work to a wider or a new audience?
Raspberry, like her cousin Rose, offers all of us an opportunity to remember to be gentle with one another, to be loving and patient as we work our own magic in the world. It is only with care and a gentle touch that Raspberry yields her fruits. Even the magic of her leaf requires careful, patient treatment; you must wait for the leaf to dry fully before attempting to use it as medicine or food because if you don’t you’re likely to end up with an upset stomach. Raspberry invites us to slow down and savor all that must occur before we bear the fruits of our lives.

Raspberry

And after a while I found a nice one-line haiku created by Erik Amann on raspberries:

wild raspberry taste       on the tip of your tongue  © Erik Amann
 
I couldn't come up with a new haiku immediately so it took me some time to find the right scene and feeling to create the following tanka:

the sweet taste
of her passionate kiss
rests a while
I carress her snow white skin
a gentle touch of raspberry

© Chèvrefeuille

Well .... I hope you did like this episode and that I could inspire you.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 24th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, a new "weekend-meditation", later on. For now .... have fun!

 

Carpe Diem #1222 Beach

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our daily haiku meme Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This month we are exploring classical and non-classical kigo (seasonwords) for summer and today we have an other nice modern kigo extracted from Jane Reichhold's "A Dictionary of Haiku", a modern Saijiki.

Today our prompt is beach and I think this kigo doesn't need any explanation, so here are a few haiku by Jane which she wrote for this modern kigo.

Beach

darkening beach
the warmth of a person's eyes
for the sinking sun

scattered in sand
embers of a saltwood fire
face to face with stars

shell beach
wind blowing through
a train whistle

a windless day
the beach colored
sea foam

© Jane Reichhold (1937-2016)

Four beauties I would say. Jane was in my opinion, one of the best modern haiku poets. She was renown all over the globe and has been my co-host for two years. She is still missed. Her spirit is moving here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

And here are a few haiku created by myself, maybe not that clear for summer, but very clear for beach:

snow?
the beach covered with foam
last night's storm

torn apart clothes
thrown against a beach pole
a winter's love

© Chèvrefeuille

Beach Love

hot summer night
the sweet scent of Honeysuckle
arouses the senses

the sound of waves
accompanies hot steamy love -
seagulls cry

© Chèvrefeuille

And to conclude this episode about the beach, I have another haiku for you to share:

a whisper of rain
awakens me gently
morning on the beach

© Chèvrefeuille

I hope I have inspired you with this episode full of the beauty of the beach.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 23rd at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Raspberry (Kiichigo), later on. For now .. just have fun!

Carpe Diem #1221 Cockroach (Gokiburi)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of Carpe Diem's Summertime month full of kigo (seasonword) for summer. The kigo I use this month are classical and non-classical and the non-classical are extracted from Jane Reichhold's "A Dictionary of Haiku". The classical ones are extracted from the Shiki Salon Saijiki.

Today's prompt is a little bit strange, but this insect belongs to summer ... today's classical summer kigo is Cockroach (Gokiburi). I remember a holiday my wife and I had several years ago on the Canary Islands ... cockroaches crawling through the cabin we had hired. Cockroaches ... are there haiku written about these creatures?

While searching for haiku about cockroaches I ran into a "cockroach-haiku" written by a girl of 5 years, she created it for a school project about haiku:

Cockroaches crawling,
Looking for pieces of food,
People screaming loud.

© Viriginia P. (5 years old; Bucklands Beach Primary School)

Cockroach (Gokiburi)

Here is another haiku about cockroaches, this one is created by Dennis Siluk:

The night is so long and hot,
Here the cockroach rests
By my bedroom door!...

© Dennis Siluk

And here is one written by R.K.Singh:

Sipping coffee
at a wayside stall
cockroaches too

© R.K.Singh

I searched for other haiku, but the all the haiku about cockroaches I ran into were written by modern poets. I couldn't find any haiku about cockroaches, but ... maybe you can find some!

shadow on the wall
moves closer and closer
a cockroach

early morning
with bare feet crushing a cockroach
hot summer day

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... this episode wasn't easy to create, not so much through lack of words, but mostly through the low examples for cockroach haiku.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 22nd at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, beach, later on. I hope to be on time, because I am on the nightshift.

Carpe Diem #1220 Twilight

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you all have had a nice weekend and that you have been inspired to create haiku or tanka "triggered" by our "weekend-meditation". I am looking forward to your responses. Than this ... our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Autumn Retreat 2017 "departure" has started too. So you can create haiku or tanka themed "departure" for 30 days every day one (or several) haiku or tanka a day.

Today our Summertime-month is going on with its regular prompts, all kigo for summer and today I have chosen Twilight for prompt. It has been extracted from Jane Reichhold's "A Dictionary of Haiku" and its therefore a modern kigo (seasonword) for summer.

White Zen

Here is the haiku by Jane Reichhold to inspire you:

twilight
some of the light underwater
in a white stone

© Jane Reichhold (1937-2016)

What a wonderful haiku Jane has written on this modern kigo. The scene described is awesome and gives me a feeling of being rich. Isn't it beautiful to see the light of twilight in the white stones on the bottom of the brook?

As I re-read this haiku a haiku I once wrote came in mind:

deep silence
sunbeams breaking through the water -
the silence deepens

© Chèvrefeuille

Or this one, also from my archives:

the creek ripples
water circles grow
a pebble

© Chèvrefeuille

All haiku that share a beautiful scene with us, in which we only can bow our heads in admiration and praise ... Mother Nature is beautiful.

Twilight

And to conclude this episode I have gathered a few haiku, also from my archives, themed twilight:

in the twilight
only the song of cicadas -
my love's breathing

in the twilight
mist creeps over the fields -
stars twinkle 

in the twilight
as stars twinkle bright and clear
Honeysuckle perfume

© Chèvrefeuille

Maybe it's an idea to start your inspired haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with the following first line:

in the twilight

You may choose of course if you use this first line or not.

I just had to create an all new poem inspired on this post ... so here is my newly created haiku:

in the twilight
silence deepens into mystery
last beam of light

© Chèvrefeuille

Well .. I hope I have inspired you with this new episode of our Haiku Kai, the place to be if you liuke to write and share Japanese poetry.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 21st at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Cockroach (Gokiburi), later on. For now just have fun!

Carpe Diem Time Travel #4 Basho's shadow diary

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday July 16th at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our "weekend-meditation" feature, "Carpe Diem's Time Travel, Ancient Japanese Poetry To Inspire You". This week I love to challenge you with one of the most famous haibun written "Oku no Hosomichi", "The Narrow Road Into The Deep North", by my master Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). At Carpe Diem Haiku Kai we have been on this journey with Basho, but recently I discovered that Basho had written a lot of haiku during this journey, but from all those haiku he wrote, he only selected 50 to include in "Oku no Hosomichi". I became very happy as I discovered that his travel companion, Sora (1649 - 1710), had taken notes while on his journey with Basho and noted the haiku that Basho decided not to use in "Oku no Hosomichi". By the way it took Basho five years to create and re-create his famous haibun.

For this new episode of our "weekend-meditation" feature "Carpe Diem's Time Travel", I love to share a few haiku which were not included in "Oku No Hosomichi" and were noted by Sora.

iriai no kane mo kikoe zu hare no kure

a bell at sunset
also was not heard
a spring evening

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

hototogisu Urami no Taki* no ura omote

cuckoo
seen from behind the waterfall
bot sides

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

* "waterfall to be seen from the back"

tsuru naku ya sono koe ni Basho yare nu beshi*

a crane calls
its voice couldn't tear
a banana leaf

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

* Inspired on a painting of a banana tree with a crane which Basho looked at

samidare wa taki furi uzumu mikasa kana

early summer rains
falling so heavily they cover up
the waterfall

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

Castanea sativa 

And a last one to inspire you:

This haiku is the original of a haiku that was included in "Oku no Hosomichi" in a revised version. It was, in its original form, the starting verse of a renga:

kakurega ya medatanu hana o noki no kuri

hide-a-way
unseen flowers on the chestnut
near the eaves

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

A wonderful series of (not included) haiku of "Oku no Hosomichi" and I hope these will inspire you to create your own beauties.

You can find a complete version of "Oku no Hosomichi" HERE.

This episode is open for your submissions next Sunday July 16th at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 21st at noon (CET). Have a great weekend!

Carpe Diem #1219 Kingfisher (Kawasemi)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

From a rainy Netherlands I wish you a great evening and welcome at a new episode in our exploration of the classical and non-classical kigo (seasonword) for summer. Today I have a wonderful classical kigo for you, Kingfisher (Kawasemi).

In my opinion the Kingfisher is one of the most colorful water birds. For sure here in The Netherlands. This Kingfisher is a wonderful fisherman and fast as the wind. I think this wonderful bird can inspire you all to write nice haiku.

Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australasia. The group is treated either as a single family, Alcedinidae, or as a suborder Alcedines containing three families, Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water kingfishers). There are roughly 90 species of kingfisher. All have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests. They consume a wide range of prey as well as fish, usually caught by swooping down from a perch. Like other members of their order they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. A few species, principally insular forms, are threatened with extinction.

Wow! What a wonderful bird, really a King.

colorful reflection
throws shadows on the brook -
Kingfisher attacks
silver comes to live in the brook -
circles in water

© Chèvrefeuille

The above tanka is a re-done cascading haiku which I wrote back in 2013, also about the Kingfisher. And here is a (not so) new haiku written by me:

a blueish flash
in crystal clear water
only circles left

© Chèvrefeuille

kawasemi satte yubi ni yubiwa no nokoru nomi

a kingfisher left—
on my finger
only the ring remains

© Kusatao Nakamura

And now it is up to you ... share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form inspired on this prompt with us all.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 17th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new weekend-meditation.