Monday, March 12, 2018

Carpe Diem Crossroads #1 Introduction to a new feature and a first try


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

After thinking and re-thinking I have decided to create a new treat for you all. A new feature in which I hope to lift you all to a higher level, to create your masterpiece. I think this new feature will help you to improve your haiku skills. With this new feature I also return to the roots of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai ... haiku. I have called it "crossroads" and I will try to explain what the goal is for this new feature.

Crossroads ... make your choice
You all know (I think) what a crossroad is it's a point where two (or more) roads are crossing each other. A crossroad is also a place (as several religions and philosophies are saying) were the gods are resting and were pilgrims can rest, meditate and contemplate which road they will or have to take.
I think you all have been there at least once in your lifetime. As I look at myself I have been on a crossroad several times. There were moments in my life were I was on a crossroad to make choices. Some of them I regret now, but mostly I have no regrets about my choices. One of those choices was to create CDHK as a kind of place on the Internet were haiku poets could find their inspiration to create haiku.
Haiku is still my first love, but during the years of our existence I learned to love and appreciate all kinds of Japanese poetry. And there we find the goal of this new feature "crossroads". In this new feature I love to challenge you to create a new haiku (ONLY haiku) inspired on two or more poems. That can be two haiku or one haiku and one tanka. Or one haiku and e.g. a sedoka. You have to create your new haiku (Only haiku) from the given poems. Sometimes I will give you a "normal" poem and a haiku (or tanka) to use for your inspiration to create haiku (ONLY haiku).
Imagine you are on a crossroad were two haiku come together. The haiku "have a conversation" and "decide" to become one. Together the create a symbiosis of a new haiku.
It will not be an easy task, but I think it will be fun.

fusion

Here are the two haiku you have to use. Create a "fuse" of both, you can use the words from the both haiku, but if you are inspired to create a new haiku with new words ... feel free.

alone on the beach
only the cries of seaguls -
breathing silence

© Chèvrefeuille

And the other one I have chosen is by my master, Matsuo Basho:

young leaves
I would like to wipe away
tears in your eyes

© Basho



I have tried to "fuse" these two haiku with each other and came to this one:

left alone
tears rolling down his cheeks
painful silence


© Chèvrefeuille

Or maybe this one:

seagulls cry
young lovers melt together
without shame


© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you understand the goal of this new feature. Try it ... be on that crossroad ... be silent and listen to what the gods and pilgrims have left there.

Decide which road you will take and share your choice, your newly created haiku (ONLY haiku), with us all here at our Haiku Kai. This new feature is now open for your submissions and will remain open until March 19th at noon (CET). I am looking forward to your responses and I hope you do like this new feature "crossroads".


4 comments:

  1. My first visit here. Thanks for the prompt!

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  2. Replies
    1. Thank you and it can / will improve the haiku writing skills I think. But of course ... I hope it is a fun idea to work with haiku of others to create your own.

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