Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary October 2020: #1837 blowing in the wind

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

First I have to apologize to you all. Last week I had a very busy week, because of a new Covid outbreak, so as an oncology nurse I had to take care for my patients. So there was no time to create the posts here on CDHK.

I had a complete different idea of our celebration month, but ... well it is still a celebration month, but with a less more posts than I had hoped.

I think you all will know Bob Dylan, he is the first songwriter who won the Nobel prize for literature and I think he deserved it. He has written wonderful songs, but my favorite song by Bob Dylan is "Blowing In The Wind".

So today's task is to create a haiku, and if you want, a troiku from that haiku, inspired on this wonderful song by Bob Dylan.

Enjoy the music, enjoy the song and I hope it will inspire you all.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 31st at 10:00 PM (CET). You can submit your submission to the linking widget hidden in our logo below.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary, October 2020: #1836 Daydreaming

 Dear Haijin,visitors and travelers,

Do you sometimes daydream? I certainly do day dream on a regular basis. For example ... A few days ago I daydreamed how it will be to have a special CDHK-day to meet each other in real life. Through the Internet we are connected with each other almost every day. What a joy it would be to meet each other, but I know that will never happen, but  we can meet each other in another way. For example how would it be to once in a say quarter of a year speak to each other through Skype or another way through a chat or podcast. These are just a few examples of my day dreams. Do you daydream?

Today our '8th anniversary' month is halfway and today I have chosen for the prompt daydreaming. I don't think it's especially something you do in summer, but in a way I can understand why Jane has brought this into her saijiki 'A Dictionary of Haiku', her modern kigo (seasonwords) for summer. In summer we live most of the time outside and we have, for sure, lazy days and moments in which we are daydreaming. E.g look at the clouds. Sometimes they look like mysterious landscapes and then our mind goes on a 'flight'. We are adventurers who are discovering new countries, new forms of life and so on. 

mysterious landscapes
rise and unfold before my eyes
worlds of clouds

© Chèvrefeuille

Ah those mysterious and magical worlds unfolding before your eyes in blue sky speckled with clouds. Clouds like landscapes in which mountain-peaks reach for the sun. Fantasy worlds with strange rivers, trees and animals ... all fantastic images. Maybe this is not really daydreaming, but it certainly feels like that.

In her saijiki Jane gives a few examples of haiku themed 'day dreming' . And here are a few of her example-haiku for this modern kigo:

as if alive
the surf rolls a log
on the beach

a trail
to the sea horizon
her vision

© Jane Reichhold

Two beauties as I may say so. Especially the 2nd haiku I like very much. That last 'her vision' is really awesome. It points directly to day dreaming and I like that scene which Jane paints with her words. It will not be easy to 'catch' daydreaming into an all new haiku therefore I have chosen to write my haiku in the 'baransu' style starting with the first line of the above haiku by myself.

mysterious landscapes
hidden behind the thin mist
a rooster crows

© Chèvrefeuille

Do you see my daydream? Isn't it wonderful?

Another one:

eyes wide open
my mind takes a flight with my imagination
a gathering of poets

© Chèvrefeuille

Well … a nice theme I would say … just daydream your response my dear Haijin. It’s up to you now to create a haiku, tanka or other kind of Japanese poetry.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 20th at 10:00 PM (CEST). You can add your submission to the linking widget hidden in our logo below.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary October 2020: #1835 caught by the call (Hando)

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Maybe you can remember that at the start of CDHK, I had every week a haiku by a special haiku poet. That haiku poet was the hightlight for a month. In December 2013 I had Hando as that special haiku poet and I shared five haiku by him that month. 

I love to reproduce the last of those five haiku here again, just by copying it here again. Every month I created a special logo for those Specials and for Hando it was the following logo:

In this time of year (December 2014) several things are for the last time, and that's also with our Carpe Diem Special of today. Today we have our fifth Special haiku by Hando and it's the last of this month and of this year. 

Here is our last Special haiku by Hando for your inspiration. Write a new haiku in the same tone, sense and spirit as the one by Hando. Good Luck

caught by the call
of the flowers and mountain, I forget
how steep the path is

© Hando

And here is my attempt to write a whole new haiku inspired on the one by Hando and (I hope) in the same tone and sense and spirit.

the little child
reaches for the water lillies
without seeing the frog

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I love this memory-lane. And ... ofcourse I hope you like it too.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 18th 10:00 PM (CEST). Enjoy! You can add your submission to the linking widget hidden in our logo below.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary October 2020: Carpe Diem #1834 sunflowers

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our wonderful Haiku Kai. This month we are celebrating our 8th anniversary with flash-backs into our rich history. Today I have chosen for a theme we have seen a couple of times here at CDHK, sunflowers.

I love sunflowers, they always give me the feeling of a sunny day, even when it rains. Sunflowers are looking like the sun and that makes that I become always happy of having them in my home.

rain patters against the window
the loneliness disappears as by sunlight -
sunflowers reach for the sky

© Chèvrefeuille

And now ... it's your turn to create a sunflower haiku or tanka (or maybe one of the other Japanese poetry forms).

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 17th 10:00 PM (CEST). Enjoy! You can add your submission to the linking widget hidden in our logo below.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary, October 2020: Carpe Diem #1833 butterfly

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

My apologies for not having published yesterday, I just had a busy day. Today I have a theme for you all to work with. This time I have chosen for a theme, we have seen here often: butterfly.

As you maybe know I am also a partcipant on MLMM, where I host the feature "Heeding Haiku With". This week I created a post on MLMM about "changing" and brought up a nice haiku that I love to share here first:

between the roses
a small cocoon moves on the breeze
awakening a butterfly

© Chèvrefeuille

Butterfly ... to me it means change ... 

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 13th 10:00 PM (CEST). Add your submission to the linking widget hidden in our logo hereafter.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary October 2020: Carpe Diem #1832 Narcissus (Daffodils)

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today I have chosen a prompt from October 2012. Our prompt today is 'Narcissus (suisen)' a late winter kigo, because Narcissus are early Spring (or late winter) flowers.

I have found a few nice haiku written by Buson on Narcissus:

suisenya bijin koubewo itamurashi

Narcissus
and a lovely woman
with a headache

© Buson (1769)

And this one written by Buson in 1777:

suisenya samuki miyakono kokokashiko

Narcissus!
In the chilly capital,
some here, some there

© Buson

And of course there is the story of the youngster Narcissus who only had eyes for himself and was in love with his reflection in the pond.

Narcissus
in love with his reflection
vainglorious guy

© Chèvrefeuille

It was a joy to take you back to this episode of October 2012, our first month in which we created haiku inspired on a theme.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 11th at 10:00 PM (CEST). You can add your submissions to our linking widget hidden behind our logo hereafter.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary, October 2020: Carpe Diem #1831 Dolphins

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our Carpe Diem, seize the day prompt is ‘dolphin’. The dolphin is a wonderful and graceful creature and there are a lot of stories about dolphins and their powers. E.g. dolphins have the power to heal and guide you on your way through life.

A quick-list of symbolic dolphin meaning includes: Playfulness; Transcendence; Gentleness; Harmony; Intelligence; Contentment; Friendship; Community; Resurrection; Generosity and Power.

I had to search for some more meanings and stories about dolphins so I surfed the Internet and came across several websites about the spiritual meaning of animals. All very nice to read, but too much to share here.

Many tales have been told about the magic of dolphins. Their appearance off the shores of Ireland urged the Celts to contemplate an unknown universe – the sea. Those who could not settle to simply cogitate – Celtic seafarers held the dolphin in high regard. It became a symbol of friendship, intelligence, and good luck. Its status of luck was likely related to the fact that the dolphin was most commonly seen on the seas when the weather and waves were calm and fair. The Celts innately understood the intimate relationship between nature and beast. However, did the sight of the lucky dolphin cause fair weather, or was it the weather beckoned the dolphin out of its depths? Regardless, the dolphin is viewed as quite lucky indeed – and this quality combined with it's cleverness and speed in the waters made the dolphin a highly respected among Celtic animals.

mysterious creature
jumps high above the waves
the song of Dolphins

© Chèvrefeuille

Considered the "king of fish" by many ancient cultures, dolphin meaning is closely associated with kingly qualities. Not the dominating kind. Observe the dolphin for any length of time and you know if dolphins ruled the world they would be gracious in their reign. (Source: What's your sign? )

It's really a wonderful, spiritual and graceful creature ... a nice theme I think for today's Carpe Diem.

I have searched for haiku about dolphins on the Internet and found some wonderful haiku about dolphins.

dolphins in blue sea
and happy as each can be -
smiles are trickery!

© Peter S. Quinn (source: Haiku Dolphins in Blue Sea) 

chirping happily
gracefully gliding mammals
dolphins out at play

© Phil Elroy (source: Haiku dolphins out at play)

Enjoy this new Carpe Diem ... be inspired and creative, let the spirit of the dolphin guide you (smiles).

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 10th 2020, 10:00 PM (CEST). You can add your link through our logo hereafter.

Carpe Diem Time Challenge #4 rainy days

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I remember that I said that I wouldn't do the weekend-meditations again, but I have given that idea a new thought. I decided to create every Saturday a Carpe Diem Time Challenge for you. That nice feature in which I challenge you to create a haiku or tanka in a short period of time.

For this weekend I have chosen the theme "rainy days". Create a haiku or tanka with that theme within 48 hours. 

left behind in the rain
the bench we shared this summer -
missing your laugh

© Chèvrefeuille

What a sad tone this haiku/senryu has ... but isn't that what rainy days do sometimes with us?

Well ... it's up to you  now. Create a haiku or tanka within 48 hours themed "rainy days". You can add your submission to the linking widget hereafter. Have a great weekend.

Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary October 2020: Carpe Diem 1830 Storm

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the 2nd post of our celebration month. Today I have chosen a theme that fits the season.

It's Autumn and that's the season in which (at least in my country) storms often beat Mother Earth. Trees uprooted, leaves coloring and fall, dancing through the streets and rains and thunderstorms scourge nature. Autumn ... the season known for it's wonderful moon and detachment.

Write a haiku (classical or non-classical) in which the spirit of the prompt/theme is, or use the prompt self, it's all up to you.

Here is a picture to inspire you, this picture is titled: "The Essence of the Way is Detachment"

Here is mine:

detachment
a storm rages through my heart
cleanses my mind

© Chèvrefeuille

It's a bit different than the most of you will think about, but this is my feeling ... that fits the theme and the inspiration the picture gave me.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 7th at 10:00 PM (CEST). You can add your submissions through clicking on our logo hereafter.