Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #43 and Carpe Diem Special #142, "taking flight" by Kala Ramesh

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's my pleasure to bring an all new CDHK episode to you. This is, what I call "a double-post", because I have two episodes to write, but I have chosen to bring them both together in one post. Maybe you can recall that I have decided to bring the CDHK-special-features back through these Ghost Writer posts. So today I love to challenge you to write a haibun based on the haiku which I will share here written by Kala Ramesh.

For this haibun I have a few rules, to make it more challenging:

First, you have to use the haiku by Kala Ramesh and second, your haibun may have a maximum of 150 words (including the haiku). It's not gonna be easy I think, so I give you 24 hours more to respond on this "double" episode.

Here is the haiku which you have to use as an inspiration for your haibun, you may use the given haiku in real, but you also may compose another one in the same sense, tone and spirit as the one by Kala Ramesh.

taking flight -
a butterfly shrugs off
its shadow

© Kala Ramesh

I had a busy day today, so I wasn't inspired enough to share my own haibun inspired on the haiku by Kala, but I hope to share it later.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and it will remain open until April 18th at noon (CET). I will publish our next episode, pranayana (breath control), later on.

!! By the way: I am behind with commenting, but I will try to catch up a.s.a.p. In the menu above you can find the e-book about the Haiku Writing Techniques and the e-book "For the sake of the moon" (our first anthology) in a just read version. Enjoy reading. I will chance those "just read" e-books on a regular base !!

Carpe Diem Time Glass #20, A Frog Jumps In

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's time again for a time challenging Time Glass feature in which the goal is to write/compose a haiku within 24 hours and today I have made this challenge a little bit more difficult, because I love to challenge you all to write a haibun with the given prompt and the inspiring image.



Impression of Waterlilies

And this is our prompt: a frog jumps in which refers to that famous haiku by Basho:

the old pond
a frog jumps into it
the sound of water

(C) Basho (tr. Chèvrefeuille)

Back to the task. Maybe you can remember our Kamishibai Extreme challenge (2014-November). In which I challenged you to write a haibun (prose and haiku) on a given prompt with only 55 words (including the haiku). For this Time Glass episode I will challenge you again to write a haibun, with only 75 words, including the haiku, in just 24 hours.

To inspire you a little bit more, I have a few "frog"-haiku for you:

between dewy leaves
hides a little green frog
for the blue heron

© Chèvrefeuille

against his nature,
a frog in front of the fireplace -
the cry of a stork

© Yozakura

in deep silence
Saburo is walking the path -
a frog jumps away

© Chèvrefeuille

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

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Well .... this was our new Time Glass episode and I hope it will inspire you to write a haibun following the above mentioned rules and with the use of the prompt and image(s). You have to respond within 24 hours starting tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and ending tomorrow (February 9th) at 7.00 PM (CET). So ... you have JUST 24 HOURS to respond. Good luck, have fun and be inspired!

Carpe Diem Time Glass #13, "first snow"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new Carpe Diem Time Glass episode in which I challenge you all to write an all new haiku within 18 hours. A time challenge ... this week I will give you 6 hours more to respond, so you have to respond within 24 hours. Why?

Let me tell you ... Maybe you remember our Kamishibai Extreme challenge last month. In which I challenged you to write a haibun (prose and haiku) on a given prompt with only 55 words (including the haiku). For this Time Glass episode I will challenge you again to write an "extreme" haibun, but now you may use a maximum of 100 words, including the haiku.

This week's prompt is: FIRST SNOW and I have the following image for you to help you to become inspired.

Credits: First Snow

So to fulfill your task for this week's Carpe Diem "Time Glass", you have to write a haibun with the theme "first snow", you may use a maximum of 100 words (including the haiku) and you have to respond within 24 hours. Not easy I think, but it can be done ... success!!

This Carpe Diem "Time Glass" episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until December 9th 7.00 PM (CET). Good luck ... I am looking forward to all of your wonderful responses.

Carpe Diem Kamishibai Extreme, #1 Winter feeling

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I love to tease you all a little bit and challenge you with a new Kamishibai (story-teller) form ... I have called this new Kamishibai form "Kamishibai Extreme".
Why ...?

Well in this new feature the goal is to write a haibun (story+haiku) with a maximum of 55 words including the haiku. It's not an easy task I think, but worth trying. I have written the following haibun in 55 words with the theme Winter Feeling.

WINTER FEELING, a haibun in 55 words

A wondrous place. Trees and streets covered with snow. The bright sunlight. Roofs like crystal. Love is warming our bodies in front of the fireplace. Drinking red wine, eating marshmallows. This is paradise. Our legs in twined. Lost in each other’s eyes. Together you and I.

making love
in front of the fireplace -
winter feeling

© Chèvrefeuille

 

This first Kamishibai Extreme is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will be open until November 16th at noon (CET). I am looking forward to all of your wonderful haibun in maximum 55 words ... will not be easy ...