Carpe Diem Weekend-Meditation #16 Only The First Line "steel blue night"

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday January 21st at 7:00 PM (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another week has gone by ... time for a new episode of our Carpe Diem Weekend-Meditation, the feature for the weekend that gives you a few days to meditate and contemplate about a given challenge. To me this weekend-meditation is a kind of relief, because it gives me the possibility to taken some time for myself.

This weekend-meditation is about (as you have read in the title) "Only the First Line". It's one of the historical special features here at CDHK as I have created a lot. This feature it's all about completing a haiku (or tanka) that starts with only a given first line.

The Logo of this special feature

I remember that I was busy with our Tarot month (back in 2013) when I got the idea to create this special feature. In one of the Tarot-episodes I used the first line of the Bible "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (NIV) With that first line the Creation once started, with that first line life on earth unfolded ... and that gave me the idea to create "Only The First Line".

Let me give you an example. In one of the episodes of this special feature I used the following line:

"with bare feet"

And here is the haiku (from my archives), inspired on a quote by Khalil Gibran, from which I extracted this first line:

with bare feet
dancing on Mother Earth's grounds
wind plays with my hair

© Chèvrefeuille

I think the goal of this special feature is very clear and needs no further explanation. So let me give you a few "first lines" to work with this weekend:

"a walk through the city"
"hot summer day"
"the passing spring"
"steel blue night"

And here is a special "first line" to challenge you a little bit more. Create a haiku with the given first line and than create a Troiku with it (more on Troiku you can find in the menu).

"lost in the corn fields"

Well I think I have given you enough for this weekend. The goal is to create haiku (or tanka) starting with the given first lines except of course that last one ... it's clear what you have to do with that one. You may choose from the given lines or maybe your are inspired enough to do them all ... that's up to you my dear Haijin.

Enjoy your weekend!

This weekend-meditation is open for your submissions next Sunday January 21st at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until January 28th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Horaizan (Japanese fairy-tale), around that same time. Have a great weekend!

Chèvrefeuille's Gift #6 gust of wind

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I had some spare time, so I have another episode of our special feature "Chèvrefeuille's Gift to You to Celebrate Our First Luster of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai" (or short "Chèvrefeuille's Gift"). In this special feature I challenge you with one of the several special features here at CDHK. This episode I love to challenge you to complete a haiku with only a given first line and to challenge you a little bit more I love to ask you to create a troiku with the haiku you have created. More about Troiku you can find above in the menu.

Here is the first line to use for your haiku, so this "gift" is an episode with a twist of "Carpe Diem Only The First Line".

with every gust of wind

Try to create a haiku with this first line and when you have created it create a Troiku with it.

Here is my attempt:

with every gust of wind
smoke from the water cauldron
shadows on the wall

And now to create a Troiku with it .... hm ... let's see ...

with every gust of wind
the windchime moves
breaking the night's peace

smoke from the water cauldron
swirls to the blue sky in praise
jasmine tea

shadows on the wall
created by the hands of children
telling a story

© Chèvrefeuille

 

I hope you did like this "Gift" and I am looking forward to your responses. Have fun. This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Saturday August 19th at noon (CET).

 

Carpe Diem Only The First Line #25 the sound of rain

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Do you remember this special feature? Carpe Diem's "Only The First Line", was about a challenge in which I gave as the title says "only the first line" of a haiku or tanka to work with. So I love to do this again just for fun.

Here is the First Line to use:

"the sound of rain"

You can submit your haiku or tanka starting with "the sound of rain" until next Tuesday 10.00 PM (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #86 Back In Time "Only The First Line"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our Tokubetsudesu feature. Last month I started with "Tokubetsudesu, Back In Time" and as I told you all in the prompt-list for July (which you can find in the menu above) I love to prolong this "special" Tokubetsudesu feature.

So this month we are going "Back In Time" and this week I have a nice challenge for you all. Back in 2014 I had a nice special feature titled "Only The First Line". In that feature I gave you only the first line of the haiku or tanka you have to create. I will give you an example:

Say ... the first line to use is: "blooming ice flowers", than your haiku or tanka has to start with that line. Starting a haiku with "blooming ice flowers" can lead to for example this haiku:

blooming ice flowers
painted in this stone cold night
on the bedroom window

© Chèvrefeuille

Awesome challenge don't you think so too?

Logo of this special feature

Okay back to this week's Tokubetsudesu back in time episode. Here is the first line you have to use to create a new haiku or tanka. This line is extracted from a haiku written by myself.

"with bare feet"

And here is the haiku, inspired on a quote by Khalil Gibran, from which I extracted this first line:

with bare feet
dancing on Mother Earth's grounds
wind plays with my hair

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you do like this Tokubetsudesu back in time challenge. I am looking forward to your responses. Have fun!

This Tokubetsudesu episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and it will remain open until July 10th at noon (CET). Have fun! I will try to publish our new episode, willow, later on.

Carpe Diem's ''Only the First Line'' #6, ''reaching for the sun'''

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It is time for a new episode of CD's "Only the First Line" in which I challenge you all to write a haiku starting with the given first line. It's really a joy and a challenge to be part in this special feature.

For this episode I have chosen the following first line:

reaching for the sun

I think you can write several new haiku starting with this first line and here is my attempt:

reaching for the sun
stretching towards the bleu sky -
field of sunflowers

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Sunflower Field

This episode of Carpe Diem's "Only the First Line" is now open for your submissions and will remain open until May 5th 11.59 AM (CET). Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku starting with the first line reaching for the sun.

Carpe Diem's "Only the first line ... " #5 "Under the Willow"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Just a treat for your inspiration. A new episode of Carpe Diem's "only the first line". In this special feature the goal is to write a new haiku which starts with a given fîrst line.

For this episode of CD's "only the first line" I have chosen the next 'first line'. To make this a real challenge I have one 'rule' which you have to use.
Which one? Well ... the haiku has to follow the syllables-count 5-7-5, the classic rule.
The first line you have to use is:

"under the willow"

Have fun, be inspired and share your classical (counted) haiku starting with the above mentioned line with us all.

Here is my attempt:

under the willow
hiding for the midday-heat
newly wed couple

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Under the Willow

I hope you all did enjoy this 'little treat'. You can submit your haiku starting with the given first line and with the classic syllables-count until April 20th 11.59 AM (CET).

Namaste