Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #105 Turn Back Time ... a special feature for our 7th brithday

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday October 6th at 7:00 PM (CEST) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the first weekend meditation of our anniversary month October 2019. This month we are celebrating our 7th anniversary ... and especially for this month I have created a new feature for our weekend meditation. I have titled it "Carpe Diem's Turn Back Time". I think you all will understand that this special feature will bring us back in time ... In this special feature I will challenge you with a few features we have had here at our wonderful Haiku Kai during our existence. For this special feature I have created a new logo also:

credits

In this first weekend meditation I love to take you back in time to one of the first special features I created, Carpe Diem Special. That feature I created to bring the so called "big five haiku masters" to your attention and for your inspiration. The "big five" are: Basho, Buson, Chiyo-Ni, Issa and Shiki ... they all have been the theme for that first special feature "Carpe Diem Special" and I love to Turn Back Time to December 29th 2012 to an episode titled "Ancient Road". This title was taken from a haiku by Yosa Buson (1716-1784):

furumichito kikeba yukashiki yukino shita

"An ancient road," they say
How charming
Though beneath this snow.

© Yosa Buson

The Samurai's Mountain Road

Maybe Buson walked on this Samurai Moutain Road in the middle of winter. The road beneath a blanket of snow isn't seen very well.

Let me tell you a little bit about the "Samourai's Mountain Road": In the days of the samurai, two ancient roads linked Japan’s great cities of Kyoto (the home of the sacred emperor) and Edo (the seat of the shogun and the place we now call Tokyo). One road followed the sea coast; the other wound its way through the forested hills of central Japan and was simply called the Nakasendo – the road within the mountains. Both bore regularly the tramp of marching feet as armies of samurai, dressed in their finest, accompanied their lords on their way to pay his annual respects to the shogun. Should two marching columns meet the social inferior was required to dismount and his men pull respectfully back to one side to allow the nobler lord to pass by.

Nowadays these roads are frequented by a lot of feet, but not of Samurai anymore, but of tourists and hikers.

Somewhere Along the Samourai's Mountain Road

What a joy to Turn Back Time ... this brings sweet memories back to me. I wasn't sure if I would continue with Carpe Diem Haiku Kai back in December 2012, because of the time I had to spend to it. An every day post wasn't always possible back than, but (as you all know) that's a problem sometimes too in our recent time.
The goal of this special feature is to create a Japanese poem, like haiku or tanka, inspired on the haiku by Buson (or the one by Basho).

If you would like to read the mentioned CD Special than you can find it HERE.

To conclude this first weekend meditation I have a nice haiku by Basho for you that in a way has to do with the Samurai's Mountain Road:

waving long grass
all that remains of ancient warriors
trace of dreams

© Basho (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

(This is a translation of the original by myself: the original haiku in romaji is: natsukusa ya / tsuwamono domo ga / yume no ato)

This weekend meditation is open for your submissions next Sunday October 6th at 7:00 PM (CEST) and will remain open until October 13th at noon (CEST). Have a wonderful weekend!

Wandering Spirit Challenge Special "the pale moon" by Dolores Fegan

Kon'nichiwa Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Several weeks ago I, Yozakura, the Wandering Spirit, asked you to help me to create the daisan of a renga I started creating together with my sensei Basho. This "challenge" was initiated by your host here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, Chèvrefeuille. Together with him I read and re-read all of your wonderful ideas about the daisan. There were several beauties, but the one created by Dolores Fegan was the most beautiful we thought.

As promised when I challenged you, the winner would be featured in a "Wandering Spirit Challenge Special" that Special you are going to find hereafter. Thank you all for your support and creativity. Thank you Dolores for your daisan.

Namasté,

Yozakura

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Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Some time ago Yozakura, the Wandering Spirit, asked you to help him and as you all know it was Dolores Fegan's daisan he has chosen to use in the renga he started with Basho.
I think you all know Dolores (Ada's Poetry Alcove) from her wonderful poetry. She is a long time participant (family member) of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. She also was the winner of our "prayers" kukai back in 2016. She was featured in September 2016 and she created a wonderful CDHK E-book titled "First Magnolia Bloom" (click on the title to read it).

Dolores is an awesome haiku poetess, but she also writes wonderful haibun and other poems. The daisan she created shows her skill as a haiku poet and her daisan fits the renga that Yozakura started to create with Basho. I will first give you her daisan and than I will give you the first three (including the daisan) of the renga by Yozakura.

the pale moon hangs
still fresh against the sky
trailing morning glories  

© Dolores Fegan

Morning Glories (woodblock print by Keisai Eisen) (image found on Pinterest)

I think this daisan is really a beauty and I think Basho would like it too. Here are the three first stanza of the renga:

at dawn
birds sing their songs
dewdrops shimmer                        (Yozakura)

cherry blossoms bloom again
shelter for young sparrows            (Basho) 

the pale moon hangs
still fresh against the sky
trailing morning glories                 (Yozakura with the help of Dolores)

The daisan by Dolores fits really great as you all can read. It will not be easy for Yozakura and Basho to go on with this renga they started, but ... well you all know how both poets are great ...

Autumn Leaves (image found on Pinterest)

Okay ... there are wonderful other haiku by Dolores and here is a brief overview:

autumn evening

like whispered prayers

leaves float away

amber petals

set ablaze by evening sun

lighting the garden

summer moonlight

steals my sleep again

I stroll down the lane

winter hunter

stalking the night sky

bow aimed high

my father

points out the night sky

my hand in his

© Dolores Fegan

You can find several more beautiful poems by Dolores in her above mentioned CDHK E-book "First Magnolia Bloom".

I hope you enjoyed this "Wandering Spirit Challenge Special". 

Carpe Diem Special #224 Candy's 4th Yellow School bus

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

First my apologies for being late with this CD Special, it is the 4th CD Special in which I share poems from Candy, our winner of the "Tribute to Jane" kukai. During work and the holidays it wasn't possible to bring this CD Special to you, but today on the penultimate day of 2016 I had time to create this episode. So here it goes. I have gathered a few wonderful haiku and a tanka which Candy loves to see in her e-book "Lonely footprints" which I hope to complete next week.

blue dragonflies dart
along the edge of a pond
playing summer games

yellow school bus
rumbling down the street
small faces framed
behind the square windows
longing for summer days

Yellow Schoolbus

I love these Yellow school buses. Here in The Netherlands we don't have that, but I have seen them often on TV-shows or in Movies. Must be awesome to ride to school with such a wonderful Yellow school bus. 

wind in the pines
swirls upward to heaven
whispered prayers

viewing festival
standing amid pink blossoms
woman’s beauty fades

© Candy

Candy is a real gifted haiku poet and I hope Candy will be part of CDHK for a long time. Thank you Candy for sharing such beautiful poems with us here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Here is my response on this wonderful series of poems by Candy. I have chosen to share a haibun which I have written a long time ago as my Sakura started to bloom again.

SPRINGTIME

When the dark period of the year goes by and spring is coming I become happy. Spring is my season. After hibernation nature begins blooming and comes to live. As I see the Snowdrops come in bloom I feel how Mother Earth is reborn again.
The Cherry- and Plum-trees begin blossoming and especially when the Cherry tree in my backyard is starting to bloom I am so happy.
I have to give a party when the first Cherry blossom blooms. I call all my friends and family to tell them that my Cherry tree is in bloom again and that's worth a celebration. I love that moment. I feel a little child again and come to live after my hibernation.
Springtime ... nature comes to live once again. It's worthy to celebrate when the Cherry trees are blooming, especially mine of course :-).

My Sakura (© photo Chèvrefeuille - 2014)

I have written a lot of haiku about Cherry trees, but I have never written , as I call it, "my masterpiece" on Cherry trees. Maybe this is the one. In this haiku I hope that spring is present.

on winter's edge
the first Cherry blossom blooms
rain falls softly

© Chèvrefeuille

This last CD-Special of 2016 and the last by Candy is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until January 4th at noon (CET).

Carpe Diem Special #223 Candy's 3rd "silvery moonbeams"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It is my pleasure to bring to you our third CD-Special for this month. As you all know in this feature I bring haiku, tanka and sometimes other kinds of Japanese poetry by a featured haiku poet or haiku poetess.
This month I love to share haiku and tanka created by our winner of the "tribute to Jane" kukai, Candy of Rhymes With Bug. Candy is very gifted haiku poet and has created wonderful haiku and tanka. In our 2nd CD-Special I shared tanka by Candy and this time I have chosen a nice series of haiku to inspire you.

silvery moonbeams
reflected in still water
diamonds on the pond

a child humbly born
amid wars and poverty
our hope for peace

"Old Pond" (image found on Pinterest)

blossoms long spent

only brown pods remain
a feast for finches

silver jewels
on flamboyant green spikes
frosted grass

© Candy

All nicely crafted haiku I would say. The work of Candy is really awesome to read and re-read.

the old pond
surrounded with yellow roses -
rippling water

© Chèvrefeuille (from my archives)

This CD-Special is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 22nd at noon (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Special #222 Candy's 2nd "morning walk" (tanka)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to bring our second CD-Special for you today. As you all know the winner of our kukai wins the opportunity to create an e-book and wins the privilege to be featured haiku poet at CDHK. This month Candy of rhymeswithbug.com is our featured haiku poetess.
I introduced her to you in our first CD Special this month and now I hope to inspire you with another nice set of poetry by her.

For this CD-Special I have three tanka to inspire you. As far as I could find and know, these are the only tanka Candy has written. So I hope to inspire you with these tanka.

frozen water on
the pond children skate around
in circles, cold hands
warmed by a glowing bonfire
wind and earth rejoice

Credits: Morning Walk

morning walk

summer sun beats down
on her head
breeze plays with golden tresses
covered by her silken scarf

two ruby red lips
parted in a flirty smile
tease the tired farmer
shapely form comes after dark
courtesan of midnight dreams

© Candy

Three wonderful tanka by a very gifted poet, these tanka are really well written and maybe ... these will inspire you to create your own tanka or haiku.

the day has gone
the night belongs to them -
red light district

© Chèvrefeuille

I couldn't come up with a new haiku or tanka, so I ran through my archives, search courtesan, and ran into this one.

This CD-Special is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 15th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Special #221 Candy's Showcase first " promise in red clouds "

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at our first Carpe Diem Special of December 2016. As you all know Candy won our "tribute to Jane" kukai with the following haiku:

morning walk
trailing behind me
only footprints

© Candy

With this haiku she won not only the opportunity to create an exclusive CDHK e- book, but also being our featured haiku poetess of this month. Candy's weblog: Rhymeswithbug you can find by clicking on the link.

This is what Candy says about herself: "I am a reader, writer, and snapper of photos in my garden. The tiny creatures I find there are my muses".

I have already started to create her E-book which I have given the "work-title": footprints and I love to share here a few of Candy's haiku to inspire you.

pray for rain upon
this thirsty patch of terra
promise in red clouds

red clouds

Another nice one, this time a very delicate and fragile scene:

butterfly follows
the scent and hue of flowers
feast on zinnia

And a last one to inspire you:

flock of black birds
origami in the sky
fall migration

© Candy

Candy is a very gifted haiku poet and has written wonderful haiku and tanka, but maybe tanka is for a next CD-Special.

I hope I have inspired you with the beautiful poetry of Candy.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until December 9th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode,

Carpe Diem Special Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands #4 Mariëtte Schrijver

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new Carpe Diem Special. This month I am introducing a few of my haiku colleagues from The Netherlands and today I love to introduce Mariëtte Schrijver to you. Mariëtte started recently with creating haiku and senryu and, as I may believe her words, she was immediately caught and addicted to this wonderful little poem from the Far East. I can imagine that feeling, because I had the same feeling as I started creating haiku back in the eighties.

I encountered Mariëtte on the Facebook page "Haiku het jaar rond" (A whole year of haiku) where the goal is to create haiku following the real season of time, so the haiku now are themed autumn. As I read one of her first haiku published on that FB-page I was immediately caught by her way of writing haiku. Very nice scenery and close to the beauty of nature. Mariëtte follows the strict syllables count of haiku and I think that's very strong for someone who just has started to create haiku. It also follows what we learned from Jane Reichhold. Jane told us: "When you start to write haiku follow the rules, but when you are a haiku poet for a longer period and have mastered the form then try to create your haiku in your own special way, without counting syllables. Than try to follow the fragment and phrase in your haiku".

As you all know I am not that "brave" in my haiku according to the strict rules, it's (so to say) not my "cup of tea", but sometimes its awesome to try to create haiku the classical way.

Here are a few haiku by Mariëtte Schrijver, I have tried to translate her haiku doing justice to the Dutch Original:

het dovende licht
laat laatste bloemen zingen
over de velden

the dying light
lets the last flowers sing
over the fields

© Mariëtte Schrijver (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

The above haiku she wrote as "caption" for this photo (© photo Mariëtte Schrijver) and I think it fits wonderful.

Another nice haiku written by her is the following:

de herfst haast zich voort
boom en wolken versmelten
met de grashalmen

autumn rushes
tree and clouds become one
with blades of grass

© Mariëtte Schrijver (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

As I was preparing this episode I ran through a lot of haiku written by Mariëtte, but not all her haiku are haiku I think, several of them are more senryu. Here is an example of a senryu written by Mariëtte (this one was already in English, so no translation needed). With this senryu came a beautiful photo by Mariëtte herself, it is made with IPhone-Art, this means the photo and the adjustments are made with the IPhone:

just a bit small talk
between the boy and a bird
nothing matters now

© Mariëtte Schrijver

As you have noticed this senryu follows the 5-7-5 rule in a great way. I hope you did like this introduction to the haiku and senryu by my fellow Dutchman Mariëtte Schrijver. I think she is very gifted and has found her own wonderful style of writing haiku (and senryu).

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until November 26th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Special Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands #3 Ria Giskes "six swans" (tanka)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It is with pleasure that I give you another CD Special about Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands in which I introduce haiku poets from The Netherlands. This time I have chosen to share a few tanka by Ria Giskes. Ria Giskes writes mostly haiku, but she also writes tanka. I hope that you will like the examples of her tanka followed hereafter.

This is what Ria Giskes says about her passion ... haiku:

The ideal haiku to me is a short suggestive poem which shows you nature and all things around us as if you see it for the very first time:

a sparrow
conspicuously inconspicuous
comes closer

© Ria Giskes

Ria Giskes

And here are a few tanka written by her to inspire you. I have tried to do them justice with my translation.

losgelaten -

ver van de boom drijven ze
op het water
waar de stroom ze meevoert
naar het onbekende

released -
far from the tree they float
on the water
where the stream carries them
into the unknown

© Ria Giske (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

Swans

zes zwanen

middenin een tapijt
van veren -
rondom de kappersstoel
mijn witte plukjes haar

six swans
in the middle of a carpet
feathers -
around the barber chair
my white tufts of hair

© Ria Giske (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

Well ... I hope I have inspired you with these beauties by one of my Dutch haiku colleagues. Have fun!

This CD Special is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until November 19th at 7.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem Special Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands #2 Jurgen Diepstraten

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the second CD-Special of Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands. In this month I love to introduce a few of my fellow Dutchmen who also are haiku poet. The Netherlands have a long history with Japan. This goes even back to the time of Matsuo Basho and Yozakura.

In this episode I love to introduce to you Jurgen Diepstraten. I met Jurgen through a Dutch Facebook page about haiku. And I was caught by the first haiku I read written by him. It was a wonderful haiku and I hope that my translation will do that haiku justice.

hoor de tijd verstild
zelfs hier zie je de stilte
weerspiegelt water

stilled time
here one can see tranquility
reflecting in water

© Jurgen Diepstraten (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

It wasn't an easy task to translate this haiku, but I think I did the Dutch version justice.

I don't know if Jurgen started haiku writing just recently, but in my opinion his haiku are wonderful, maybe sometimes more like senryu, but that doesn't matter, because according to Jane Reichhold is there almost no difference between haiku and senryu.

So here I have an other haiku by Jurgen Diepstraten to inspire you:

ruik de appeltaart
aarzelend omhoog dan maar
mijn oogappel plukt

faint-heartedly
my darling climbs up in the tree
the smell of apple pie

© Jurgen Diepstraten (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

As you can see in the Dutch versions Jurgen writes his haiku in the classical way following the sequence of 5-7-5 syllables. That makes it more difficult to translate them.

Jurgen Diepstraten is a gifted haiku poet and I look forward to what he will write more.

I have tried to create a haiku inspired on the haiku about the apple pie and I came up with the following haiku:

first frost -
a treasure for the birds
fallen apples

© Chèvrefeuille

Applesauce

And I found a few nice haiku in my archives:

harvesting apples -
sweeter than sweet a real treat,
grandma's applesauce

drizzling summerday
longing for the autumn weather -
harvesting apples

© Chèvrefeuille

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 14th at noon (CET).

 

Carpe Diem Special Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands #1 Jeanine Hoedemakers'

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have decided to bring this month a few Dutch haiku poets, my colleagues so to say, and as I am preparing this first episode of "Carpe Diem Special Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands" I realize that I have taken up a real challenge. I have to translate the haiku of my fellow Dutchmen into English I of course will do that I only hope I do honor their work with my translation(s).

This first episode is about Jeanine Hoedemakers, a gifted haiku poetess, who has already published a few haiku books. I got to know her through the Haiku Kring Nederland (the Dutch Haiku Circle) several years ago. I was just a starting haiku poet and loved to make my haiku better. So I decided to become a member of the Dutch Haiku Circle. Jeanine then was coordinating the so called "chain letter" of the Dutch Haiku Circle. A group of haiku poets who shared their haiku with each other through a letter. I am still a member of that chain letter and I love it. It's a chance to read the work of others and comment on it to improve the haiku (or tanka) shared.

Jeanine is a long time member of the Dutch Haiku Circle and she always enjoys reading work of others and share her own work. She is a very active member of the Dutch Haiku Circle for sure more active as I am.

Jeanine Hoedemakers

Next to being a great poet, shae also is a very gifted photographer and painter. In this episode of "Japanese Poetry In The Lowlands" I love to share a haiga and a tanka to inspire you.

nu de rozenstruik
te groot werd voor de pot
moet hij de grond in
we moeten goed onthouden
zegt hij, hoe klein het begint

the rosebush
too big for the pot
should be earthed
we must remember
he says, how small it starts

© Jeanine Hoedemakers (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

And here is a beautiful haiga she created:

haiga Pair of Snails (photo and haiku © Jeanine Hoedemakers)

hij geeft haar een zoen nog een, bedelt ze lachend,

in slowmotion © Jeanine Hoedemakers he gives her a kiss another one, she begs with a smile, in slowmotion © Jeanine Hoedmakers (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

Of course there are a lot more beauties by Jeanine Hoedemakers, but that's maybe for another month. You can visit her (Dutch) website by clicking on the above given link.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 6th at noon (CET).

Have fun!