CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI: Carpe Diem Utabukuro

Showing posts with label Carpe Diem Utabukuro. Show all posts

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Carpe Diem Utabukuro, the poem-bag #1 re-introduction "a single tulip"

!!! Open for your submissions next Sunday August 13th at 7:00 PM (CET) !!!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's my pleasure to re-introduce to you a feature we had here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This feature is based on a haiku by Basho which he wrote when he was around 22 years of age, it's one of his earliest known haiku according to Jane Reichhold. I called that new feature "Carpe Diem Utabukuro, which means "poem bag".

Flower bud

The logo above shows you a bag with a wonderful print of a Japanese woodblock and in the logo you can read the romaji translation of the haiku on which this new feature is based. I will give that haiku here again:

hana ni akanu
nageki ya kochi no
utabukuro

And this is the translation by Jane Reichhold:

flower buds
sadly spring winds cannot open
a poem bag

In her compilation of all Basho's haiku "Basho, the complete haiku" she gives the following description of this haiku:

1667 - spring. Because Basho has used kochi instead of the conventional ware for "my", the verse has two distinct versions. The associative technique is the idea that the flowers are not yet opened and neither is Basho's bag of poems (Utabukuro). The unopened purse of poems is like the flower bud in its potential for beauty.

The goal of this CDHK feature is not difficult, because I just ask you to share a haiku or tanka which you admire. That haiku or tanka can be one of a classical or non-classical haiku poet or one by yourself. You can choose whatever you like, but it has to be a haiku or tanka. Maybe the haiku brings you sweet (or sad) memories or you just like it. Explain why you have chosen that haiku or tanka to share here "in" CDHK's Utabukuro, poem bag and ... that's the second task for this feature write/compose an all new haiku inspired on the one you have chosen.

Single Rose

I will give you an example:

As you all know I wrote my first English haiku several years ago (2005) and that started my international fame as a haiku poet. I love to share that haiku here again, by the way this haiku is slightly different with the original haiku on advice of Jane herself:

a single flower

my companion
for one night

© Chèvrefeuille (2005)

This haiku is a haiku which is always on my mind, because of the strong emotions in it and through the emotions that it was the start of my international career as a haiku poet. And there is another deeper meaning in it, not only a Zen meaning (loneliness, emptiness), but also the sorrow of losing my only brother in 1995. My brother and I were always together, as we say here "four hands on one belly", after his death I lost my companion for life and with this haiku I tried to bring that feeling into my poetry.

I explained the first task of this feature and I think you understand what I mean. Look at the second task of this feature ... write/compose an all new haiku inspired on the haiku or tanka of your choice. I think that's also easily understand. So I will do that also in this introduction to this new Carpe Diem Utabukuro feature:

a single tulip
covered with snow
arrival of spring

Tulip(s) covered with snow

It is really a joy to let go the "strict" rule of giving a theme, so enjoy this feature. Find one of your most wonderful haiku or tanka, or written by someone else, to find your muse, your inspiration and share it with us all. Have a great weekend.

This episode is open for your submissions next Sunday August 13th at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until August 20th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Mirror (Jaume Plensa), later on. Have a great weekend full of inspiration.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Carpe Diem Theme Week (6) 2 Utabukuro Jane Reichhold

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

With Jane Reichhold's passing away we have lost our Queen of Haiku (and tanka and renga). I am still in shock and it makes me sad to become more aware of her passing away. This Theme Week is a tribute to Jane and today I love to ask you to share your favorite haiku by Jane Reichhold and write an all new haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form to honor her.

As I started Carpe Diem Haiku Kai back in October 2012 I had read only a few haiku by her and I didn't realize that time how important she was for the haiku world and me. In 2013 I honored her with a series of Carpe Diem Specials and the months following Jane and I became close friends and she became the host of our special feature "Ask Jane".
During the existence of Carpe Diem I have used a lot of her haiku, tanka, renga and her knowledge to improve your haiku writing skills. I am so grateful that Jane not only meant a lot to me but also to several others of our haiku loving family.

Here is one of my favorite haiku written by Jane:

raising his foot
a crane scatters stars
sunk in the pond

Cranes

The Crane stands for 1000 years or an eternity and I think this is very suitable for this tribute for Jane Reichhold. The Queen of Haiku will be remembered for an eternity ... for ever.

And with my haiku I love to share my thoughts on that eternity:

thousand thoughts a day

while writing haiku for the world -
the cries of a White Cranes

Jane Reichhold Rest In Peace I will cherish your friendship and love forever.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until August 12th at noon (CET). Please honor Jane Reichhold through sharing your favorite haiku written by her.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #13 "a balloon caught" by Jack Kerouac

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Last week I hadn't time enough to publish a new episode of Utabukuro, but now ... well I ran into a beautiful haiku by Jack Kerouac and I just had to create an Utabukuro episode about this haiku.

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) was an American writer and pioneer of the Beat Generation. He epitomized the era of sex, drugs, alcohol, and jazz through his novel "On the Road," which became the bible of the countercultural generation.

Back in May 2014 Jack Kerouac was our featured haiku poet and I have written more posts about his beautiful haiku. So I am sorry if you think "again Jack Kerouac?"

A balloon caught
in the tree – dusk
In Central Park zoo

© Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)

In this haiku the scene is just beautiful. The Zoo has closed and in the twilight the shade of a balloon caught in a tree looks like a monster or a ghost. A strong scene I think and the beauty of haiku makes this possible.

Autumn eve –
my mother playing old
love songs on the piano

This second haiku brought all wonderful memories back to me, not to my mother, I am happy she is still alive, but to my grandmother. My grandmother was Always busy with music, not playing the piano but she loved to sing. She sang beautiful and my kids liked her songs. So this haiku by Jack Kerouac is very special to me.

grandmother sings
the little boy smiles and falls asleep -
the full moon

© Chèvrefeuille

This Utabukuro episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 21th at noon (CET). The goal ... share a favorite haiku and create an all new one inspired on your favorite. Have fun!

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #13

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of Carpe Diem Utabukuro, the special feature in which you may choose your own favorite haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form. This can be written by a classical or modern haiku poet or yourself.

Tell us why that specific haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form is one of your favorites and try to write an all new haiku inspired on the verse of your choice. This week I have chosen a beauty by Basho. As you all know I am a big fan of Basho, and I see him as my master, and every haiku written by him is my favorite, but there are a few which I like the very most. For this week ... one of my favorites by Basho:

morning glories
in the daytime a lock
upon the gate

© Basho (1644-1694)

In summer 1693 Basho decided to lock himself up. He would like to think over is his life and closed the gate to his home. You can see this as a retreat. He needed to seek closure for his life as a haiku master. During the months of July and August, Basho closed his gate to visitors. Because the morning glory flower closes up during the day.

Honeysuckle (the English translation of my penname)

As I read this haiku for the very first time I had the idea myself to go on a retreat, but that's not my way of living. I love people around me and I, for sure, will not close my gate for visitors. I am the opposite of Basho. I embrace the people around me. I can't live without them. Of course ... I take sometimes a few days for myself, but that's more to come to myself, to get new energy and inspiration.

a few days
to become myself
and be inspired

the Honeysuckle
in front of my house
guards the gate

I am looking forward to your favorites.

This Utabukuro episode is open at noon (CET) and will remain open until July 8th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #12

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's my pleasure to bring to you a new episode of our special CD feature "Utabukuro" (or "poembag"). Let me tell you the goal of this special feature first:

The goal of this CDHK feature is not difficult, because I just ask you to share a haiku or tanka which you admire. That haiku or tanka can be one of a classical or non-classical haiku poet or one by you. You can choose whatever you like, but it has to be a haiku or tanka. Maybe the haiku brings you sweet (or sad) memories or you just like it. Explain why you have chosen that haiku or tanka to share here "in" CDHK's Utabukuro, poem bag and ... that's the second task for this feature, write/compose an all new haiku inspired on the one you have chosen.

For this episode I dived into my archives (built from 1988) and choose a haiku which I once have written myself for Wonder Haiku Worlds.

This haiku I wrote in 2006, it was a first try to write in the free style as Santoka Taneda did. (I also will give the Dutch translation):

silence
petals of cherry blossoms fall
so quiet

stilte
kersenbloesem valt
zo sereen

Recently I wrote a few haiku for the haiku-contest of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, which I (of course) cannot re-publish here, because the judging is still going on, and the haiku I submitted for this contest cannot be published earlier.

As you all know cherry blossoms are one of my favorite themes to write haiku about. So to fulfill the goal of this feature I love to share an all new haiku on Cherry Blossoms.

departing
cherry blossom petals fall
without sound

And now it is up to you. Share your favorite haiku with us all and try to create an all new haiku inspired on your choice haiku.

This episode is open for your submissions at noon (CET) and will remain open until next Saturday July 2nd at noon (CET). Have fun!

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #11 (restarting an old feature) "Wisteria Beans" by Matsuo Basho

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's my pleasure to "restart" an old special feature we have had here at Carpe Diem haiku Kai. Maybe you can remember that special feature or maybe you can remember one of the latest Tokubetsudesu episodes

This feature is based on a haiku by Basho which he wrote when he was around 22 years of age, it's one of his earliest known haiku according to Jane Reichhold. I have called this new feature "Carpe Diem Utabukuro" , which means "poem bag".

The logo above is a bag with a wonderful print of a Japanese woodblock and in the logo you can read the romaji translation of the haiku on which this new feature is based. I will give that haiku here again:

hana ni akanu
nageki ya kochi no
utabukuro

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), my sensei

And this is the translation by Jane Reichhold:

flower buds
sadly spring winds cannot open
a poem bag

In her compilation of all Basho's haiku "Basho, the complete haiku" she gives the following description of this haiku:

The goal of this CDHK feature is not difficult, because I just ask you to share a haiku or tanka which you admire. That haiku or tanka can be one of a classical or non-classical haiku poet or one by you. You can choose whatever you like, but it has to be a haiku or tanka. Maybe the haiku brings you sweet (or sad) memories or you just like it. Explain why you have chosen that haiku or tanka to share here "in" CDHK's Utabukuro, poem bag and ... that's the second task for this feature, write/compose an all new haiku inspired on the one you have chosen.

Wisteria

For this "restarting" Utabukuro episode I have chosen a beautiful haiku by my sensei, Matsuo Basho.

fuji no mi wa haikai ni se n kana no ato

wisteria beans

let's make that a theme for haikai

a flower fruit

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

With this haiku came a preface, which was very common in Basho's time:

"A certain Sogyu of Seki visited me when I stayed in Ogaki. I composed this for him in the lingering scent of the flowers which Sogi (1421-1502, a famous renga poet) had called the flowers of Fujishiro (white wisteria) Misaka". When Sogi had passed through this same area, he had seen some white wisteria growing on the slope and had written: 'seki koe te / koko mo fujishiro / misaka kana' (crossing Seki / there still are the white wisteria / at the town in Misaka).

In this verse the second sentence refers to renga. Haiku which are included in a renga are called haikai. As you (maybe) know Basho was a renga-master and he has written a lot of "hokku" and "haikai".

Waterfall of Flowers

And here is my haiku inspired on this beauty by Basho, my sensei, I hope he will like it.

what a party
writing a renga together -
waterfall of flowers

© Chèvrefeuille

It's a new haiku in which I have tried to draw a picture of a renga session. Writing renga together with friends is a joyfull activity. Try it yourself it will be wonderful to write renga with friends (as we have done twice already here at CDHK).

This Utabukuro episode is open for your submissions at noon (CET) and will remain open until next Saturday at noon (CET). I am looking forward to your favorites and newly written haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form. Have fun!

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #80: Memory Lane: Utabukuro (or poem bag)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's Wednesday again and that means time for a new episode of Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu. This week I love to take you back on a trip along memory lane towards a special feature I love dearly and that was created in June 2015. Those were already participating in CDHK will know this feature still.

That feature was called Carpe Diem Utabukuro let us take a look at the introductory episode of this special feature again.

[...] This feature was based on a haiku by Basho which he wrote when he was around 22 years of age, it's one of his earliest known haiku according to Jane Reichhold. I have called this new feature "Carpe Diem Utabukuro, which means "poem bag".

Logo of Carpe Diem Utabukuro (with Romaji text of the base haiku by Basho)

hana ni akanu
nageki ya kochi no
utabukuro

© Basho

And this is the translation by Jane Reichhold:

flower buds
sadly spring winds cannot open
a poem bag

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

In her compilation of all Basho's haiku "Basho, the complete haiku" she gives the following description of this haiku:

1667 - spring. Because Basho has used kochi instead of the conventional ware for "my", the verse has two distinct versions. The associative technique is the idea that the flowers are not yet opened and neither is Basho's bag of poems (Utabukuro). The unopened purse of poems is like the flower bud in its potential for beauty.

The goal of this CDHK feature was not difficult, because I just asked you to share a haiku or tanka which you admire. That haiku or tanka can be one of a classical or non-classical haiku poet or one by yourself. You can choose what ever you like, but it has to be a haiku or tanka. Maybe the haiku brings you sweet (or sad) memories or you just like it. Explain why you have chosen that haiku or tanka to share here "in" CDHK's Utabukuro, poem bag and ... that's the second task for this feature write/compose an all new haiku inspired on the one you have chosen. [...]

I think this special feature is worth to bring up again I even think of bringing it back here at CDHK. For this Tokubetsudesu episode along memory lane I have a wonderful tanka which I love to share again with you.
It's a tanka which was really proud of and which had a great review on Wonder Haiku Worlds, a website which brought me the international name I have. (I think I have used this tanka earlier in a Utabukuro episode, so I took the liberty to re-produce it here again.

Lilies of the valley
their sweet perfume makes me drowsy
hot summer night
between silken sheets her warmth
honeysuckle coolness

© Chèvrefeuille

Lilies of the Valley

And this is the reason why I have chosen (immodest maybe) this Tanka, because of the response of Narayanan Raghunathan (co-founder of Wonder Haiku Worlds) and the wonderful comment as I will reproduce here:

[...] "I take the personal liberty, say literary freedom and tentatively meta cultyuro-anachronistically call this Tanka a neo-wordsworthian version of Tanka ~ It is done with care and blessed freedom ~ Well, as we know Tanka was essentially originally a genre of Japanese poetry about "love" ~ Here, that too gets exemplified very elegantly in this modern tanka ~ People who care to know about Tanka as a genre may venture to procure the first Wonder Haiku Worlds Anthology the large beautifully designed "Spasms Of Light" ~ available at Amazon.com and check the elaborate introduction ~ Our next Anthology is possibly expected to be published by June ~ 2016 We will surely be honored to have this Tanka in its contents, of course if you permit Chèvrefeuille ~ ` [...]

Narayanan Raghunathan

As I read this comment I really was overwhelmed with feelings of pride and happiness. As you all know I have just recently started to write Tanka and than this kind of comments ... I am really proud.

And now I have to write an all new Tanka or Haiku inspired on this one ... I don't know if I can ... I have tried it, but I only could come up with a haiku:

midsummer night -
the scent of Honeysuckle
tickles the senses

© Chèvrefeuille

Well I hope you don't find me immodest, but I just had to share this with you all.

Try to choose a favorite haiku or tanka and tell us why you do like it and try to write/compose an all new haiku or tanka to share with us.

This episode of Utabukuro is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 22nd at noon (CET). Have fun!

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #10 Wim Lofvers' "a maple seed"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's time again for our bi-weekly feature on Saturday, Carpe Diem Utabukuro, in which you may choose your favorite poem (haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form) of modern and classical haiku poets. The only thing you have to do is to tell us why you have chosen that specific poem and to write an all new haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form.

This week I have chosen a haiku composed by a fellow Dutchman whom however died in 2007. His name, maybe you have heard of him, is Wim Lofvers. I will first share a brief biography and than a few wonderful haiku.

Wim Lofvers (1930-2007) was a physician. He was a naval doctor in the former Dutch New Guinea (now West Papua), and worked as a general practioner in Norway and in the Netherlands province of Frisia. His interest in things spritual is rooted in anthroposophy, Buddhism and Zen-Buddhism. All of these determined his attitude towards haiku, which he was interested in as early as 1956.

Wim Lofvers (1930-2007)

In 1981, Wim created his own private press, 't Hoge Woord, which he started with the intention of publishing haiku. Since his retirement in 1993 he has spent most of his time there, doing just that. His interest lies mainly with micro-editions, among others, the 'Radish' series, in which haiku poets can present 25 - 28 of their haiku in a pocket-sized book. Another production is the annual 'Spreeuwenagenda' (Starling Haiku Diary) with seven editions so far. With a few intimate friends, he founded the biannual international haiku journal 'Woodpecker - Journal for sharing haiku' (since 1995) publishing haiku by poets from all over the world, in native languages as well as English, thus supporting and spreading the development of world haiku.

Wim was president of the Haiku Kring Nederland (Haiku Circle Netherlands) from 1996 to 2000. He has published haiku in national and international journals and publications as well as in individual chapbooks. Haiku to him is a path to personal development and he regards his own achievements as only the beginning. (By the way, I am a member of the Haiku Circle Netherlands). (Source)

And here are a few haiku written by Wim to inspire you. He inspired me, I even had the opportunity to meet him once. He was (just like me) 'all haiku' and his haiku learned me more about the beauty of this wonderful poetry form of Japan.

before the fresco
just painted afresh
the first prayer

a maple seed
in a dark alleyway
- New Year's Day

the scarecrow
toppled headfirst
embraces the earth

Three beauties I think all are a source of inspiration, but I was caught by "a maple leaf". Just a little maple leaf seed remembers us of the future, the past and the present on New Year's Day. I can see this scene in front of me ... awesome.

Credits: Maple Seed

"look granddad!"
he points at the maple seeds' dance
"it's a heli!"

© Chèvrefeuille

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

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #9 Ruth Yarrow

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's time again for an episode of Utabukuro in which I ask you to choose a favorite or special haiku or tanka with memories. You can choose a haiku or tanka by yourself, a classical or non-classical haiku or tanka by the poet or poetess of your own choice. No prompt or theme to follow just free choice.After sharing your favorite haiku or tanka please tell us why you have chosen that haiku or tanka. And then write an all new haiku or tanka inspired on the haiku or tanka you have chosen.

This week I have had some trouble to find a haiku poet/ess for this episode of Utabukuro, but finally I found a few nice haiku by a haiku poetess named "Ruth Yarrow". I searched the Internet and found a lot of information about Ruth Yarrow (1939 - ) and a great list of haiku written by her.
Of course I have read them and I really was caught by one of her haiku which I will share here as my favorite haiku by Ruth Yarrow:

And I have a brief biography of her:

Ruth Yarrow was born in 1939 in southern New Jersey and grew up in small college towns from North Dakota to Ohio. In the 1950s, a nature study camp she attended in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia led her to choose Antioch College in Ohio for its strong environmental education program. She taught science with the Peace Corps in Ghana, and then earned a Masters degree in ecology from Cornell University.

While on the environmental studies faculty of Stockton State College in New Jersey in the early 70s she taught a course on the natural world seen through world literature. In this class she asked her students to write haiku and got hooked herself. She taught ecology in colleges and environmental centers for many years while volunteering with such organizations as the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign.

When their two children fledged, she and her husband Mike moved to the Pacific Northwest where they reveled in mountain backpacking. In Seattle, Ruth worked with Physicians for Social Responsibility for nuclear waste cleanup and with the Fellowship of Reconciliation on peace and justice.

Ruth Yarrow (1939 - )

After her husband died in 2014, Ruth moved back to Ithaca, New York to be near her children and grandchildren. Ruth has had more than 650 haiku in the major journals and five books of haiku published. She has given readings and workshops, judged contests, and served as an editor and Haiku Society of America regional coordinator. She says that writing haiku helps her be aware of the richness of life.
Ruth Yarrow is now the honorary curator of the American Haiku Archives at the California State Library in Sacramento, for the season 2015-2016.

Here are a few other haiku written by Ruth:

through twilight
the waterfall bends the flood
into sound

spring drizzle
rounding the thorn
a drop of light

© Ruth Yarrow

But back to the haiku which I gave above as my favorite; Why is that my favorite? Well I will try to tell you ...

evening
our paddles drip
into liquid sunset

© Ruth Yarrow

This haiku is first a beauty ... I can see the scene in front of my eyes, that sparkling sunlight as the drips from the paddles are falling and breaking the reflection ... such a fragile image. It brought a nice haiku written by Chiyo-Ni in my mind:

Touched by the line
Of the fishing pole —
The summer moon

© Chiyo-Ni

And I found a wonderful painting by Elisabeth Zartl inspired on this haiku by Chiyo-Ni.

And now I have to write/compose an all new haiku (or tanka) myself inspired on that beauty by Ruth Yarrow. Here is my response:

full moon
broken reflection
a chestnut

© Chèvrefeuille

This episode of our special feature Utabukuro is open for your submissions at noon (CET) and will remain open until September 12th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #8

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a bit late with this episode, because I am in the nightshift.

It's time again for an episode of Utabukuro in which I ask you to choose a favorite or special haiku or tanka with memories. You can choose a haiku or tanka by yourself, a classical or non-classical haiku or tanka by the poet or poetess of your own choice. No prompt or theme to follow just free choice.
After sharing your favorite haiku or tanka please tell us why you have chosen that haiku or tanka. And than write an all new haiku or tanka inspired on the haiku or tanka you have chosen.

For this episode of Utabukuro I have chosen a tanka which I wrote myself recently. It was one of my first tanka which I dared to publish on www.wonderhaikuworlds.com the website were my International carreer as a haiku poet started in 2005. Here is the tanka.

Lilies of the valley
their sweet perfume makes me drowsy
hot summer night
between silken sheets her warmth
honeysuckle coolness

© Chèvrefeuille

Lilies of the Valley

Well I hope you don't find me immodest, but I just had to share this with you all.

Try to choose a favorite haiku or tanka and tell us why you do like it and try to write/compose an all new haiku or tanka to share with us.

This episode of Utabukuro is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Saturday August 29th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Carpe Diem Utabukuro #7 a drop of water by Cor van den Heuvel

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's Saturday again and that means time for a Utabukuro episode. This week I have given a lot of feature here at CDHK a thought, and also this Utabukuro feature came a long. It's a lovely feature and I love creating it, but I have decided to make this feature no longer every week, it will become a bi-weekly feature (on the other Saturdays we will have CD's Time Machine feature).

For this episode of Utabukuro I have chosen two beauties written by Cor van den Heuvel (1931-) to inspire you. Why have I chosen these two haiku? Well these are very nicely written and very much in tune with nature and it's fragility. Especially that second haiku is a beauty and for sure a favorite of mine.

By the way ... I always thought that Cor van den Heuvel was a Dutch haiku poet, but I discovered, just recently that he is from New England, but as I look at his name I would say he has Dutch ancestors, but that I don't know for sure.
Cor van den Heuvel, born and brought up in New England, has been writing haiku since he first discovered the genre in 1958 in San Francisco, where he heard Gary Snyder mention it at a poetry reading in North Beach. Though he is considered one of America's leading haiku poets, van den Heuvel is best known as the editor of The Haiku Anthology, generally considered the definitive collection of American and Canadian haiku. First published in 1974.

Cor van den Heuvel

reading a mystery

a cool breeze comes through
the beach roses

a drop of water
floats by the canoe
on a curled leaf

It wasn't easy to come up with a nice haiku or tanka, so I have a nice tanka to share here from my archives.

taking a last zip
the coolness of the last drop of water
burns my throat
desert sand between my toes
ah, that coolness

Well .... now it's up to you. For Utabukuro there is no need to use the "theme" of my post, you may choose a haiku or tanka by your self, or from a haiku/tanka poet which you like. The only "task" is to write an all new haiku or tanka (or one from your archives ..) inspired on the haiku or tanka of your choice. Of course it's also great to read your explanation of your choice. It's up to you ...

PS I am still busy with creating the list for our first Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Renga Party, so be patient. I hope to publish it a.s.a.p.

This Utabukuro episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until Saturday August 22nd at noon (CET). Have fun!

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Utabukuro #6 moonflowers

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's Saturday and time for a new episode of CD's Utabukuro in which I ask you to share a haiku or tanka which you love. Maybe you have a memory to it or you just like it for it's beauty. Tell us your story and write a new haiku or tanka inspired on the poem you have chosen. That new poem ... well ... put it in the Utabukuro, the poem bag.

Here is my choice for this week's Utabukuro-episode. It's a haiku by my master Basho at the age of almost 22. This haiku touched me just through it's quality. Basho wrote this haiku in the summer of 1666 and it's one of his haiku in which he hided his love for man ...

This is what Jane Reichhold says about this haiku:

The yugao ("evening face", Lagenaria siceraria) is also called "moonflower" because the large, white blooms open in the cool of the evening on vines of dark, green leaves. The connection here is the ambiguity of whether the author or some unknown lover is floating by the flowers. An additional clue comes with ukari ("to float" or "to be high spirits").

Credits: Lagenaria siceraria ("evening face" or "moonflower")

Yugao ni mitoruru ya mi mo ukari hyon

by moonflowers
a fascinating body
floats absent-mindedly

© Matsuo Basho age 21 penname then 'Sobo'.

Maybe you are familiar with the idea of "moon love" it was very common several decades ago, that homosexual man could only show their affection and love at night "as the moon shone". If you are familiar with that idea, than maybe this haiku by Basho (than writing under the penname "Sobo") says more about the hidden layer.

It's a beauty I think in which I see already his greatness he gathered during his life. It will not be easy to write/compose an all new haiku (or maybe a tanka?), but ... ah you know me ...

hidden beauty
the buds of the honeysuckle
start to open

A wonderful haiku written by a very young Basho. At that age he was the personal servant of the the son of a high-ranked samourai, Yoshitada. In that same year, in which he wrote this haiku, his beloved young master and friend died. By the way, in Japanese the penname of a haiku poet was called "haigo".

I hope this haiku will inspire you to write an all new haiku or tanka to share here at our Haiku Kai. This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Saturday August 8th at noon (CET).

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