Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017 #8 The flower of a pumpkin (Tomiyashu Fusei)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day has gone, we are running to halfway this wonderful Tan Renga Challenge month and until today I just loved all the continuations and completions you all have shared here. Thank you all for participating in this daily challenge to create Tan Renga.

Yesterday we had a nice haiku by Hamish Managua Gunn and so today it is time for another classical haiku poet, however ... our "hokku" of today is written by Tomiyasu Fusei (1885 - 1979), a contemporary of Shiki and maybe not that classical as other haiku poets from the past I used here, because Tomiyasu died in 1979. I had planned to use another haiku written by him, because I really didn't know more about him. So as I was doing some research for this new episode I ran into other beauties written by him. So I decided to use another haiku.

Tomiyasu Fusei

Let me tell you first a little bit more about Tomiyasu Fusei:

Tomiyasu Fusei was a famous member of the Hototogisu Haiku Group (started by Shiki), from Aichi prefecture. He later founded the "Haiku Association of Tokyo University", Toodai Haiku Kai with Mizuhara Shuoshi and Yamaguchi Seishi. They were all students of Takahama Kyoshi.

Ishizuchi mo nankin no hana mo ooi nari

The flower of a pumpkin
as well as Mt. Ishizuchi
is great in scale

© Tomiyasu Fusei (1885 - 1979)

He was born in Aichi Prefecture as the fourth son to father "Saburo" and mother "Naka", in 1885. His real name was "Kenji". Naka's father had the Haigo (pen name) "Baigetsu (plum moon)", so his literary talent was descended from his mother.

In May of 1937, he retired as the vice minister of communications after 27 years' service with the Ministry of Communicaions. In July 1937, he visited Matsuyama for the first time and arrived at Niihama, he composed this Haiku as his first impression of Ehime. (Mount Ishizuchi is a famous holy mountain in Shikoku Island.)

Mount Ishizuchi in autumn (Shikoku Island Japan)

Shikoku Island is a once in a lifetime to do pilgrimage for every Buddhist along the 88 temples on this island. A few years ago we did this pilgrimage virtually here at CDHK (February and March 2014, you can find those posts through the "archive-list" at the right side of our Kai.)

The haiku by Fusei which I shared above is our "hokku" for today and here is my attempt to create a Tan Renga with it by adding my two-lined second stanza.

the flower of a pumpkin

as well as Mt. Ishizuchi

is great in scale                                   © Tomiyasu Fusei 

glowing Halloween eyes
scaring the ghosts away                     © Chèvrefeuille

Not as strong as I had hoped, but as I read "pumpkin" I just had to use Halloween in my continuation. And now it is up to you to add your second stanza through association.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 15th at noon (CET). I will try to post our next episode, a new "weekend-meditation", an episode of Namasté, The Spiritual Way, later on. For now .... have fun!

PS. I have included a new exclusive CDHK E-book on Troiku, titled "Flamingo Clouds", in our CDHK Library. A preview of this new CDHK E-book you can find above in the menu.

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017 #6 first autumn morning (Murakami Kijo)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017. Today I have a nice haiku by Murakami Kijo (1865-1938). He was a contemporary of Shiki and was influenced by the style of Shiki's haiku.
Maybe you can remember our Tan Renga Challenge Month of 2016 or maybe the weekly Tan Renga Challenge in 2016. In that month we have had also a haiku by Murakami Kijo. The "hokku" for today's TRC is a reprise I think of one of his haiku back then.

first autumn morning
the mirror I stare into
shows my father's face.

© Murakami Kijo

Murakami Kijo (1865-1938)

A short biography:

Kijo was born in 1865 in Edo, Japan. He studied law but gave this up after losing his hearing due to illness. In 1894, he worked as a legal scribe in Takasaki. He helped publish the first edition of Hotogisu, a haiku magazine. He published his collection of work in 1923 with Harold Zod. In 1927, his house burned down with everything that he owned. Kijo died on September 17, 1938.

Here is my attempt to create a Tan Renga with this "hokku":

first autumn morning

the mirror I stare into

shows my father's face                               © Murakami Kijo

reflections of the autumn moon
this rainy day makes me feel alone            © Chèvrefeuille

Well ... a short episode, I hope you do like it nevertheless.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 13th at noon (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017 #2 "the well digger"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's on our Tan Renga Challenge Month 2017. Today I have a nice haiku by Yokoi Yayu (1702-1783), a samurai poet and also the poet who made the haibun, as started by Basho, more beautiful and better. Let me tell you a little bit more about him.

Yayū was born in Nagoya, the first son of Yokoi Tokihira who served the Owari Domain. He inherited the Yokoi House's patrimony at twenty-six and held important posts of the Owari Domain. He was for example yōnin (manager of general affairs), Ōbangashira (chief of guard) and Jisha-Bugyō (manager of religious affairs). In 1754, at age 53, he retired for health reasons. Yayū moved to Maezu (now in Naka-ku, Nagoya), and lived in the Chiutei hermitage. He was a prolific and respected composer of haibun, Classical Chinese poems, waka and Japanese satirical poems, and was an adept of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Yokoi Yayu

And this not so well known haiku poet from the 18th century is the deliverer of our "hokku" for today's Tan Renga Challenge.

the well digger

comes out into the floating world—

the heat!

(c) Yokoi Yayū 

A nice one I think, but maybe not really a haiku, but a senryu. But as you all know in my opinion haiku and senryu are the same, so I don't use the name senryu. So this haiku, or "hokku", is the source for you to associate on to create the second stanza of the Tan Renga.

Have fun!

This eoisode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 6th at noon (CET).

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge Month (Second Edition), May 2017 #1 on a gust of wind

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the first episode of our new Carpe Diem Haiku Kai month. As I did last year in May I have another nice month of Tan Renga Challenges. The goal is to create the second stanza through association on the first stanza.
Tan Renga is a short chained renga created by two poets. To "learn" more about Tan Renga you can find a page about it in the menu. Or you can download the exclusive CDHK E-book "Chained Together" which I created last year after our Tan Renga Challenge Month. You can find "Chained Together" in our CDHK Library.

For this first episode I have chosen a haiku crafted by myself and your task is to create the second (two-lined stanza, following approximately 7-7 syllables).

on a gust of wind
the cherry blossoms dance through the streets
in praise of the Creator

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... now it is up to you my dear Haijin, visitors and travelers to create your second stanza. Have fun!

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 5th at noon (CET).