Carpe Diem weekend-meditation #4 Soliloquy no renga (solo-renga): Celebration

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday October 1st at 7:00 PM (CET) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the 4th weekend-meditation of this month. Next month these weekend-meditations will be temporarely on hold, because of our first luster.

This weekend I love to challenge you to create a so called "soliloquy no renga" or solo-renga. It's a renga created by one poet instead of multiple poets, but it is also fun to create it. A "soliloquy no renga" counts a minimum of 6 stanza and a maximum of 12 stanza. This renga form is the same like a normal renga, so you have to create the stanza through association on scenes and images.
More about the "soliloquy no renga" you can find HERE.

For this weekend-meditation I have chosen the first stanza, the hokku, to work with. That hokku is a haiku from our CDHK archives written by myself:

celebration
finally winter has gone
early plum blossoms

© Chèvrefeuille

I am looking forward to your "soliloquy no renga" in response of this weekend-meditation.

This weekend-meditation is open for your submissions next Sunday October 1st at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until October 8th at noon (CET). 

Have fun!

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge #28, "a silent cry"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This week's Tan Renga Challenge I have chosen for one of my own, very recent, haiku to start the Tan Renga with. This haiku was published early this week in response of our first encounter with the Siberian shaman in ''Aleph''. And I think it will inspire you all very much to write a continuation or completion towards it. (By the way I have asked several haijin if I may use their haiku for this Tan Renga Challenge, but I haven't noted them. So please if you were ask for let me know it in the comment-field of this episode.)

Here is the haiku which is the starting of this week's Tan Renga Challenge:

flight of the eagle
stepping into the world of dreams -
a silent cry

(c) Chèvrefeuille

flight of the eagle

The goal of this Tan Renga Challenge is to write a second stanza of 7-7 (no obligation) towards the first stanza to make the Tan Renga complete. Have fun, be inspired and share.

This CD Tan Renga Challenge will be open for your submissions until January 31th 11.59 AM (CET) and is NOW OPEN.

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #12, Southard's "the swing of the gate".

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Time flies, another week has gone by and I have to prepare a new Tan Renga Challenge for you all. As I can recall I have asked a few of you if I may use their haiku for the new Tan Renga Challenge, but (feeling ashamed) I don't know any more whom I have asked. So if it was you please let me know, so I can (with your permission of course) use your haiku in a later episode of our Tan Renga Challenge.

Mabson O. Southard, our featured haiku-poet for September

For this weeks Tan Renga Challenge I have chosen a haiku by our featured haiku-poet of September, Mabson O. Southard (1911-2000) a modern haiku-poet with a special love for the classical 5-7-5 syllable-structure. So this Tan Renga Challenge is a bit different then the other episodes of the Tan Renga Challenge. The second stanza (7-7) has to be real (classical) 7-7, not easy I think, but we have to try.

Here is the haiku by Southard which is the first stanza of this weeks Tan Renga:

Just the cellarpit;
only the catbird recalls
the swing of the gate.

The goal of this Tan Renga Challenge is to write the second stanza (7-7) by associating on the first stanza. As I said earlier in this post 'this time it's, because of Southard, to write a real 7-7 stanza'. My attempt to write a second stanza for this Tan Renga:

First stanza (5-7-5):

Just the cellarpit;
only the catbird recalls
the swing of the gate                                                    (Southard)

Second stanza (7-7):

the squeak of the backyard gate
breaking the spring night's silence                              (Chèvrefeuille)

To complete this Tan Renga with the correct number of syllables I had to use a syllable-counter program, because I am not familiar with the syllable-sules of the English language. With thanks to Mark M. Redfearn who helped me to re-vise the first version.

I hope you like this Tan Renga Challenge and I am looking forward to the completion of you all. This Tan Renga Challenge will stay on 'till September 6th 11.59 AM (CET) and I hope to publish the new Tan Renga Challenge later on that day.
For now ... have fun, pick up the Challenge, be inspired and share your completion of the Tan Renga (by copy and paste the first stanza) and your second stanza with us all here at Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge #9, free like a bird

Good day dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another week has gone by and it's time for a new episode of Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge. For this week's Tan Renga Challenge I have chosen a haiku written by myself in October 2012 for the first stanza of the Tan Renga. The goal of this Tan Renga Challenge is to write a second stanza (7-7) to complete the Tan Renga which I started. Tan Renga is very similar with Tanka, but Tan Renga is written by two poets. It's a short form of the Kasen Renga or the Renga (chained verse).

Credits: Eagle

Well ... here we go the first stanza (5-7-5) written by Chèvrefeuille:

First stanza (5-7-5):

fly like an eagle

as free as a bird in the sky

be a dreamcatcher 

Second stanza (7-7): 

???????????
???????????

Copy and paste the first stanza into your post and include your second stanza. By the way ... 'forget the rules' as Basho once said.

Well ... have fun ... be inspired and share your Tan Renga with us all. Take up the Challenge and make the Tan Renga complete. This Tan Renga Challenge will stay on 'till August 13th 11.59 AM (CET) and is now open for your submissions.

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #2, 'a secret meeting'.

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to read that you like this new Tan Renga Challenge and I am happy to see how you all came up with different associations on the first episode of this Challenge with the haiku by Jane Reichhold. Today I share a new episode of this Tan Renga Challenge with you all.
OK ... I will reproduce here the goal again of this Tan Renga Challenge:

In classical Japan they had Renga sessions in which the poets composed a chain of stanza's. You can read more about Renga in our Carpe Diem Lecture 2 , Tan Renga is almost the same, a 'chain' with two links, written by two poets. Poet ONE writes the 5-7-5 stanza and Poet TWO writes the 7-7 stanza to associate on the stanza of Poet ONE. As you know I am not of  'counting' syllables so the used stanza's will not be as I mentioned earlier in this post.

The goal for this Tan Renga Challenge is to write the second stanza of the Tan Renga by associating on a stanza given by one of the classical masters, modern haiku poets or by myself. For this episode I have chosen a haiku written by myself.

In your posts for this Tan Renga feature you need to copy the given stanza. So we can see and read it in one Tan Renga. So copy the given stanza and fill in your second stanza. Well ... we will see how this is gonna work out. I hope you all understand what the goal is of this new feature? Just to write together a Tan Renga.

First stanza (5-7-5):

in the old barn
behind the straw bales
a secret meeting

Second stanza (7-7):

?????????? (your's to write)

Credits: Old barn

I have written the next 2nd stanza to make this haiku a Tan Renga. (Not common by the way, because Tan Renga are usely written with two poets, but sometimes it can be nice to do one on your own.)


two tough cowboys kissing
forbidden lovestory


This one was inspired on the motion picture 'Brokeback Mountain', a movie about two cowboys who are secretly in love with eachother.
As I place the first and second stanza together the Tan Renga becomes:


in the old barn
behind straw bales
a secret meeting

two tough cowboys kissing
forbidden lovestory

Credits: Brokeback Moutain (movie still)

I hope you enjoyed the read and I hope that this new Tan Renga Challenge 'a secret meeting' will inspire you all to write the second stanza to make a wonderful Tan Renga. This second Tan Renga Challenge will stay on 'til June 22th 11.59 AM (CET) and then I will post another Tan Renga Challenge. Have fun, be inspired and share your Tan Renga with us all here on Carpe Diem.

Carpe Diem Special #34, Chèvrefeuille's 'under the willow'.

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another Special episode of Carpe Diem. It's the last Special of this month in which I celebrated my 50th birthday, my 22th wedding anniversary and 25th anniversary as a haiku poet. So today I share my Special haiku for the last time this month. Next month I will introduce to you Kyoshi Takahama (1874-1958), another haiku master, but that's for May 2013.

The haiku which I love to share with you is the following:

such a hot day
my shadow needs to cool down
under the willow

under the willow

It's a haiku which I published in 2011 on my 'home-weblog' Chèvrefeuille's Haiku-blog it was inspired on a haiku by Matsuo Basho, 'my haiku-master'. That haiku of Basho was:

essential to life

the little space under my hat

enjoying the coolness

(c) Basho (1676)

In this haiku by Basho the 'hat' is a 'kasa' (see image). Someone with such a 'kasa' on his head has always a little shadow at least enough to protect the eyes against bright sunlight.

A 'kasa'

Well ... as I did in every Special I will try to compose another haiku in the same tone as the one I gave above.

another hot day
wandering around on the heath
no shadow at all

hot Summer day
people seeking for coolness
at the seaside

Hm ... I like these ... I enjoyed the Special sharings for this month, I am glad that you all could write new haiku inspired on the ones I gave in these Carpe Diem Specials. So I hope that this last Special with a haiku written by myself will inspire you all to write new haiku.

This prompt will stay on 'til April 30th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our last episode for this month of Carpe Diem, Honey (provided by KZ), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem Special #33, Chèvrefeuille's 'the cool rain'.

Dear haijin, visitors and travelers,

April is almost over and this is the fourth Special of this month. As you all (maybe) know I am writing haiku 25 yrs now, so it's my anniversary as a haiku poet. Therefore I have chosen haiku written by myself for this month's Specials. Today I love to share a winning haiku which I wrote in 2010.
Every year in Spring the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place. And every year they organize a haiku-contest for this Festival. Until now I have contributed haiku to this contest for five years I think. I did that also in 2010. That years contribution to the haiku-contest was the next haiku:

hato saku sakura-kuuru na ameno ma kuukuu (*)

the cooing of pigeons
between blooming cherry trees -
the cool rain

(*) translated by Romaji.Me

It was one of two which I contributed, but this one won a honorable mention that year. I was very proud to hear from that winning haiku. It's a haiku which I shared also on Wonder haiku Worlds, a worldwide website for haiku-poets and poets of other Japanese poetry. It's translated in several languages and that I am proud of. By the way ... today I contributed two new haiku for this haiku contest of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. I hope (again) that they will be a winning pair (or maybe one, or another honorable mention).

The Sakura in my backyard

As you all know I am 'addicted' to cherry blossoms and cherry trees it's to me the most wonderful theme to write haiku about and I am always happy when I see the first blossoms bloom. To me it's also one of the saddest days as I see how the last cherry blossoms fall, but than later on in the year end Summer and starting Autumn I enjoy the tasty cherries of my own Sakura. Than the leafs fall and the Cherry tree is than full-circle as Mother Nature like it to see. Well ... that's nature ...

departing
cherry blossom petals fall
without sound

without sound
cherry blossom petals ride
on gusts of wind

on gusts of wind
cherry blossom petals, full circle,
the taste of cherries

the taste of cherries
helping me through the cold winter
Sakura blooms again

A wonderful cascade of haiku on the 'full life circle' of Cherry trees ... what a joy to share this with you all, my dear haijin, visitors and travelers.

Be inspired and share your haiku with us all here on Carpe Diem the place to be if you like writing and sharing haiku.

This prompt will stay on 'til April 24th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post, Pigeon (provided by Cathy), our next episode later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #174, Whisper (provided by Cathy)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Here in The Netherlands finally Spring has come and the Cherry trees and all other blossoming trees and bushes have started to bloom. It's really a joy to see how the Sakura in my garden is in full bloom and I had to share another nice photo of the Sakura with you all.

By the way I have written two nice cascading haiku on my 'home weblog' Chèvrefeuille's haiku-blog. You can find that pair of cascading haiku HERE.

Back to our prompt for today. Today we share haiku on whisper (provided by Cathy of Haiku Plate Special) and I think it's a nice prompt to work with. I remember one of my first haiku ever with 'whisper' in it. At that time I wrote my haiku only in Dutch (my maiden language) and I couldn't have known than that I would start writing haiku in English to share them worldwide and on my own daily haiku meme Carpe Diem.

I love to share that 'first' haiku ever here with you.

Original in Dutch:

de zon gaat onder
zacht fluistert het jonge groen
de naam van Boeddha

(c) Chèvrefeuille (1988)

English translation:

at sundown
young green leaves whisper:
"Namu Amida Butsu" (*)


(*) This means: total reliance upon the compassion of Amida Buddha. (It's part of the Pure Land Buddhism. Issa was a devotee of the Pure Land e.g. as was Chiyo-Ni).

I think this is a wonderful haiku. The Dutch version by the way is what call 'a counted verse' that follows the 5-7-5 syllables count as traditional in haiku. As I became better in writing haiku I choose to write my haiku in the so called Kanshicho-style, a style in which Basho wrote several yers. In that style the 5-7-5 syllables count isn't important. In my opinion the Kanshicho-style is closer to the Western way of writing haiku.

Credits: Whisper

A few days ago I wrote a haiku in a comment on a post by Cathy and I posted it that same day on my home weblog, but I think I will share it here also. So another haiku on whisper

waves whisper
stories of far away places
to an old sailor

The whole post in which I shared this haiku you can find HERE.

I hope you did enjoy the read and that it inspires you to write your own haiku on whisper. I am looking forward to all of your posts. By the way (maybe you noticed it already) I have published our prompt-list for May 2013 and I have started a new feature called 'Carpe Diem's Treasure'.

Well have fun with this new episode of Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'til April 20th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Abraham, later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #32, Chèvrefeuille's 'lonely flower'

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today a new Special haiku written by myself. The haiku which I love to share with you all was my first in English ever. I think I wrote it somewhere in 2006. This haiku was a great success and was translated in a lot of languages e.g. Hindi, German, French and Italian. It made me an international known haiku poet. Since that first English haiku I write all my haiku in English. Of course sometimes I write in Dutch, but the Dutch haiku you can count nowadays on two hands. It's even a struggle to write my haiku in Dutch and sometimes it takes a lot of time before I publish that Dutch haiku, but ... they are also wonderful (how immodest).


kodoku na watashino nakamano tsu no yoruno hana

lonely flower
my companion
for one night

Lonely Cherry Blossom (of my own Sakura)

still lonely
sitting on the porch -
corn flower field

Well ... that was the third Special for this month. I hope you liked it and I hope to see wonderful haiku inspired on this one.
This prompt will stay on 'till April 18th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next episode, threnody (provided by Mark M. Redfearn), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem Imagination #6, Chèvrefeuille's Finally Spring

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have spotted the first Cherry Blossom(s) today. Finally, after a long lasting Winter, Spring has arrived at The Netherlands. It's worth a celebration ... so I had to post another Carpe Diem's Imagination episode today. Come on celebrate Spring and the first Cherry Blossom(s) with me. This afternoon I photographed the first Cherry Blossom of the old Cherry Tree in the backyard, a real Sakura.

I have waited a long time for these fragile Cherry Blossoms. Every day I went outside and watched my Cherry Tree ... and now ... finally Spring has arrived.


finally Spring
after waiting a long time
first Cherry Blossoms

first Cherry Blossoms
blooming on barren  branches
finally Spring


Also another wonderful bush in my backyard has started to bloom. The old Rhododendron has his first blossoms. Awesome ... I had to make a photo of this wonder.

Ah! What a joyful day
the old bastard has bloomed
pink Rhododendron

pink Rhodondendron
as old as the world blooms again
Ah! What a joyful day


Well ... what do you think? Maybe these haiku and the photos will inspire you to write your own haiku on 'finally Spring'.

This episode of Carpe Diem's Imagination will stay on 'till Aprill 22th 11.59 AM (CET). Have fun.

Carpe Diem Special #31, Chèvrefeuille's 'the scent of Autumn'

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

A little break in our Journey along the Zodiac with a Carpe Diem Special written by myself (my pseudonym for haiku composing is by the way 'Chèvrefeuille', which means 'Honeysuckle'.). Why these Specials written by me this month? Well ... I love sharing my haiku, but this month is a month of celebration. I will become 50 yrs and this month I write haiku 25 yrs, so it's a jubilee for me and I love to celebrate that with you all my dear friends.

I have chosen the next haiku, because it's one of my masterpieces I think (how immodest) and I am looking forward to what this haiku will bring you all for inspiration and I am looking forward to all of your nice posts.

Credits: Autumn on the Heath (PS. this website is in Dutch)

Maybe this photo will help your inspiration. Have fun, be inpsired and share your haiku with Carpe Diem.


aki no kaori hiisu no ue ni mangetsuno hikarino nakawo aruku (*)

walking on the heath
in the light of the full moon
the scent of autumn


(*) translated by Romaji.Me

I love to share a special form of haiku with you all. Somewhere at the start of last November I published a Carpe Diem Preview about troiku and I love to share here a troiku with you inspired on the Special haiku of this episode.


The Sleigh: 

walking on the heath
in the light of the full moon
the scent of autumn


Horse 1:

walking on the heath
feeling one with a Shepherd
in contact with God

(Inspired on the Shepherd boy in The Alchemist of Paulo Coelho)


Horse 2:

in the light of the full moon
laying down in the meadow
the River of Heaven (*)

(*) the Milky Way


Horse 3:

the scent of autumn
feelings of departure and loneliness
tears in the puddle


This prompt will stay on 'til April 12th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next episode, Sagittarius (The Archer), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #167, Scorpio (The Scorpion) (Zodiac 8)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to prepare another episode of our Carpe Diem's Journey along the signs of the Zodiac. Today we arrive at Scorpio (The Scorpion) and the first thing what came in mind was that this is the sign of my youngest daughter and it is my so called 'ascendant'. So my daughter and I have a tight bond. By the way she was born on October 24th and that was the birthday of my granddad of father's side. Isn't it amazing? Back to the 'ascendant', what is it?

The ascendant ( or As), or rising sign, is the zodiacal sign and degree that was ascending on the eastern horizon at the specific time and location of an event. According to astrological theory, celestial phenomena reflect or determine human activity on the principle of 'as above so below'. Thus astrologers believe that the ascendant signifies a person's awakening consciousness, in the same way that the Sun's appearance on the eastern horizon signifies the dawn of a new day.

Because the ascendant is specific to a particular time and place, to astrologers it signifies the individual environment and conditioning that a person receives during their upbringing, and also the circumstances of their childhood. For this reason astrologers believe that the ascendant is also concerned with how a person has learned to present him or herself to the world, especially in public and in impersonal situations. To astrologers, in some circumstances, it can function as a shield or mask to guard a person's real nature - in other words the 'defense mechanism' every person has to cope with unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations. Astrologers believe the ascendant also has a strong bearing on a person's physical appearance and overall health.

The Ascendant is thus considered to be of great significance in all schools of astrology because it in effect serves as the filter through which everything in a horoscope- including the Sun and Moon- is expressed. Most astrologers believe that the Rising Sign exerts an influence equal to or more powerful than the Sun and Moon.

Credits: Scorpio (The Scorpion) October 24th - November 22th

Another thing which came in mind was the major movie 'The Scorpion King', a fantastic adventure in my opinion. A shortkey of this movie: A desert warrior rises up against the evil army that is destroying his homeland. He captures the enemy's key sorcerer, takes her deep into the desert and prepares for a final showdown.
I have seen this movie several times and I loved it every time. 

OK ... I have my weak side too (smiles). Back to our episode of today. What tells us the astrology about Scorpio (The Scorpion)? Let's take a look.

Symbols for Scorpio are the scorpion, a ground-dwelling killer with a poisonous sting in its tail and the eagle, a far-seeing predator soaring above petty problems into the spiritual sky.
People who were born in this section of the year have great magnetic power, and as speakers appeal to the emotions and sentiments of their public more than to logic, but they sway their audiences as they choose. They are the searchers of the zodiac and have an insatiable desire for knowledge on every level. From spiritual and intellectual revelations, these people want the edge on everybody else.
In dangerous situations and in sudden crises they remain cool and very determined. Many of the very best surgeons have been found in this period. Representatives of this sign often become workaholics. They drive themselves hard, and usually drive others unmercifully. They despise weakness in themselves or in others.
Their worst fault is that they are too adaptable to the people with whom they come in contact.
They always lead double lives one for the eyes of the world and another for themselves.
They have incredible personal magnetism, so no other class of people makes more friends or have more enemies than those born in this period, but their strong personality carries them through like a resistless wave.
People in this Sign should, above all, be encouraged to have ambition, for it is the one thing that will save them; for it they mil make any sacrifice or deny themselves any pleasure, and so accomplish more work than any other class.
In general they need to dominate relationships and rarely display their true feelings even at the most open and communicative moments. Although this people may not intentionally set out to be mysterious, they manage to appear enigmatic anyway. They hate being crossed or manipulated, and can react to such treatment with sarcasm and vengefulness.
Sooner or later, they generally become interested in occult matters, they readily develop unusual clairvoyant powers, and quite often gain fame and distinction as writers, painters or poets. They are natural philosophers, deep students of Nature, and observe and analyze other persons' characters better than any other class.

As I look at this description of Scorpio and refer to what I earlier said about my daughter. I can almost see my daughter in front of me, but I also sense that she has influence on me being a haiku poet. I really can relate to what I said in the last paragraph above. She, my daughter, makes me whole I think, because in a lot of the things about Scorpio I really see my self.

Well ... I hope you enjoyed the read and I hope that you're inspired to write haiku on this wonderful sign of the Zodiac. I had some trouble with writing and composing my own haiku for this episode, but I think I succeeded.


scorpio and aries
making each other stronger -
my daughter and I

my daughter and I
a bond that never will be broken -
scorpio and aries


Just a little tribute to my daughter (smiles) hope you liked it. This prompt will stay on 'til April 11th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next episode later on today around 10.00 PM (CET). That will be the second Carpe Diem Special of April a haiku written by myself. I will give that Special haiku here after.


aki no kaori hiisu no ue ni mangetsuno hikarino nakawo aruku (*)

walking on the heath
in the light of the full moon
the scent of autumn


(*) translated by Romaji.Me

Carpe Diem Special #30, Chèvrefeuille's 'Golden Tree'

Dear haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our first Special of this month of Carpe Diem. As promised this month the Specials are written by me, your host, because this month I will become 50 yrs of age and I am writing haiku 25 yrs, so both jubilees will be celebrated this month.

The Special for today is the next haiku:

on my weddingday
blooming with golden flowers
the Golden Rain (*)

(*) Golden Chain or Laburnum anagyroides

Golden Rain or Laburnum anagyroides

This haiku I wrote 22 years ago on my weddingday, so today is our 22th anniversary. My wife and I met in a bar and it was love on first sight. We were (and still are) deeply in love and our relationship is strong. She is by the way a Sagittarius and according to astrology Aries and Sagittarius don't fit together, but ... well I am married today for 22 years and we have wonderful kids (4 by the way, two girls and two boys) and grandkids. We can't live without eachother and that makes our marriage a strong base for the life of my kids and grandkids and of course for ourselves.

Well ... you know a little bit more about me and the ones I love ... I hope this haiku will inspire you all to write new haiku. I am looking forward to all of your entries.
This prompt will stay on 'til April 6th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next 'stop' on the Zodiac, Cancer (The Crab), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).