Carpe Diem Crossroads #8 The First Snow (Kanajo)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our special CDHK feature "Crossroads" in which I challenge you to create a new (fusion) haiku from two given haiku. This week I have chosen for a not so well known female haiku poet, Hasegawa Kanajo(1887-1969). She was a contemporary of Shiki and her husband was one of the editors of Shiki's magazine Hototogisu.

Hasegawa Kanajo

Let me give you a brief biography of her:

She was born near Nihonbashi, in the center of Tokyo. She entered the Mitsui Family in 1903 to learn about proper housekeeping and the virtues of a good wife, but could not continue due to a heart disease. In 1909 she married her private English teacher, the haiku poet, who later was known as Hasegawa Rsishi (1888 - 1928), who was a member of Hototogisu.

She begun to write haiku herself and on request of Takahama Kyoshi joined a Woman's Haiku Group.
Shortly after the death of her husband in 1928 her home in Shinjuku burned down and she moved outside to Urawa town, Saitama, where she died of lung infection at the age of 81.

And here are the two haiku to work with. I think her haiku have wonderful and beautiful fragility:

the first snow
on the Mt. Fuji and the round
cloud flows from there

the sound of rain
the clouds on right-side are
with the summer moon

© Hasegawa Kanajo(1887-1969)

the first snow on Mount Fuji (woodblock print)

clouds move away
first snow on Mount Fuji
reflects moon light

© Chèvrefeuille

Hm ... not a strong "fusion", but I like this haiku inspired on the both haiku by Kanajo. Now it is up to you.

This "Crossroads" episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until May 9th at noon (CEST). Have fun!

Carpe Diem Full Circle #1-2016

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at this "encore" for this month. I heard that several of you would like to see our special feature "Full Circle" back again here at our Kai. Well ... for this celebration month I have decided to create three (3) "Full Circle" episodes starting with the first today.

Let me first tell you what the challenge "Full Circle" means:

I call it ''Full Circle'' because the goal is to write haiku with the twelve (12) words I will give. It's a kind of word-whirl and you have to use the words given in the clock-wise direction. So every word has to come in the line of it's place on the clock e.g. rainbow you have to use for line one (1) and autumn for line two (2) and so on.

I will give you twelve (12) words (for every ''hour'') one word. The goal is to write haiku using the words as given in the clockwise way.

Here are the twelve words you have to use as described above:

1. rainbow
2. autumn
3. seagull
4. crane
5. cherry blossom
6. love
7. sunflower
8. blue sky
9. clouds
10. butterfly
11. nectar
12. beer

Well ... I think this is a nice series of words you have to use to create a "full circle" of haiku. That means four (4) new haiku. Let me give you an example of a haiku with the first three words of this "full circle":

I have to use the words: rainbow (1st line), autumn (2nd line) and seagull (3rd line)

a faint rainbow
stretches like autumn leaves
a seagull's cry

© Chèvrefeuille

A nice challenge I think, but ... it's just for fun, to play with words and create haiku.

This "full circle" challenge is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until October 14th 10.00 PM (CET). Have fun!

Carpe Diem's Oasis (May 2013)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

A new feature? Maybe, maybe not? Carpe Diem's Oasis is just a place to sit down and lean back, seeking the silence within. Just a place for contemplation, let your thoughts flow, maybe you will find that special spot, that special haiku, where your deeper and secret desires are hiding. Let us say: 'The place where our Inner Self rests 'til it's awakened'.


in deep silence
thoughts tumbling through my mind
awakening


An oasis in the middle of the desert, a place where someone, you and I, can rest for a while after a busy day or a long journey (such like the journey we are in the middle of, the Tarot). We can eat, drink, sleep and be silent enjoying the eachother's companionship or the bedouin, the camels, the palmtrees, the sun, the moon and the stars. In a short line: Be one with the Universe.

Source: Bedouin Tent

one with the Cosmos
laying down in the sand, listening,
to my heartbeat


We need the silence, our world is to loud to be one with the Universe. Give your mind freedom, let flow the thoughts, ideas and find your creativity and inspiration in that silence.

I hope that Carpe Diem's Oasis can be that place to become one with the Universe. No prompts, just an open space to let flow your creativity and inspiration. Just you, I and the haiku we are all in love with (smiles). Let the stream of inspiration flow. Let your thoughts free and share your haiku or senryu, tanka, kyoka, haibun or haiga.
I will post every month, around the 15th, a Carpe Diem's Oasis episode for pleasure and inspirational silence, Inner peace and everlasting freedom for your thoughts, your deeper source of wisdom, knowledge, love, peace and so on. No limitations, no rules, just freedom of thought to activate your haiku heart.
Don't be afraid or shy, just compose haiku and share them in our Oasis, a place where you can be alone with your thoughts. A place to explore the well of creativity and inspiration deep within you.


deep down inside
hiding in the deeper layers of the soul
divine inspiration


This Carpe Diem's Oasis will stay open 'til June 15th 11.59 AM (CET) and later on that day I will publish our new Carpe Diem's Oasis episode. Just let flow your inspiration without the 'must' of a prompt, maybe try some new haiku forms, or maybe you have written a haiku which you think it needs an upgrade or something.