Carpe Diem Time Machine #2 "Crocus"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Not a classical kigo for New Year today, because it's time for a new episode of our "Time traveling" feature Carpe Diem Time Machine in which we "play again" with prompts from our rich Carpe Diem Haiku Kai history. I realize that I am a bit early, but ... well I am a busy man as you all know.
For this new episode of "Time Machine" I have chosen a prompt from January 2013 Crocus that wonderful little flower which brings spring into our lives again.
I remember that back in January 2013 we had a very large package of snow during January, but it brought me also some concerns, because until January 2013 our Winter had been soft, to soft and warm, and there were already flowers and trees starting to bloom ... and so were the crocuses in my garden. And than that cold snow fell and covered them up. I was concerned if they would make it, but they did ... what a joy and a relief that was.

Crocus

As I recall that time I had just started with CDHK (than titled only "Carpe Diem") and it was a very exciting time. Would I survive with CDHK? Well .... as you all know and can see and read every day .... CDHK is still alive and kicking. We have become a wonderful "community" (or family) of haiku-poets and CDHK has evolved (and is still evolving) ... maybe the only thing missed is a few new names, new family-members, so if you have haiku-poets in your surroundings please point them to Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, the place to be if you like to write haiku (and tanka) and share them with the world.

Ok ... that was the "commercial break" ... back to our Time Machine episode of today, Crocus. This prompt to "play with again" will inspire you for sure and here are my haiku which I published in that episode back in January 2013:

fragile crocus
blooming in the ice wind
how strong will it be?

snow falls gently
covers fragile crocuses
purple disappears

early Spring feeling
a snowman melts in the sun
reveals crocuses

© Chèvrefeuille

How strong will they be those little crocuses?

snow has gone
colorful crocuses blooming
longing for Spring

© Chèvrefeuille

These haiku are really making me longing for spring ... it will take some time before it will be spring again, but as I look through the window right now ... than I already get a feeling of spring, because the sky is blue with some clouds and the sun is shining bright ... so it feels already like spring.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until January 19th at noon (CET). I will (try to) post our next episode, Burning Ornaments (Sagichoo), later on.

!! PS. I am a little behind with commenting, but I will try to catch up a.s.a.p. !!

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #20, Joanne's "Autumn Leaves"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another week has gone by and so it's time for a new Tan Renga Challenge. This week's Tan Renga Challenge is started with a haiku by Joanne of 4Joy. She wrote it in response on Garry Gay's 4th Special and it's a stunning haiku. The goal is to write the second stanza (7-7) to this Tan Renga started by Joanne. You don't have to stay to the classic rules of haiku writing, but feel free to do so.

Stanza 1 (5-7-5):

autumn leaves
myriad shades red and gold
begin to fall as snow                                   (Joanne)

Stanza 2 (7-7):

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

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

A wonderful haiku to start this Tan Renga with ... so I hope that it will inspire you to complete this Tan Renga with your second stanza. Good luck ... and have fun ...

My attempt:

autumn leaves
myriad shades red and gold
begin to fall as snow                               (Joanne)

at the feet of the snowman
a glimpse of the first crocus                     (Chèvrefeuille, your host)

Crocus in the snow

This Tan Renga Challenge will stay on 'til November 1st 11.59 AM (CET) I will post a new Tan Renga Challenge then, from our November Tan Renga Challenge month prompt-list around 7.00 PM (CET)

Carpe Diem #97, crocus

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a bit late today, but I had other things to do, but I have to publish this new episode of Carpe Diem.
I have read wonderful haiku on yesterday's prompt 'ember' suggested by Bjorn. It was a joy to read them and comment them. Several contributors used sunset (or sun rise) as an image for 'ember'. It was really a surprise to read that in some way you are connected with each other. Looks like a commonly consciousness and that, my dear friends, I like very much in haiku.
Haiku making us one ... isn't it wonderful?

Today we share haiku on 'crocus', one of the first flowers of Spring. Here in The Netherlands, now cold and covered with snow, we have had a period of soft winter, to warm for the time of year. And here and there fragile flowers and trees started to bloom. Mother Nature is in some way confused I think and I hope that those fragile blossoming will survive this cold period with snow and frost.

fragile crocus
blooming in the ice wind
how strong will it be?


snow falls gently
covers fragile crocuses
purple disappears 


early Spring feeling
a snowman melts in the sun
reveals crocuses


How strong will they be those little crocuses?


snow has gone
colorful crocuses blooming
longing for Spring


Have fun, be inspired and creative and share your haiku with us here on Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'til January 17th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode of Carpe Diem (hopefully) later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).
That will be a new Carpe Diem Special, a haiku by Masaoka Shiki, our haiku master for this month. To give you the chance to write your haiku inspired on the one by Shiki I will give his haiku here already:


samui fuyubura suto sugegasano watashino kubini katto kadoo

cold winter blast
a cord of a sedge hat
cut into my neck