Carpe Diem #1800 New Beginnings ... first leaf falling

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope all have had a wonderful weekend and that you all are capable to do a new week here at CDHK. This month is themed "New Beginnings" and today I have chosen a nice prompt for you to work with.

Today I love to challenge you to create Japanese poetry themed "first leaf falling", autumn is in my opinion one of the most beautiful seasons and it's, according to classical sources of Japan, the best season to see the moon and praise her beauty. Autumn ... gives me always the feeling of departure and letting go ... Leaves are coloring and finally fall ...

light of the full moon
silverly beautiful ... so fragile
leaves are falling

© Chèvrefeuille

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

Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #40 Sparkling Stars ... "the autumn full moon"

!! Open for your submissions next Sunday July 8th at 7:00 PM (CEST) !!

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new weekend meditation, our special feature for the weekend. The weekend before last weekend I introduced to you a new feature "Along Memory Lane A Trip Back In Time" in which I will take you back into the rich history of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This weekend I love to go back in time to a special feature in which I shared masterpieces written by the classic and non-classic haiku poets ... Sparkling Stars ... In that feature I not only shared haiku by classical and non-classical haiku poets, but all those haiku were in a way my favorite.

Sparkling Stars is a bit similar with the CD-Specials, but there is a little difference. I will introduce a 'masterpiece' of one of the classic haiku-poets (well-known and less-known) to inspire you to write a new haiku. Here is the difference with the CD-Specials. Those new haiku, inspired on the 'masterpiece', have to follow the classical rules of haiku:

1. 5-7-5 syllables
2. a kigo (or seasonword)
3. a kireji (or cutting word, in Western languages mostly interpunction)
4. a moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown into water
5. a deeper meaning (could be Zen-Buddhistic or other spiritual or religious thought)
6. and the first and the third line are interchangeable.

For this weekend meditation "along memory lane, a trip back in time" I have chosen one of the haiku I used in this feature earlier here at CDHK ... I even had the guts to reproduce the whole episode ... sorry for that. I like to take the easy way sometimes.

Sometimes I am an a melancholic mood, mostly after a busy day at work, than I have to go outside in the late evening to smell the perfume of the coming night, to look at the stars and if she, the moon, is there I look at her in pure adoration. I love her. Sometimes she stands there high in the sky in full regalia, sharing her sun-reflected light with me. Sometimes she looks a bit sad and ashamed than she hides her beautiful face behind a veil of clouds. She doesn't know that I love her and that I adore her beauty. Her beauty is the best as she hides behind a thin veil of clouds. Than she is surrounded with a beautiful halo which is so colorful and bright ... than she looks like a queen, a goddess ...
Not so long ago I had such a melancholic mood. I went outside and looked up to the dark sky ... there she was, my love, almost full and clothed with a gorgeous light orange gown ... "Wow", I thought. "You're looking great my love!"

the night deepens
darker and darker the sky
without the streetlights
the night sky looks like a light show
the full moon and thousands of stars

© Chèvrefeuille

Isn't it a wonderful tribute to her, the moon, whom I love so much? As I look at my loving wife ... than I see her everlasting beauty, than she, is my full moon.

Why such a long introduction? Well ... I will explain that. To the Japanese, ancient and modern, the moon of autumn is the most beautiful gift of Mother Nature. There are countless haiku written inspired on the beauty of the autumn moon.
As I look at my own haiku-archive I can almost say that at least one third of them is about the moon in all her occurring images.

Basho also has written a lot of haiku about the moon and for sure the most 'moon'-haiku are about the moon of autumn. The haiku which I have chosen for this episode of "Sparkling Stars" isn't the best haiku by Basho, but it needed this long introduction, because it tells you more about my love for the moon and the love for the moon by Basho.

The Way of Haiku requires not only a Franciscan poverty, but the concentration of all the energies of mind and body, a perpetual sinking of oneself into things. Basho tells us, and it is to be noted, we believe him:

meigetsu ya ike o megurite yo mo sugara

the autumn full moon:
all night long
I paced round the lake.

© Basho

All night gazing at the moon, and only this poor verse to show for it? But it must be remembered that Basho was a teacher. And thus we too, when we look at the moon, look at it with the eyes of Basho, those eyes that gazed at that moon and its reflection in the placid water of the lake.

Full Moon of July (photo © Alison Hale)

Call me a nutcase, a dreamer or a fool, but I think that I am like Basho, that we all are like Basho, because we all are gazing at the beauty of our planet. We all are in love with the beauty of Mother Nature ... and that makes us all moon-lovers.

tears of joy

spilled into the old pond -

the moon's reflection

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you did like the read and that it will inspire you to write an all new haiku about the moon maybe or about the beauty of Mother Nature. Have fun, be inspired and share your "sparkling star" with us all here at our Haiku Kai.

This weekend meditation is open for your submissions next Sunday July 8th at 7:00 PM (CEST) and will remain open until July 15th at noon (CEST). Have a great weekend!

Carpe Diem #1059 Harvest Moon

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our daily haiku meme Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This month we have a tribute to Jane month to honor the Queen of Haiku and Tanka, Jane Reichhold who passed away back at the end of July.
Yesterday I honored her wisdom and knowledge and today I will step back, because it's not about me, but it's about Jane, my close friend, mentor and co-host who I miss dearly.

Today's prompt is Harvest Moon. And it just happens to have been Harvest Moon, because Harvest Moon is the name for the full moon of September. It's the full moon closest to the autumn equinox which will take place on September 22nd. The Harvest Moon of this year was an awesome one, it was a bright one and the moon looked bigger than ever, because she was closer to us than in other months.

Harvest Moon

With this prompt we enter the autumn section of Jane Reichhold's "A Dictionary of Haiku" from which I have extracted all the prompts, all modern kigo (seasonwords), for this tribute month. Through the haiku she, Jane Reichhold, uses as examples for the modern kigo I hope to inspire you to create haiku or tanka to honor Jane ...

harvest
the golden grain color
in the moon

the harvest moon
bringing in the pumpkins
yet on the porch

© Jane Reichhold

And than this beauty, also by Jane Reichhold, but taken from the online version of "A Dictionary of Haiku" ... a real masterpiece:

turning out the light
renting the room to the moon
for a night

© Jane Reichhold

Ah ... that last scene ... so mysterious, so full of spirituality, so full of romance and even full of sensuality ... awesome haiku ...

Singing Moon

Here is my response on this prompt inspired on the haiku by Jane to honor her:

through the broken window
I can see the Harvest Moon -
a song for my friend
white Chrysanthemums and red Roses
Singing Moon *

Singing Moon
the old Celtic druids already knew
autumn equinox
I look at the Corn Moon *
through the broken window

© Chèvrefeuille

* Singing Moon and Corn Moon are also names for the full moon of September.

I hope you did like this new episode and I hope that Jane has inspired you to create / write haiku or tanka.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until September 24th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, twilight, later on. For now ... have fun ... be inspired and share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with us all.

Carpe Diem Extra #21 July-2015

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

As you have seen I have published another CD Special than planned, sometimes that happens, but I just had the feeling (thank you Mark) that I had to publish a episode about "full moon" as planned in our prompt-list.
J
So here is that episode, as a Carpe Diem Extra episode. I have a haiku (written by myself) to inspire you. Today (July 2nd) its "full moon" and of course that can inspire you already, but here is my haiku for your inspiration:

The next haiku is based on the Hawaiian mythology and astrology. The Hawaiians thought that when the moon was in its first quarter in January and February that the moon was a bowl in which the Gods gathered rain water for spring. In that period of the year the Hawaiians can see what they call the Water Bearer (a constellation) the name of the moon in that same period is Kulua.

Water Bearer (constellation)

dripping wet moon
the Water Bearer spills
water from the bowl

© Chèvrefeuille

This CD-Extra episode "full moon" is NOW OPEN for your submissions. Have fun! You can submit your haiku until July 4th at noon (CET)

Carpe Diem #619, The Oak Moon (The Full Moon of December)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

The first week of December is almost over and until today I have read wonderful responses on all the episodes of this week. I am looking forward to your responses on today's prompt, The Oak Moon (the full moon of December). Today (December 6th) we have full moon and so I just had to use it for our prompt. It happens to be also one of the modern kigo by Jane Reichhold and so I love to share haiku written by her on this modern kigo.

full-moon sky

cold high winds blow
from a bright hole

© Jane Reichhold

Another one uses the other name of the full moon of December, Wolf Moon:

wolf moon
slipping into northern pines
winter

© Jane Reichhold

And I found another wonderful haiku on this prompt also written by Jane which I just have to share, because of it's beauty:

melting into the sea
the full moon
leaves a candle bright

© Jane Reichhold

Credits: Oak Moon

The Japanese are totally "in love" with the autumn moon, but in our region I think the winter moon is more beautiful so I just had to share a haiku about the moon in winter:

bright full moon

I step out into the freezing cold

to walk the dog

© Chèvrefeuille

Well .... I hope this prompt will inspire you to write wonderful "winter moon" haiku.

This episode will be open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 8th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our next episode later on. Have fun!

Carpe Diem's "Sparkling Stars" #4, Basho's "the autumn full moon"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Sometimes I am an a melancholic mood, mostly after a busy day at work, than I have to go outside in the late evening to smell the perfume of the coming night, to look at the stars and if she, the moon, is there I look at her in pure adoration. I love her. Sometimes she stands there high in the sky in full regalia, sharing her sun-reflected light with me. Sometimes she looks a bit sad and ashamed than she hides her beautiful face behind a veil of clouds. She doesn't know that I love her and that I adore her beauty. Her beauty is the best as she hides behind a thin veil of clouds. Than she is surrounded with a beautiful halo which is so colorful and bright ... than she looks like a queen, a goddess ...
Not so long ago I had such a melancholic mood. I went outside and looked up to the dark sky ... there she was, my love, almost full and clothed with a gorgeous light orange gown ... "Wow", I thought. "You're looking great my love!"

the night deepens
darker and darker the sky
without the streetlights
the night sky looks like a light show
the full moon and thousands of stars

© Chèvrefeuille

Isn't it a wonderful tribute to her, the moon, whom I love so much? As I look at my loving wife ... than I see her everlasting beauty, than she, is my full moon.

Why such a long introduction? Well ... I will explain that. To the Japanese, ancient and modern, the moon of autumn is the most beautiful gift of Mother Nature. There are countless haiku written inspired on the beauty of the autumn moon.
As I look at my own haiku (thousands and more) I can almost say that at least one third of them is about the moon in all her occurring images.

Basho also has written a lot of haiku about the moon and for sure the most 'moon'-haiku are about the moon of autumn. The haiku which I have chosen for this episode of "Sparkling Stars" isn't the bast haiku by Basho, but it needed this long introduction, because it tells you more about my love for the moon and the love for the moon by Basho.

The Way of Haiku requires not only a Franciscan poverty, but the concentration of all the energies of mind and body, a perpetual sinking of oneself into things. Basho tells us, and it is to be noted, we believe him:

meigetsu ya ike o megurite yo mo sugara

the autumn full moon:
all night long
I paced round the lake.

© Basho

All night gazing at the moon, and only this poor verse to show for it? But it must be remembered that Basho was a teacher. And thus we too, when we look at the moon, look at it with the eyes of Basho, those eyes that gazed at that moon and its reflection in the placid water of the lake.

Call me a nutcase, a dreamer or a fool, but I think that I am like Basho, that we all are like Basho, because we all are gazing at the beauty of our planet. We all are in love with the beauty of Mother Nature ... and that makes us all moon-lovers.

tears of joy
spilled into the old pond -
the moon's reflection

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you did like the read and that it will inspire you to write an all new haiku about the moon maybe or about the beauty of Mother Nature. Have fun, be inspired and share your "sparkling star" with us all here at our Haiku Kai.

This episode of "Sparkling Stars" will be open for your submissions on Saturday September 6th at noon (CET) and will remain open until next Saturday September 13th at noon (CET). I will (try to) post our next episode of "Sparkling Stars" on that same date.

Carpe Diem #517 Shiki (3), "reeds tremble"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This month of CDHK is far beyond it's first half and I still have the idea that I have time and place to short to introduce all the wonderful haiku by our ''big-five'', Basho, Chiyo-Ni, Buson, Issa and Shiki. Of course I cannot share all of their haiku with you, but I wish I could, maybe I have to plan a second month of CDHK with all those wonderful haiku by the big-five for your inspiration. I will give it a thought, you never know ...

Today I love to share another haiku by Shiki (his third this month). It's a not so wellknown haiku, but I think it's a beauty and so Shiki. Here it is:

meigetsu no deru ya yurameku hanasusuki

at the full moon's
rising, the silver-plumed
reeds tremble

© Masaoka Shiki

Credits: full moon

This is a haiku of autumn by the way. How can I say that? Well ... moon is a kigo for autumn. The Japanese haiku-poets (and people) are saying that the moon of autumn is the most beautiful and maybe they are right. I think the moon is beautifull in every season so my thought for today was to share haiku about the moon ... one for every (classic) season. So here I go ....

just a peel of light
this New Year's colored moon -
fireworks at sea

in the pale light
of the full worm moon (*)
sheep sleep

(*) As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.

lying on the beach
with the one I love -
full moon of summer

behind her veil
she, the full harvest moon (*), hides
her pretty face

(*) This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice the chief Indian staples are now ready for gathering.

Credits: Full Moon in Winter

In my opinion on or hemisphere the moon is on her most beautiful in winter, but maybe you have other thoughts about that.

fresh fallen snow
reflects the beauty of the moon -
the scent of Christmas

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I think the moon is beautiful, in her own way, in every season. Which season-moon is your favorite?

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until July 20th at noon (CET). I will try to post our next episode, the fourth haiku by Basho, later on. By the way, I have already prepared our prompt list for August. You can find it HERE.

Carpe Diem #179, Full Pink Moon (the full moon of April)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we have a full moon and this full moon of April is sometimes called Full Pink Moon and that's our prompt for today. But why is this full moon called 'Full Pink Moon'?

This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

Wild Ground Phlox

The Wild Ground Phlox is a ground covering flower and it looks awesome as it's in full bloom. It looks like a pink carpet in your garden. Around the full moon of April, this Ground Phlox, is in full bloom. That's why the full moon of April is called 'Full Pink Moon'.

Full Pink Moon (the full moon of April)

Isn't it wonderful? Let's go compose a few haiku on 'Full Pink Moon'.


full pink moon
as above, so below
pink garden

pink garden
the scent of ground phloxes
under a pink moon


This prompt will stay on'til April 26th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next episode of Carpe Diem, chocolate (provided by KZ), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

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).