Carpe Diem Extra March 4th 2018 a few things I love to share

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have a few things that I love to share here with you. First I hope to publish the results of the Troiku kukai later on this week. I am very busy at work, so I cannot guarantee if I will succeed in this ... but we will see.

As I told you earlier this week my mom is hospitalized because cardiac failure. She has had medicines and slowly she is recovering. Thank you all for your warmth thoughts and prayers.

Than I love to invite you to be part in a new Renga session here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. Maybe you can remember that we have done this earlier. One of the Renga was titled "In The Twilight". You can find that renga above in the menu or by following this link.

For this new CDHK Renga party I have chosen a haiku written by one of the classic haiku poets, renown haiku poet Matsuo Basho. The haiku, which I love to use, was written in Autumn 1689. The title for this renga is: "best for seeing the moon". As the title of this renga tells us the haiku is a real autumn verse. As you (maybe) know the moon is a seasonword for autumn. In Japan they find the moon of autumn the most beautiful and there are lot of haiku written with the autumn moon. The moon was (and is still) a seasonword for autumn. In my country, The Netherlands, poets find the moon of winter the most beautiful. Maybe that's true, but as a haiku poet I find the moon of autumn the most beautiful and spectacular. Why? I can't say why it's a feeling. Maybe it's because of my interest in the classical haiku, maybe it's because the Japanese haiku poets have written such beautiful haiku about the autumn moon.

Here is the haiku, the hokku of this renga party, by Basho:

let's visit the places
best for seeing the moon
sleeping on a journey

©Matsuo Basho

This haiku was part of a 15 link renga written at the house of Tosai, who lived in Fukui. The renga was recorded by Miyazaki, a disciple of Basho in Ogaki. By the way Miyazaki recorded it in Basho O Tsuki Ichiya Jogo Ku. 

Which places are the best for moon viewing? The shore, the mountains, a Temple or what ever?I look at the moon from my backyard, because I love the sight of the moon rising up above the surrounding houses. It's leaving me in awe as the moon rises just around a chimney. Or as a mysterious circle behind thin clouds. I love the moon of every season, but ... it's true in autumn the moon is the most beautiful.
  Are you with me? You can subscribe to this CDHK Renga Party "best for seeing the moon" through the comment field. We will create a so called "kasen-renga" (a renga of 36 verses). The subscription for this Renga Party is NOW OPEN and will run to March 18th 10:00 PM (CET). Than I will make the line-up.

Have a nice week and I hope you will participate in this new CDHK Renga Party.

Namasté,

Chèvrefeuille, your host

Carpe Diem Renga Party #3 summer moonlight

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I love to start a new Renga Party together with you, my dear CDHK family. This time I love to create a "kasen-renga", this is a renga with 36 stanza. The startdate of this new Renga Party is June 20th.

For this new Renga Party I have asked Dolores of "Ada's Poetry Alcove" to write the "hokku". Dolores provided me with a wonderful series of "hokku" from which I could choose. For this new Renga Party "summer moonlight", the "hokku" is the following:

summer moonlight
steals my sleep again
I stroll down the lane

© Dolores

summer moonlight

As you maybe remember you had to sign up for participating in the Renga Party. I will prolong that idea here again.

So if you would like to participate in this new edition of our Carpe Diem Renga Party "summer moonlight" than please sign up and let me know it through the comments field of this post.

You can sign up for this Renga Party until June 15th 2016 10.00 PM (CET).

 I hope to see you all participating in this new Renga Party.

After the above mentioned "closing-time" I will create a "line-up" in which I hope to distribute the participants as fairly as possible.

Have a great weekend,

Namaste,

Chèvrefeuille, your host.

Carpe Diem Renga Party #1 In The Twilight (completed)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have finally found time to publish our first Carpe Diem kasen-renga “In The Twilight”. It was an experiment, but I think it has become wonderful. It was really a joy to follow the growth of this renga and I am so glad that it has become a beauty. Thank you all for participating in this first Carpe Diem Renga Party.

A Renga, as we have created here is called a kasen-renga of 36 links. But ... there were (of course) strict rules. As we look at ancient kasen-renga than there were for example links in which you had to use kigo (seasonwords) like moon and in a kasen-renga there was always the whole year, in fact in every renga you will find all seasons.

IN THE TWILIGHT

startdate: August 9^th 2015
end-date: September 9^th 2015

participants: Ese (es); Candy (ca); Hamish (ha); Paloma (pa); Sky (sk); Lolly (lo); Georgia (ge); Christy (chr); Usha (us); Dolores (do); Celestine (ce); Gillena (gi); Milan (mi); Ruchi (ru); Jazzy (ja); Nimi (ni); Chèvrefeuille (chè)

hokku:

in the twilight
mist creeps over the fields -
stars twinkle (chè)

climbing vines of honeysuckle
scented breeze lures out the moon (es)

moonglow touches earth
sparkles brightly on still water
diamonds on the pond (ca)

sudden rainfall scatters the light
-a lightning flash makes a frog jump (ha)

brittle rings break

amid drifting leaves -
Luna, eclipsed (pa)

swaying branches dance
with the autumn wind (sk)

two silhouettes

under umbrella
at the bus stop (sk)

navigating by instinct
on the road to Shangri-La (lo)

love echoes
in the halls of paradise
a blackbird's song (ge)

Umbrella eclipses kiss
Stolen amongst sweet whispers (chr)

Day meets night
my love lost in dark,
feel his aura. (us)

his skin kissed in the scent
of autumn dreams (do)

witching hour
shimmer of the moon
caressing her curves (ce)

there in the gentle ripples
their hearts speak one language (gi)

~celestial bodies
envious of the lovers -
twinkle each other . ~ (mi)

spiritual lantern whisper
chorus of eternal love (ru)

scent of hyacinth
mingle with the cool moonlit air
nights to remember (ja)

purple beauties wink merrily
lovers drink in the mystique (ni)

holding hands
light spring in step
- swing sways (ni)

on the children's playground
memories grabbing me by the throat (chè)

early temple bell
young monk shudders in his sleep
dream interrupted (es)

strutting rooster crows
as farmer sips his morning tea (ca)

and the hunter, he waits
he waits as the sun rises
in the Azalea grass (ha)

plea and answer, eye to eye
and the bow is lowered (pa)

trampled pride

on a trembling lip
it's dawning (sk)

morning wood fuels the fire,
he wants coffee, tea and me (lo)

arrow pierces flesh
quivering quarry succumbs
passion springing forth (chr)

a dark night moon and stars hidden,
are they with you behind the clouds? (us)

sturgeon moon appears
wearing a soft red cast
stained in guilt (do)

corn stubble cast in red light
under the sturgeon moon (ge)

red autumn leaves fall
remember sweet caresses
ah - lost summer love (ge)

taste of your lips lingering
with jasmine smells of autumn (ce)

blowing kisses -
fragrance of blossoms
trails along the path (gi)

intoxicating cherries
how I miss you ,beside you ! (mi)

scent of wisteria
spring confetti blooms
piñata as tall as green grass (ru)

ageku:

remnants of the day kin to
impressionist's spring canvas (ja)


I love to thank you all for participating. I am looking forward to our next Renga Party which I have planned for upcoming winter. More to come when the time is there.