Carpe Diem #659, Servant's Day (Yabu-iri)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This is our last episode of January and I haven't published our new prompt-list, because it isn't ready to publish. I hope to publish the new prompt-list tomorrow. It will be another nice month I think and to tell you a little bit more about our new month ... it's all about Impressions.

As I am preparing this new episode I realize that I had to do a "Time Machine" episode ... well that new "Time Machine" episode I migrate to February 7th, the first Saturday of the next month. Ok ... back to our classical kigo for New Year of today. Today our prompt is Servant's Day (Yabu-iri). 

Yabu-iri, literally "thicket-entering," is an obscure season marker in haiku for spring (or late New Year). On about the sixteenth of the first month, servants and apprentices were allowed to go home for a short visit. This would have meant that the holiday started  with the full moon. In Issa’s haiku:

yabu-iri no waza to kureshi ya kusa no tsuki

Ending the Servant’s Holiday
on purpose ...
sliver moon

© Issa

the final slip of moon means the holiday is over, which tells us it lasted less than two weeks (Lanoue, 1991-2009: moon,1803). There also was a second servants’ holiday on the sixteenth of the sixth or seventh month, but yabu-iri in haiku was codified as an early spring kigo (or late New Year kigo).

And here is a haiku composed by Buson on the same kigo:

yabu- iri ya  mamori- bukuro o  wasure kusa

Apprentice’s holiday:
a good-luck amulet
forgotten in the grass

© Buson

This is really a classical kigo, because I think this kind of custom will not be in use anymore, but maybe I am wrong ....

farewell cherry blossoms,

the servants have abandoned me,

will you bloom again?

© Chèvrefeuille

Pff ... that wasn't easy to compose ...

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until February 2nd at noon (CET). I will try to post our new episode, ??????, later on.

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 "Revise that haiku" #5, Shiki's "The snow has melted"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I love to challenge you all to 'revise' a classical haiku written by Shiki (1867-1902). I have done this earlier here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, but that's a while ago, so ... let us try this again.

One of the most extraordinary things about nature, from the scientific and intellectual point of view, is its asymmetry. Life is asymmetrical in its essential character, and it is natural for us to rejoice in it, for it is the guarantee of our spiritual freedom. Even the Great Buddha, for all the Law of Karma and the inviolable Wheel of the Law, the snow melts irregularly. On the sunny side, the snow is gone; on the other, there still remains a white mantle. To our human eye at least, it is a secretly felt confirmation of our inner conviction that 'with God all things are possible'.
Where does this lead to? Well ... it's to show you the picture which is (can be) seen in the following haiku by Shiki, which we are going to revise.

Credits: Great Buddha covered with snow

Daibutsu no katahada no yuki toki ni keri

the snow has melted
on one shoulder
of the Great Buddha

(c) Shiki

As you all know in this special feature the goal is to revise the given haiku and write/compose a new one. Not an easy task and it needs some courage to revise a haiku by one of the greatest four haiku-poets ever (Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki), but ... well it challenges you to look in a different way to the classical haiku.

at the sunny side
the snow in the backyard has melted -
snowdrops are blooming

(c) Chèvrefeuille

What a joy. Notwithstanding the snow, the print of winter, new life conquers it. The snow is melting and the snowdrops, the first messengers of spring, are starting to bloom.

on the thin line
between day and night
both, moon and sun shine

(c) Chèvrefeuille

I hope you will take up this challenge and I love to encourage you all to 'revise' the haiku by Shiki.

This episode of 'Carpe Diem's Revise That Haiku' is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until April 30th 11.59 AM (CET). Have fun, be inspired and share your revised 'Shiki-haiku' with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.
This post you can also find at my new weblog "Ancient Haiku-poets Revisited".

Carpe Diem #81, Nearly Spring (haru chikashi)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What an awesome day I have had today. I had all my grandchildren visiting at my home ... really those Five kids are very busy, but I enjoyed it very much. Yes ... I am a granddad and I am proud on my grandchildren.
I already posted two new episodes of Carpe Diem and I stated that I publish the following episode on December 28th, but I am on a roll and so I publish our next Carpe Diem episode also today. I am sorry ... I can't help it ... haiku is my passion next to my work as an oncology nurse.
We are busy with kigo of 'late winter' and 'nearly Spring' is one of them.

'Look granddad!'
my granddaughter points
at snowdrops

little white flowers
at the feet of the snowman
snowdrops blooming

snowdrops blooming
waving goodbye to Winter
nearly Spring

I love these small white flowers. Snowdrops meaning back to basic, stay strong on earth ... isn't it wonderful?

This prompt will stay on 'til December 29th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode later on today. That will be 'Withered Mums (karogiku)'. Have fun and enjoy writing your haiku and please share your wonderful verses with us all on Carpe Diem.