Carpe Diem #1466 Contemplation

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you did like our first Imagination Without Limits episode "the blue door" and that it inspired you to create your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form. Today I have a wonderful new image for you that I have given the title "contemplation". Look at the image, let it speak to you, become one with the scenen and awaken your muse.

Here is your image for today:

contemplation

The above image of a young monk praying I use as the wallpaper for my smartphone. It gives me a kind of inner strenght, silence and the feeling that I am following the right path. By the way I find this young monk very attractive. I don't know if you can accept that a guy says this about another guy. Look at his face .... smooth serene soft devoted in deep contemplation he prays for the world and for his own wellness ... He has his eyes open ... with a clear loving and acceptation of all and everything around him. It's a strong face ... full of gratitude ...

his eyes
radiating love
in silence

© Chèvrefeuille (experimental haiku)

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until July 9th at noon (CEST). I will try to publish our new episode later on. For now ... have fun ... awaken your muse.

Carpe Diem #1176 Theme Week Hafiz (2) lover

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today is the second day of the Theme Week for this month in which we are exploring the beauty of Persian (Iranian) poetry especially through the poems by Rumi, Hafiz and Saadi. In this Theme Week Hafiz plays the "leading role" because of the fact that he is one of the most loved Persian poets nowadays. His poetry is used by a lot of Persian (Iranian) people to get answers on "burning" questions.
As we saw yesterday in our first Theme Week episode ... the poems by Hafiz can give certain answers on deeper questions ... and today I think that's also true.

The title of this episode "lover" is extracted from a wonderful poem title "Let Thought Become Your Beautiful Lover" (part of "The Gift"). In this poem Hafiz describes the meaning of prayer through the idea of a beautiful woman. And if you read this poem again (and again) than it's almost a prayer. A prayer in praise of the Creator. Hafiz describes praying as a kind of love.

Persian Lovers (painting)

Let Thought Become Your Beautiful Lover

Let thought become the beautiful Woman.

Cultivate your mind and heart to that depth

That it can give you everything
A warm body can.

Why just keep making love with God's child--
Form

When the Friend Himself is standing
Before us
So open-armed?

My dear,
Let prayer become your beautiful Lover

And become free,
Become free of this whole world
Like Hafiz.

© Hafiz taken from “The Gift” translated by Daniel Ladinsky

A wonderful poem don't you think so too? In this poem I read Hafiz's strong love for all and everything and through his love for God ... he has become free ... Is this what he means in this poem? Praying can set you free ... I think that is possible, but I think not everyone will "learn" that from this poem ... it's maybe not the answer on your question ...

Praying

I dived in to my archives and found a few haiku and a tanka in which the "answer" from the poem by Hafiz can be found. I realised while I was searching through my archives that I had written a lot of haiku (and tanka) about praying and prayer.

praying hands
stronger than weapons
I believe
praying to a Higher Power
gives me strength

© Chèvrefeuille

in deep prayer
eyes closed in devotion -
Lotus starts to bloom

deep silence
only whispered prayers -
the scent of incense

Praying Eagle

praying hands
seeking the wisdom of the Lord -
cry of an eagle

scent of Jasmine
the sound of a gurgling brook
my mind in peace

praying to the gods
offering them the gifts of nature
peace of mind

© Chèvrefeuille

Another beautiful poem by Hafiz we have explored in this episode. Hafiz is really one of the greatest Persian poets I think. I hope you did like this episode and that I have inspired you.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until March 25th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our next episode, morning breeze, later on. For now have fun!

Carpe Diem Special #182 Ese's third "in the darkest hour "

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am a happy guy, because my PC is brought to life and so I can do what I love to do ... writing posts about haiku ... to inspire you all.

Today I have another wonderful haiku created by Ese of Ese's Voice for you.which she wrote in response on the haiku by another featured haiku poetess here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, Kala Ramesh. Kala Ramesh was our featured haiku poetess in this year's April.

Ese wrote the following haiku in response on this haiku by Kala:

morning prayers
the rising sun between
my hands

© Kala Ramesh

I remember that it was one of the first haiku which I read written by this beautiful Indian haiku poetess and I was immediately in love with her work as many of you I think.

the sun between my hands

Ah ... looking back and re-read post from our rich CDHK history is really a joy and this one is very special ...

Ese wrote the following haiku inspired on the one by Kala ... and I think she did a great job ... what a beautiful haiku this is:

in the darkest hour
wishing upon the morning star
just like years ago

© Ese of Ese’s Voice

This haiku is a real beauty ... you can feel the strong emotions hidden deep below the surface of this haiku, maybe Ese wrote this as a kind of tribute to someone she dearly loved or missed. But there is also a feeling of hope and new beginnings in this one ... One can feel the sadness, tears and the pain of loosing. At the other hand ... one can feel the strength ... the power to rise again like a phoenix starting to enjoy life again. As I read and re-read this haiku ... tears roll over my cheeks ... I am really touched by this haiku ... it brings sweet memories back to loved ones I lost during my life ... I can almost feel the presence of my brother who died more than 20 years ago ... he was 35 yrs as he passed away. He was my older brother and I had a hard time as I became 36 ... the age he never has reached.

the moon is rising

silvery waves resonate
in tune with my heart

© Chèvrefeuille

in deep prayer
eyes closed in devotion -
Lotus starts to bloom

© Chèvrefeuille

Two beauties found in my archives ... and here a new one inspired on this beautiful haiku by Ese.

prayers rise
on the wings of an eagle
reaching for God

© Chèvrefeuille

I hope this episode will inspire you to compose, create, write an all new haiku (or tanka). This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until November 19th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our new episode, a new Carpe Diem Haiku Writing Techniques, later on. For now ... have fun!

Carpe Diem #23 praying

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we have praying for prompt in our Carpe Diem haiku meme. Praying is a powerful craft to seek support in difficult and sad times. I think everyone, if you belief or not, prays sometimes. I myself pray when I can't decide on something I have to do or to seek support by a Higher Power. I don't believe in God, but I believe that there is something I use to call 'Higher Power' or 'Spirit'.
As you maybe know I am an oncology nurse and when I had to graduate for it I had to do a research. I researched the need for spirituality and religion for patients with cancer. That research was an eye-opener ... patients with cancer had a big support of their religion or spirtuality. They even felt a better person notwithstanding their illness.

Credits: Praying

Praying ... not an easy one to write a haiku about, but I think I can of course write a haiku about it. Let's go doing some haiku composing on praying.

praying hands
stronger than weapons
I believe

I believe
praying to a Higher Power
gives me strenght

praying eagle
looking for his prey
in the meadow

in the meadow
a campagnol seeking for food
will become food

praying eagle
dives down to the meadow
catches a campagnol

This prompt will stay on 'till October 24th 11.59 AM (CET). I will post our new Special Prompt #4, another haiku by Basho today around 10.00 PM (CET)

This is the Special Prompt haiku by Basho:

falling to the ground
a flower closer to the root
bidding farewell