Carpe Diem's "Remember This Music?" #1, "Take this Waltz" by Leonard Cohen

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

A little while ago one of our family members gave me an idea for a new feature in which the leading role is for "Musical Memories" and I think I have a nice new creation for you all. Today I will introduce to you an all new feature and I have called it "Carpe Diem, Remember This Music?" And as the title already said this new feature is all about memories of music. I think every one has memories in which music plays a role. For example: My wife and I married on a song by Engelbert Humperdinck and I remember the first CD which I bought when the CD-player was introduced. That CD was by Leonard Cohen. Recently I saw a commercial for our Dutch National Railway Company in which a song by Leonard Cohen was used.
That commercial 'triggered' my memory and I love to share that song "Take This Waltz" here with you all.

I hope you did enjoy this wonderful song. I was inspired to write this haiku after listening again to this nice song by Leonard Cohen:

the last waltz -
I saw her again after a while
my first love

© Chèvrefeuille

But that's not all about this new feature .... The goal is to write a four (4) stanza renga inspired on the song you have chosen yourself. You don't need to use this song I shared ... you can take your own song which brings sweet (or sad) memories to you to write that four stanza renga .... So I have to change my haiku above into a four stanza renga ... let me try ...

the last waltz -

I saw her again after a while

my first love

her blond hair waves in the wind

looks like golden sunlight

in the first daylight

as I awake next to her

she looks so beautiful

"take this waltz", she whispers in my ear

and cuddles her naked body to mine

© Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Cuddling

Well ... I hope you don't mind the strong sense in this post ... and now it's up to you to share your "musical memories" for our CD "Remember This Music?" feature. So have fun, be inspired and share your memories with us all here at our Haiku Kai.

This episode of "Remember This Music?" is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until September 30th at noon (CET).

Carpe Diem #102, Sweet Memories

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

During the last months, from the start of Carpe Diem, I have shared some sweet memories with you. For example: sweet memories of my relatives, but also of my work as an oncology nurse. I have a lot of sweet memories and maybe today I will share some of those memories with you.
Today we share haiku on 'Sweet Memories'. I think that every one of us has sweet memories, so I look forward to your haiku for today's prompt.

In December 2011 Wonder Haiku Worlds , a website about haiku, published a first Anthology of haiku shared on that website. It was a surprise to read my own haiku in that worldwide Anthology titled 'Spasms of Light', they used my haiku of course after asking me to. I love to share a few haiku written by me which were selected to become published in this Anthology:

pollard willows
surrounded by the river -
autumn rains

Credits: Pollard Willow

departing
cherry blossom petals fall
without sound

shimmering
between colored leaves
a pebble

Next to these three, seven other haiku were selected for this Anthology. Another sweet memory I have is the holidays with my mom, dad and brother. We had wonderful holidays together. My brother and I used to cycle to our destinations and it was always a joy to be with him. My brother passed away in 1995 at the age of 35. I lost him to lungcancer. I couldn't accept that ... how could it be ... my brother, the only sibbling which I had died at such a young age. He was several years older as me and he always said 'I will always be the oldest of us two'. He was four years older. I had a tough year when I became 36 ... I now was older than my brother ... that was very strange to me.

Of course I have sweet memories of the birth of my children and grandchildren and of the day I married my princess. I have a lot of sweet memories and I hope you have too.

the day I married
sweet memories I cherish
finally got my princess

the scream of a child
in the middle of the night
my son is born

in loving memory
I cherish a picture at my heart -
my older brother

Fresias

grandma has passed away
her sweet perfume of fresias -
Ah! that sweet scent

All sweet memories ... and every new day will bring new sweet memories ... have fun, be inspired and share your 'sweet memories' haiku with us here on Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'till January 23th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our next Carpe Diem Special by Shiki later on today around 10.00 PM (CET). I have chosen the following haiku by Shiki:

harukaze ni o wo hirogetaru kujaku kana

the peacock
spreading out his tail
in the Spring breeze