Carpe Diem #342, ''In Light and Darkness''

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in which I love to share another nice piece of music composed by Adrian von Ziegler ... I hope you liked the ''pagan-metal'' piece of yesterday and I hope (of course) that you like the new composition ''The Light and Darkness'' ... It's a strong piece of music in which Adrian has caught ''good and evil'' and has brought them to balance.

Adrian calls this kind of music ''emotional music'', it's a one picture video and the picture shows two lovers sharing all their emotions in light and darkness, or for the bad and the good times. This music brings that balance into your life and will help to make your relation stronger I think. That's what I am feeling as I listen to this music. I hope it inspires you to compose nice haiku. Here is my attempt:

forever together
in good times and bad times -
unconditional love

unconditional love
between two lovers
forever together

Not a strong set, but it gives words to what I feel as I listen to this music. Have fun, be inspired and share your new haiku inspired on ''In Light and Darkness'' with our haiku-family here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. By the way: I am hopelessly behind with commenting ... please forgive me. I hope to catch up soon.

This episode will stay on until December 8th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Ashes, later today around 7.00 PM (CET). !! This episode is open for your submissions today at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #21, 'the moon is rising'

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Last month we had all wonderful Tan Renga Challenges a whole month long, and now back to our regular Tan Renga Challenge. As always the regular Tan Renga Challenge is every week on Friday. And for this Friday I have chosen a haiku written by myself.
The goal of this Tan Renga Challenge is to write the second stanza (7-7) as a continuation of the first stanza or as a completion.

the moon is rising
the silvery waves resonate
in tune with my heart

(c) Chèvrefeuille, your host

Well ... to complete my own Tan Renga isn't that difficult, but it will than be a Tanka and not a Tan Renga.

Here is my attempt to complete this Tan Renga, in my case, this Tanka:

the moon is rising
the silvery waves resonate
in tune with my heart
     in her deep brown eyes
     stars are reflected

Well ... what do you think about this Tanka? It's now up to you to complete or continuate the Tan Renga which is started by me. Have fun, be inspired and share your completed Tan Renga with us all here at our Haiku Kai. This episode will stay on until December 13th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post a new Tan Renga Challenge than around 7.00 PM (CET). !! NOW OPEN FOR YOUR SUBMISSIONS !!

Carpe Diem #341, Nidhöggr

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our featured musician, Adrian von Ziegler, shares with us a music video titled "Nidhöggr" it's a bit stronger than the other music-pieces I shared until now. Adrian calls this music "Pagan-Metal" it's a great piece of music and I like it a lot, but had difficulties with the writing of a haiku inspired on this music-video. So ... no haiku by me ... and I am looking forward to all of your nice haiku inspired on this music.

This episode will stay on until December 7th 11.59 AM (CET) and is open for your submissions later on today around 7.00 PM (CET). I will post our next episode, In Light and Darkness, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET). Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us.

Carpe Diem #340, ''beautiful dreams''

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you enjoyed our first Carpe Diem Special by Hando yesterday ... I enjoyed it for sure and I have read wonderful haiku inspired on the one by Hando. But today we are going further on our adventure into the musical world of Adrian von Ziegler, our featured musician for this month''s prompts.
We all dream, that''s a fact and as I look at myself ... my dreams are always centered around the deeper layers of haiku. Several times I dreamed about Basho, my haiku master, and in my dreams he and I are travelling companions and I do learn a lot of him. And I hope that in my haiku his spirit always is present ... in my opinion his spirit is always with me and even sometimes as I am writing haiku, new ones of course, than sometimes it turned out that the haiku I wrote was once written by Basho ... I don''t know how that''s possible ... I think Basho and I are both bound together ...

Today the music-piece I have chosen to share with you for your inspiration is titled ''beautiful dreams'' ... enjoy the music and let it be a source of inspiration.

A very nice and lovely piece of music I think in which the Celtic culture is reflected. The Celtic culture is Adrian''s source for inspiration and during this month of musical prompts I will share a lot of those pieces of Celtic music.

This piece of music inspired me to write the following haiku:

two hearts beat as one
the master and his disciple -
Basho and I

Basho and I
never have met in life,
but in my dreams

A nice set I think ... come on enjoy the music and let it be a source of inspiration for you to write your haiku, senryu, tanka or kyoka. Have fun, be inspired and share.

This episode will stay on until December 6th 11.59 AM (CET) and is open for your submissions at 7.00 PM (CET) today. I will publish our new episode, Nidhoggr, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem Special #65, Hando''s ''Listening with another''

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we have our first Special haiku for this month. This month our featured haiku-poet is Hando. Hando was a modern haiku-poet with a mission. And he was also a Father of the church. As you all maybe know the goal of the Specials is to write an all new haiku in the same tone, sense and spirit as the given haiku.

Today our inspirational haiku is the following:

listening with another
to the music of the mountain stream;
there is no other

(c) Hando

My attempt to write a new haiku in the same tone, sense and spirit as the one by Hando ...

living water
inbetween mountains -
balance ... at last

(C) Chèvrefeuille

And now it''s up to you my dear Haijin, visitors and travelers. This Special episode will stay on until December 5th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, beautiful dreams, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET).
This Special episode is open for your submissions at 7.00 PM (CET). Have fun, be inspired and share your inspired haiku with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Carpe Diem #339, Crann Na Beatha

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today I have our first Celtic Music piece by Adrian von Ziegler. I am a great fan of this Celtic music and I have once written a novel with strong Celtic influences and I had to listen to some Celtic music to be inspired to write that novel.
So today I love to share this piece of music titled "Crann Na Beatha" which means "The Tree of Life'. Also an image which I used in that novel.I told you about earlier in this episode.
As you maybe remember, back in May, we had our Tarot-month and in that month I told you all several times about the "Tree of Life" as an image for the Kabbalah. So in this episode several ways come together. I hope you will like this music.

A wonderful piece of Celtic Music I think, but ... well I am a fan of that ancient culture ... so to me it's always beautiful music. I hope this music will inspire you to share your haiku ...

ancient times riveve
as the Celtic fearies dance
around the Tree of Life

around the Tree of Life
ancient mysteries evolved -
Magic comes alive

Not a very strong set of haiku, but I liked writing these haiku and now it's up to you all ... be inspired and share your haiku with our Haiku Kai.This episode will stay on until December 4th 11.59 AM (CET) and is open for your submissions today at 7.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #338. Qi (or Chi)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What an awesome start of this new Carpe Diem Haiku Kai month ... it''s great to read all of your wonderful haiku inspired on the music by Adrian von Ziegler, our featured musician. He has composed wonderful music ranging from meditative and relaxing to metal. He has a great ability to write music which, at least myself, touches people.
Today our music piece is called Qi (or Chi) and is caught under the name ''world music'', as did our first episode of this month.
Qi or ''life-energy'' is a commonly known spiritual thought as you maybe know. In traditional Chinese culture, qi (also chi or ch'i) is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as "natural energy", "life force", or "energy flow". Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. The literal translation of "qi" is "breath", "air", or "gas".

Concepts similar to qi can be found in many cultures, for example, prana and cit in Hindu religion, mana in Hawaiian culture, lüng in Tibetan Buddhism, ruah in Hebrew culture, and Vital energy in Western philosophy. Some elements of qi can be understood in the term energy when used by writers and practitioners of various esoteric forms of spirituality and alternative medicine.

Adrian has tried to touch that ''life-energy'' in his music. This following video is a one-picture video, but it is a strong picture to look at. So sit back, close your eyes and listen to Qi composed by Adrian von Ziegler.

And it inspired me to write this haiku:

in deep silence
sitting on the top of the mountain -
life energy flows again

Hm ... yes I think that''s what this music brought me ... I feel new strength ... new energy ... cool ~!!

This episode will stay on until December 3rd 11.59 AM (CET) and I hope to post our next episode, Crann Na Beatha, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET). !! This episode, Qi, is NOW OPEN for your submissions !! Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us all.