Carpe Diem's Make the haiku complete #5, ''departing geese''

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to present you a new episode of "make the haiku complete". I think that I have a nice (tough) challenge for you all.
For this episode I have chosen to challenge you to write a second line towards a given haiku. This time it's really a hard challenge, because writing a second line is more difficult than writing a 1st or 3rd line to complete a haiku. To make it even more difficult ... the second line must be 7 syllables, as is the "rule" for the classic haiku.

Here is the haiku to complete:

full moon of winter
................................
departing geese

Well ... good luck. Have fun, be inspired and share your completed haiku with us all here at our Haiku Kai.
This episode will stay on until January 25th 11.59 AM (CET).

And here is my attempt to complete this haiku, I almost forgot it so therefore it's at the end of the post.

full moon of winter 
completely invisible - 
departing geese

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem #365, Yaroslavl



Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are on our way to Vladivostok, the last station on the TSR, but not soon, because we have just taken the Trans Siberian Railroad (TSR) yesterday and now we are entering Yaroslavl Glavny, the main station of Yaroslavl, it's a major stop for numerous passenger trains traveling between Moscow and the other regions of Russia each day. And it's also the first stop of the Trans Siberian Railroad.

Yaroslavl Glavny

Let me tell you something more about Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl is the administrative centre of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located 250 kilometres (160 mi) northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities northeast of Moscow that has played an important role in Russian history.The city lies in the eastern portion of Yaroslavl Oblast. The historic center of Yaroslavl lies to the north of the mouth of the Kotorosl River on the right bank of the larger Volga River. The city's entire urban area covers around 205 square kilometers includes a number of territories south of the Kotorosl and on the left bank of the Volga. With over 600,000 residents, Yaroslavl is, by population, the largest town on the Volga until it reaches Nizhny Novgorod. It is a large transport node, and a great number of important national and regional roads, railways, and waterways pass through the city. 


Volga frozen

Yaroslavl and its respective oblast are located in the central area of the East European Plain, which in areas to the northeast of Moscow is characterized by rolling hills and a generally uneven landscape; however, most of these hills are no larger than 200 meters (660 ft) in height. Typical for this region, the area in and around Yaroslavl is rich in mixed and coniferous forests. In addition to these, there are also large areas of swampland.  

Swampland

Yaroslavl and its local area has a typical temperate continental climate, in comparison to central and western Europe. This makes for a climate with more snowy, colder, but dry winters, and typically temperate, warm summers.

And were is 'Aleph'? Let me tell you something about this phase of our journey ... Hilal and Paulo have met eachother, but their first encounter wasn't easy. It was Hilal who approached Paulo with a little story she had printed from his blog. In his blog Paulo tells a story about two friends. The first is in need of money and asks his friend for some cash. His friend however asks him a favour and a task to fullfill. As he has fullfilled the task his friend gave him the money saying: "There will become a time that I will ask you a favour in return".
Someday he, the money-giver, knocks on the door of his friend to ask him his favour in return. "It's not about money", he says. "It's about friendship will you please help me?"

Isn't it a nice little story (I took the freedom to use other words to make it fit for our episode of today)? As I read it again, and again ... my thoughts are on a run. I realise that I haven't a lot of friends, but the friends I have are friends for life.
Friendship is a major need in our lives ... and I see you, my dear haiku-family, as my friend. I cherish you all and I hope you do that in return to me.

Trainstation

Hilal and Paulo have once met eachother in another life ... maybe we have met eachother earlier in another life. I don't know, but it feels as if we know eachother for a lifetime and I am glad that I feel that ... we are bound together by our love for haiku and I hope that bond will stay on for a lifetime and even further than a lifetime.

squealing brakes
resonate through the station
childhood memories return

childhood memories return
as I see the Siberian Train stop -
first train trip ever

first train trip ever
I am excited to meet new friends -
squealing brakes

What a joy to share this memory with you ... I was really excited as I went on my first train trip ever. I remember that it was a trip to my grandparents in the northern part of The Netherlands and I was overwhelmed by the sounds I heard at the train station.I didn't know were to look ... so much new things to see ... I think that from that day on I was fascinated by trains and started with my model trains.

This episode will stay on until January 5th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Volga River, later on today. !! Yaroslavl is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) !! Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Carpe Diem's Revise That Haiku #4, Shiki's ''a basket of grass''

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to share an all new episode of this unique feature "Revise That Haiku", I know I am a bit late, but well December was a busy month and I hadn't time enough to prepare the extra features of Carpe Diem.

An all new challenging episode of this feature is at the point to start. For this episode I have chosen a haiku by Shiki (one of the four greatest haiku-poets ever). I have titled it after the first line "a basket of grass" and it's a wonderful haiku, a real Shiki. It's an example of Shiki's haiku-art, very different from the other haiku-masters.
By the way, did you know that Shiki gave haiku it's name? Until Shiki haiku was known as haikai or hokku and with the rising of Shiki's star he became a master with insight and power in the Japanese poetry-scene. So he had the power, an accepted and respected power, in Japanese poetry. So he could give haiku it's name. Since Shiki all haikai and hokku became known as haiku.

Masaoka Shiki was bedbound because of tuberculosis

kusakago wo oite hitonashi haru no yama

a basket of grass,
and no one there, -
mountains of spring

(c) Shiki

How wonderful the world is, that a basket of grass, by itself, should be able to give us the meaning of the spring mountains. The mere fact that there is no one with the basket is enough to throw us back into the arms of nature. When we are entirely alone with nature, and conscious of it, we feel an emotion that can be explained only by a contradiction, yet it is a single, elemental feeling. On the one hand it is a feeling of loneliness; on the other, it is one of fullness. It is like breathing in and breathing out at one and the same time. (This is also what the meaning is of the 'Aleph' which we are searching for in our Trans Siberian Railroad month.) The spring mountains are so far off and yet so near; infinite, yet in one's breast; eternal, but of this present moment. (This also can be the explanation of the 'Aleph').

A Basket of Grass

To revise this haiku will not be an easy task, but I have tried it, of course (smiles):

in the arms of nature
resting like a little child -
scent of fallen leaves

(c) Chèvrefeuille

It's not only close to nature, it's nature itself were we are part of. Nature is in us, nature is in haiku. The beauty and sweetness of nature is just awesome ... let us hope that nature will be staying part of our life.

For our new contributors I will explain the goal of this feature. The goal of 'Revise That Haiku' is to write an all new haiku that's close to the original. So it's a challenge ... not an easy challenge, but it's a joy to look in a different way to a haiku of one of the classic haiku poets.
Have fun, be inspired and share your 'revised' haiku with our haiku-family.

Look for other episodes of 'Revise That Haiku' at:

#1: Basho's 'Old Pond'
#2: Taigi's 'arranging the plum-flowers'

This episode of 'Revise That Haiku' will be staying on until January 24 th 11.59 AM (CET) and is NOW OPEN for your submissions.

Tan Renga Challenge #25, Angie's "fair-colored windows"

Good day dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

While we are on our way on a journey straight through the Soviet Union we have also other features to deal with here at Carpe Diem. One of the features is our weekly Tan Renga Challenge and today we have a little celebration, because this is our 25th regular Tan Renga Challenge.

This week I have a nice haiku for you which was written by Angie of "Angie Inspired". She wrote this haiku in response on "beautiful dreams" by Adrian von Ziegler. And as I read it ... I was in love with this haiku and I just had to use it for our Tan Renga Challenge.

Colored Windows

For those who are new here I will explain the goal of this Tan Renga Challenges. The goal is to write a second stanza of two-lines (following 7_7 syllables) towards the haiku given. It's the goal to write that second stanza by associating on the starting haiku. I hope you all understand the meaning of this feature.
The Tan Renga to complete is a haiku written by Angie ... here is that haiku:

fair-colored windows -
the barren break forth in song
better than words

(C) Angie

And here is my second stanza to complete this Tan Renga:

looking into her eyes
I see the depth of our love

(C) Chèvrefeuille, your host

This second stanza was inspired on the fair-colored windows, because the eyes are the windows of our soul. And I was inspired to let this Tan Renga be part of our journey in which we are searching for the "Aleph".

To let both stanza melt with eachother thè Tan Renga becomes:

fair-colored windows -
the barren break forth in song
better than words                            (Angie)

looking deep into her eyes
I see the depth of our love.                     (Chèvrefeuille)

I think it has become a wonderful Tan Renga and I  am looking forward to your continuation of this Tan Renga. This Tan Renga Challenge will stay on until January 10th 11.59 AM (CET) and is NOW OPEN for your submissions. Have fun, be inspired and share your completed Tan Renga with us all.

Carpe Diem's Special #70, Alexey Andreyev's "Evening sky"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to share our first Carpe Diem Special by Alexey Andreyev (1971- ), our featured haiku-poet from Russia. Next to his skills as a poet he has also skills as a painter and as a mathematician. He has a degree in Mathematics. By the way ... I hope you all like our new logo for the Specials.

evening sky --
over the city lights
stars hardly seen

(c) Alexey Andreyev

Of course you know what the goal is of these Specials? But I will tell it anyway (smiles), because there are a few new contributors. The goal of these Specials is to write, compose an all new haiku inspired on the one given by our featured poet in the same sense, tone and spirit as the one given. Not an easy task, but it's a challenge to look in another way to the writings of fellow haiku-poets both classic and modern.



Over the City Lights Stars hardly seen

A wonderful "out of space" photograph from citylights, stars and Aurora Borealis ... a gorgeous photo which inspired me to write the next haiku in response of the one by Alexey Andreyev. I hope it's in the same sense, tone and spirit ...

at the horizon
just outside of the city
the Milky Way

Or this one, more in tune with the photo:

out of space look
city lights completely neglect
Aurora Borealis

Well ... did you like them? Let me know.

This Special episode will stay on until January 4th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Yaroslavl, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET).
!! This Special episode will be open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

Carpe Diem #364, Yaroslavsky Terminal Moscow

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you all have had a great start of 2014 and a great start for our new month of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. I am happy that you have responded on our first prompt "Aleph" with nice haiku, because I really thought that it was a very difficult prompt, but ... I have read wonderful haiku and that makes me always happy.
Today we will start with our journey straight through the Soviet Union with the Trans Siberian Railroad (TSR). We are taking the TSR at Yaroslavsky Terminal Moscow and will soon be on our way.




Credits: Yaroslavsky Terminal Moscow

Yaroslavsky station (Russian: Яросла́вский вокза́л, Yaroslavsky vokzal) is one of the nine main railway stations in Moscow, situated on Komsomolskaya Square. It has the highest passenger throughput of all the nine Moscow stations, serving eastern destinations, including the Russian Far East. It is the western terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest railway in the world. Its name originates from the ancient city of Yaroslavl, the first large city along the railway, situated 284 km along the railway from Moscow.
The first Yaroslavsky station was built on this site in 1862, next to the Moscow's first rail terminal.
The existing Neorussian revival building facing Komsomolskaya Square was built in 1902–1904 by Fyodor Shechtel. The main departure hall beneath the fairy-tale roof connected directly into the boarding concourse. In 1910, its platforms and concourse were expanded by Lev Kekushev. Two major additions, in 1965–66 and 1995, further expanded station capacity. Currently, the station serves around 300 pairs of trains daily.

Violin (a Dutch site)

On this station Paulo Coelho meets his Russian Publisher for a journey straight through the Soviet Union to visit his readers. It's here he meets Hilal for the very first time, a young female violin-player, Hilal wants to be with him on this journey and during the journey Paulo and Hilal becoming closer and closer and it's becoming clear that they have known eachother and were in love in a earlier life.

Well ... of we go on our first part of our journey straight through the Soviet Union with the TSR up to Vladivostok and finally we will arrive at Shikoku Island.

sound of a violin
resonates through the train -
cry of an eagle

cry of an eagle
grows, grows, and bursts into my ears
the train starts rolling

the train starts rolling
screams of goodbyes resounding
under the roof

Not a strong trio, but I liked composing them. Well ... it will grow further during our journey and the haiku will become better ... now it's up to you.
This episode will stay on until January 3rd 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our first Carpe Diem Special of this month, a haiku by our featured Russian haiku-poet Alexey Andreyev, later on today.
!! Yaroslavsky Terminal Moscow is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) !!

 

Carpe Diem #363, Aleph, the journey begins

 

 

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

 

I love to wish you all a wonderful, uplifting, loving, spiritual and inspirational New Year and I hope that you all will stay in good health and of course ... I hope you all will stay part of our haiku-family.

 

Today this is the "kick-off" of our new Carpe Diem month in which we will make a trip straight through the Soviet Union on the Trans Siberian Railroad. As I have told you all in the introduction of the prompt-list for January (HERE) we will travel with in our hands the novel "Aleph" by Paulo Coelho. So our first prompt for this month (and the very first of 2014) is "Aleph, the journey begins". By the way I found a nice book review video on You Tube about "Aleph" and I love to share that with you all.

 



"Aleph" is written by Paulo Coelho (a Brazilian author) in 2012. I am a big fan of his writings. He writes with a kind of spirituality and enthusiasm. Two years ago, when I was on holiday in Turkey, I have read "Aleph" and a week ago I started reading it again. It's a very personal story and again full of spirituality and philosophy.

In his most personal novel to date, Paulo Coelho returns with a remarkable journey of self-discovery. Like the main character in his much-beloved The Alchemist, Paulo is facing a grave crisis of faith. As he seeks a path of spiritual renewal and growth, his only real option is to begin again—to travel, to experiment, to reconnect with people and the landscapes around him. Setting off to Africa, and then to Europe and Asia via the Trans-Siberian railroad, he initiates a journey to revitalize his energy and passion. Even so, he never expects to meet Hilal. A gifted young violinist, she is the woman Paulo loved five hundred years before—and the woman he betrayed in an act of cowardice so far-reaching that it prevents him from finding real happiness in this life. Together they will initiate a mystical voyage through time and space, traveling a path that teaches love, forgiveness, and the courage to overcome life’s inevitable challenges. Beautiful and inspiring, Aleph invites us to consider the meaning of our own personal journeys. 

Synopsis of Paulo Coelho's "Aleph":

In Aleph, Coelho writes in the first person, as a character and a man wrestling with his own spiritual stagnation. He's 59 years old, a successful but discontented writer, a man who has travelled all over the world and become widely acclaimed for his work. However, he can't shake the sense that he's lost-and deeply dissatisfied. Through the leadership of his mentor "J.," Coelho comes to the conclusion that he must "change everything and move forward," but he doesn't quite know what that means until he reads an article about Chinese bamboo.Coelho becomes inspired by the thought of how bamboo exists only as a tiny green shoot for five years while its root system grows underground, invisible to the naked eye. Then, after five years of apparent inactivity, it shoots up and grows to a height of twenty-five meters. Taking what sounds like advice he's written in his previous books, Coelho begins to "trust and follow the signs and live [his] Personal Legend," an act that takes him from a simple book signing in London to a whirlwind tour of six countries in five weeks.Filled with the euphoria of once again being in motion, he commits to a journey through Russia to meet with his readers and to realize his lifelong dream of traveling the entire length of the Trans-Siberian railroad. He arrives in Moscow to begin the journey and meets more than what he's expecting in a young woman and violin virtuoso named Hilal, who shows up at his hotel and announces that she's there to accompany him for the duration of the trip.When Hilal won't take no for an answer, Coelho lets her tag along, and together the two embark on a journey of much greater significance. By sharing deeply profound moments lost in "the Aleph," Coelho begins to realize that Hilal can unlock the secrets of a parallel spiritual universe in which he had betrayed her five hundred years earlier. In the language of technical mathematics, Aleph means "the number that contains all numbers," but in this story it represents a mystical voyage wherein two people experience a spiritual unleashing that has a profound impact on their present lives."Aleph" reads as a movie. The reader is part of the journey and learns to look at his (or her) own journey,  called life.

Aleph, is the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet

 

Today's prompt "Aleph", based on the novel by Paulo Coelho, isn't an easy one. It's really a challenge I think to write a haiku inspired on this wonderful novel by Paulo Coelho. I have read it several times in the meantime and I found it stunning, very spiritual, very intense and very personal. I can't remember that in his earlier novels he was the main character in the story. In "Aleph", he himself is the main character.

I am an author too and I can recall the first novel I wrote in 2007 titled: "Netsach, the universe of the seven magical worlds` in which I unknowingly became the main character as my readers told me later.

 

lives collide
Inner Fire burns
in the Aleph

in the Aleph
searching for my past
with the one I love

with the one I love
in the middle of the Aleph
lives collide

This wasn´t an easy one, but I loved writing this cascading haiku inspired on `Aleph` by Paulo Coelho.

This first episode of our new month Carpe Diem Haiku Kai will stay on until January 2nd 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Yaroslavsky Terminal Moscow, later on today around 7.00 PM (CET).!! Aleph is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) !!