Carpe Diem #71, Cold Crow (kangarasu)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day on Carpe Diem. Today our prompt is 'Cold Raven (kangarasu)' and I think that this very common bird (all over the world) can be a source for inspiration.

Credits: Crow, Raven

In the Japanese saijiki, the word crow (karasu) without further modification is not included, since it is with us noisily all year round.

In Western Japan, they come mostly in Autumn to feast on the kaki, the persimmons. They also swoop down in spring, when the yamataroo, a kind of large caterpillar , are descending in the millions to feed on the chestnut leaves, thus themselves becoming a delicious food for the crows. They have an elaborate network in the northern province of Okayama and know exactly where to go on the days people put out the trash in the cities (still mostly open on the curbs...) and when the local delicacies in the fields and woods are ripe.
In the big cities, they are quite a nuisance these days, picking at the trash on the curbs and spilling it all over the place while they eat. After them come the stray cats to feed some more, then the rats to finish off the rest.

Credits: Magpie, Pied Crow

After the A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the crow was associated with ill-fate or bad-fate or bad luck, foreboding future... which may keep "crow" from not being kigo in Japan.

Ravens, rooks, crows, and the like have quite a mythology associated with them in many cultures, some positive, some negative, but almost always powerful.

There are several examples of haiku with Crow as theme e.g.:

on dead branches
crows remain perched
at Autumn's end

(c) Basho (1644-1694)

Or this one written by Issa (1716-1783):

winter wind -
he can't find his roost
the evening crow

And one by Buson:

winter withering -
crows are black
herons white

And I am sure there are a lot of other haiku poets who have written haiku on Crows or Ravens.

Well ... here it goes ... my own take on this 'Cold Crow':

black spots on white
looking like the Dutch cows -
cold crow in the snow

making loud noise
cold crows between bare branches -
winter has come

Credits: Crows in the Snow

This prompt will stay on 'till December 17th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt (a reprise prompt) Mandarin Ducks (oshidori) later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and creative and share your haiku with Carpe Diem's daily haiku meme.

Carpe Diem #70, Hawk (taka)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are almost halfway our third Carpe Diem month December. I have read wonderful haiku and haiku series on the classical Japanese kigo which are the prompts for this month. It's really awesome as I read all your nice haiku. It makes me proud and humble that I may be your host.
I will publish a new Carpe Diem Preview one of these days in which I will look back at the first half of this month.

Credits: Hawk in Winter

Today our prompt is Hawk (taka) and I am looking forward to your haiku. As I was preparing this episode I sought for a few examples of haiku with Hawk in it. I ran into the next haiku by Buson. It's a haiku with humor in it and I enjoyed reading it and could see the imagery in my mind.

kakitsubata betari no tobi no tarete keru

an Iris
with a Hawk's droppings
splashed over

Also Issa provided us with a nice haiku with Hawk in it:

otsu-e no oni mo niji to ya nukume-dori

even the painted devil
won't look ... little bird warming
the Hawk's nest

Explanation for this one by Issa:

On cold winter nights, Hawks capture small birds and sit on them to keep their bottoms warm, releasing them in the morning. Is this mere folklore or is it real animal behavior?
Issa suggests that the Hawk is a greater devil than the devil in the picture: a nightmarish child-snatcher whom even the devil fears to look upon.

Credits: Japanese Devil

Isn't it a wonderful prompt? In my region of The Netherlands, the Low lands, we can spot often Hawks whole year through. So let's go composing some haiku.

between bare branches
high above the white world
Hawks looking for prey

little bird caught
the Hawk is warming his butt -
stove warms my feet

Well ... I liked to write these haiku on our prompt Hawk (taka) for today. This prompt will stay on 'till December 16th 11.59 AM (CET) and later on today I will publish, 'cold crow (kangarasu)', our new prompt around 10.00 PM (CET).

Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with Carpe Diem's daily haiku meme.

Carpe Diem #69, Year Market (toshi no ichi)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

When I was preparing this month's list of prompts I ran into a wonderful prompt 'Year Market', the first thing I thought was that's on Christmas fairs, but that isn't completely true. As I sought further I found a better name for this prompt ... Toshi No Ichi translated means 'Last Market of the Year' and that, my friends, sounds better. Japan has a big tradition on 'markets and fairs'. Whole year through there are lots of fairs and markets where you can go to. Toshi No Ichi was really the last market of the year. At that market the Japanese bought decorations and ornaments for the New Year's Celebrations for low prices. After Toshi No Ichi there weren't any markets organized 'til after the festivities for New Year.
Toshi No Ichi can be compared with our Christmas Fairs as they are organized in the days before Christmas. On these fairs all kinds of goods are sold for the Holidays and New Year's Eve.

Credits: Christmas Fair Barcelona

Credits: Winter Fair York

Toshi No Ichi

It's always a joy to walk over these Year Markets ... brings me to the Christmas feeling. I have written the next haiku as a response on this theme for today 'Year Market (Toshi No Ichi)':

wandering over the fair
feeling Christmas deep inside
Gluhwein (*) warms my heart

(*) warm red wine with Clove and Cinnamon, a delicious hot drink especially for the winter holidays.

This prompt will stay on 'til December 15th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt today around 10.00 PM (CET). Than our prompt will be: Hawk (taka).

Have fun! Be Inspired and Creative. And ...  SHARE ...

 

Carpe Diem #68, winter grasses (fuyu kusa)

Dear Haijin, visitors, travelers,

!! Sorry I am a little late with publishng this post. I was to busy to publish it on time !!

Another new day has come, after a wonderful Special by Buson, we continuing our journey through the classical winter kigo. We have mid-winter kigo ... today our prompt is 'Winter Grasses (Fuyu Kusa).
The word 'kusa' is used for all kinds of grass, weeds, herbs, wild plants, wild flowers and such. With 'fuyu' in front of it becomes 'winter grass' or in a broader meaning 'winter plants'. I have used this kigo for mid-winter, but it can also be used for all plants and such of the whole winter season.

When I was looking for haiku on 'winter grass' I ran into a wonderful haiku by Issa. Not a haiku on 'winter grass', but more of Spring.

waga kuni wa kusa sae sakinu sakura kana

in my province
grass blooms too ...
cherry blossoms

I found a haiku by Buson on 'early winter grass':

aki sarike ikukani narinu kareobana

the day has come
when Autumn is over
dead pampas grass

OK ... back to our today's prompt 'winter grass (fuyu kusa)'. Grass in winter looks yellow, light green or even brown. It's cracking beneath your feet when it is frozen and it becomes green again when covered with snow for a long time.

the grass under my feet
once covered with fresh snow
feels like velvet

Credits: Winter Grass

after the frosty night
the long pampas grass looks like
fragile crystal

Winter Grass

Aren't it nice haiku? The above picture is taken in my own country Netherlands when we had a big pack of snow. We have that kind of heavy snow fall often.

A last one:

pampas grass
bows beneath the snow
for Mother Earth

This prompt will stay on 'til December 14th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will publish our new prompt around 10.00 PM (CET) and that will be ... 'year market (toshi no ichi)'.

Have fun. Be creative and inspired and I hope you will share your wonderful haiku on Carpe Diem.


 

Carpe Diem Special #11, Buson - fruitless blossoms

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to read all your wonderful haiku on 'New Year's Eve'. I have read wonderful haiku inspired on the prompt of yesterday (New Year's Eve). Today I will post our next Carpe Diem Special (no. 11) written by Buson.
I will only give the haiku by Buson and will not write a new one today. I have some lack of inspiration, maybe later on.

This is our new Carpe Diem Special:

adabana wa ame ni utarete uri batake

fruitless blossoms
are beaten by the rain
in the melon fields

I hope to read wonderfully composed haiku inspired on the one by Buson. Have fun and share your haiku with Carpe Diem. 

This prompt will stay on 'til December 13th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode of Carpe Diem with the prompt 'winter grasses (fuyu kusa)' later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Carpe Diem #67, New Year's Eve (toshi no yo)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are gliding into our second part of this Carpe Diem month with classical kigo. The next ten days the kigo which I have chosen are all kigo for mid winter. In the middle of winter the year is changing and we have New Year's Eve (toshi no yo). New Year''s Eve is our prompt for today.

In classical Japan (following the Lunar calender) there was a fifth season ''New Year", and this season was from approximately 20 december 'til 20 January. I have a few haiku which have been written for this season:

I have selected a few haiku from other haiku poets than the ones I have used 'til now:

the Great Morning:
winds of long ago
blow through the pine trees

(c) Onitsura

The Great Morning is the morning of New Year's Day.

for this New Year's Day
the sightwe gaze upon shall be
Mount Fuji

(c) Sokan

And a last one:

the first sunrise
there is a cloud
like a cloud in a picture

(c) Shusai

All wonderful haiku on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

OK ... let's do it myself ...

after New Year's Eve
life hasn't changed a bit -
another year gone

listen! listen!
the sweet silence
the day after

New Year's Eve
fireworks enlightens the sky -
bad ghosts flee

This prompt will stay on 'till december 12th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post the new Carpe Diem Special today around 10.00 PM (CET). Another wonderful haiku written by our haiku master of this month Buson.

This is the new Special haiku:

adabana wa ame ni utarete uri batake

fruitless blossoms
are beaten by the rain
in the melon fields

Have fun, be inspired and share your creativity with Carpe Diem. By the way: I have a busy week, so it's possible that I haven't time to comment on your post. I will catch up later on.

Carpe Diem #66, Winter Camellia (kantsubaki)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today we are leaving 'early winter' and start with 'mid-winter', the second ten days of our December month on classical Japanese kigo. Our first 'mid-winter' prompt is Winter Camellia.

Camellias are evergreen shrubs, bloom in autumn and winter, and very popular because of their great beauty because of their flowers, form and also foliage. They grow in a habit form, have glossy leaves and exquisitve form. Most Camellias at first were imported from Europe but now are grown in gardens from southeastern Virginia thru the Carolinas to Florida an along the Gulf Coast and even along the Pacific coast.

Credits: Camellia

What a wonderful flower this is ... the Camellia ... so fragile and beautiful. Another picture of a Camellia.

Credits: Camellia in Winter (Kyoto)

Awesome, just awesome ...

I found a few nice haiku on Camellia written by Issa:

pachi-pachi to tsubaki saki keri sumi keburi
 
snap and crackle
the Camellia blooms
the coal fire smokes

(c) Issa - 1803

amatsusae umi e mukatte fuyu tsubaki

also facing
the sea ...
winter Camellias

(c) Issa - 1803

hi no me minu fuyu no tsubaki no saki ni keri

without seeing sunlight
the winter Camellia
blooms

(c) Issa - 1803

All wonderfully crafted haiku ... especially the last one I enjoyed very much ... it's a masterpiece I think.
Let's try it myself  

loaded with snow
the deep red Camellia
in the backyard

in the shadow
of the snow packed pine
a Camellia 

winter colors
Camellias blooming -
snow falls

I love it, I love it ... what a joy to write haiku inspired on this classical Japanese Kigo ... really it's a joy. I hope that you, my dear haijin, do love it too.

This prompt will stay on 'till December 11th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new prompt New Year's Eve (toshi no yo) around 10.00 PM (CET) today.