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Return to activity

Dear readers,

It has been a very long time that I had the opportunity to create a post here. There were always other things that needed my attention, but I hope to return to activity here.

Today I just wanted to share some thoughts. What is haiku? Well it’s that sweet little Japanese poem that caught me back in 1988. I had never heard about it than, but as I started to read about haiku and got to know haiku better I just started to create haiku and shared it in several books and booklets, but that wasn’t enough.

After a few years I started my first weblog and after several years I started a daily haiku meme. Inbetween all those activities I published several of my haiku in international magazines and books. Now, still into haiku, but not only haiku I ran into several other forms of japanese poetry like Senryu, Kyoka, Tanka and Renga.

I really hope that I can publish more often.

Have a great weekend!

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Heeding Haiku With Chèvrefeuille, January 8th 2020, new beginnings

Dear friends of MLMM,

First I have to apologize for not given you a Heeding Haiku With episode last week, there were personal and private circumstances that needed my attention. So Heeding Haiku With escaped from my attention. My excuses.

Than I love to wish you all a wonderful 2020 full of health, love and inspiration. Because of the start of a new year I have chosen the theme “New Beginnings”. Every year brings new things and maybe this year will do that too, but this week I have chosen this theme, because I love to challenge you to create a classical haiku or haibun themed “new beginnings”. As you maybe know in Japanese haiku history there were five seasons instead of four. That fifth season was “New Year” and it was used (roughly) for the period between December 15th and January 15th.

Let me give you the most important classical rules for haiku:

  1. 5-7-5 syllables
  2. use a kigo (seasonword)
  3. use kireji (cuttingword or interpunction)
  4. nature as the main inspiration source
  5. it has to describe a moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown in water
  6. a deeper (spiritual) meaning
  7. the first and third line are interchangeable

The kigo you have to “pick” from the New Year’s season.

butterfly flutters
kisses a rainbow of flowers —
first dream of the year

© Chèvrefeuille

In this haiku you can count 17 syllables, 5-7-5. It’s a nature scene that just lasts for a moment. “First dream of the year” is a classical kigo for New Year. The interchangeability of line one and three isn’t really possible and a deeper meaning … butterfly means “metamorfosis and is also a sign for a short life.

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THIS IS WAR

A well done Solo-Renga

madasahatter572

THIS IS WAR

ancient warrior ghosts
mists over the foreign highlands –
waiting for the full moon

winter moon behind the mists
defiant samurais stand

blood is drawn for peace
clamorous colliding swords
bloodied leaves weigh down

in midst of bloodied battle
tempered swordsmen dueling

many have fallen
a violent death to all –
victorious ending?

spring blossoms bless the fallen
the casualties of war

Response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #41 Soliloquy no Renga ‘ancient warrior ghosts’

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Golden Hush

A wonderful example of a troiku.

Dark Side of the Moon

autumn-leaves

Autumn leaves astir
Whispering their golden hush
Winter’s on its way

Autumn leaves astir
Laughing in the chilly breeze
Thankful for the sun

Whispering their golden hush
Summer work is done
Soon it’s time to rest

Winter’s on its way
Another leaf turns loose
And floats to the ground

November 1, 2017 ~ Troiku
© 2017 Abigail Gronway – All Rights Reserved

Motivated by Linda Lee Lyberg after reading her Troiku: Hunter, and following the link she provided to learn more about this fascinating form.

Photo courtesy of Encore Enterprises, 2017.

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Beautiful Life

Logo_CD_Winter_Retreat_2017_b1e

Dear friends,

The Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai (CDHK) is running towards its end, you can share haiku or tanka at the Retreat until November 15th 10:00 PM (CET), so feel free to visit CDHK and participate.

As you (maybe) know I am also the host of CDHK, but during lack of time I haven’t published haiku or tanka every day for this Winter Retreat. Of course that makes me a little sad, but it’s just that.

The theme of the Winter Retreat 2017 is “Life is Beautiful”, so here is a poem created by me inspired on this them:

a child’s cry
for the first time of its life
spring is here

© Chèvrefeuille

See you … and have a great Sunday.

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In Flanders Field

poppies on the graveyard

Dear friends,

This week I have something new for you here at Chèvrefeuille’s Haiku. I love to challenge you to create a haiku or haibun inspired on a poem by John McCrae “In Flanders Fields”. I love to share that poem:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

© John McCrae

A wonderful poem. I have used this poem several times on other websites I sometimes host. The goal is to create a haiku or haibun inspired on this poem. I will give you an example of a haiku I wrote inspired on this poem:

one summer day
poppies coloring the meadows –
raindrops start to fall

© Chèvrefeuille

And now it is up to you.

Have fun!

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Carpe Diem’s Winter Retreat 2017 “life is beautiful” (2) dewdrops

Logo_CD_Winter_Retreat_2017_b1e

Dear friends,

Yesterday, October 15th, the Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2017 has started. The ‘retreat’ is a period of 30 days and the challenge is to write Japanese poetry every day. This Winter Retreat 2017 is themed “life is beautiful”.

Here is my 2nd poem for this ‘retreat’:

hoarfrost
shimmers in the light of dawn
dewdrops of winter

© Chèvrefeuille

See you …

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Imagination Without Limits at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

Reviving a weblog.

Carpe Diem Haiku Family

Dear friends, haijin, visitors and travelers,

It has been a while that I posted here at Carpe Diem Haiku Family, but that’s going to change. I have found a bit more time to write about my passion, haiku (and other Japanese poetry forms), as I do almost 30 years. I discovered haiku in the late eighties and was immediately addicted to that small verse from the Far East, especially from Japan. I started reading several books about haiku and tried to create my first haiku-like poems.

Now so long after starting haiku-ing I am still addicted to this beautiful small poem. Next month we are celebrating the first lustrum of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, the daily haiku meme I started in October 2012. In those awesome five years I have created several special features and invented a few new ways of creating haiku. For example the Troiku and the Fibo-ku…

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