Writing with Chiyo-Ni (5) - "waterweed" - July 26, 2014

Today's is the last July post dedicated to the famous woman haiku poet Chiyo-Ni at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.  Let's have a look at hr poem:

waterweed
floating away, despite
the butterfly’s weight on it

© Chiyo-Ni

This haiku brought to my mind the image of the flow of life, which continues to flow despite the ups and downs of emotional "interference" ... whether they be joyous, sad, frightening or enraged ... emotions flair, but pass and like floating weeds life continues.

the river flows
under the bridge endlessly
though mosquitoes bite

the branch floats by
playing ducks squawk and dive
on river Sarca

(C) G.s.k. '14

Writing with Buson (4) - "flowers of the plum" - July 20, 2014

Buson was a haiku poet but was more famous for his painting and haiga (painting with haiku).  Here are two examples of Buson's haiga offered to us by Carpe Deim Haiku Kai (for more information and another painting click the link.)

sekizoro o suzume no warau detachi kana

year-end mummers
are a sight to make
the sparrows laugh

© Matsuo Basho (Tr. Addiss)

Sekizoro Singers by Yosa Buson

This is a haiga painted by Yosa Buson for the world famous haiku ''frogpond'' by Basho:

Haiga ''frogpond''

Buson wrote almost 3000 haiku in his lifetime and was a master of observation, due his painting skills. This is today's haiku prompt:

Sumizumi ni nokoru samusa ya ume no hana

in nooks and corners
cold remains:
flowers of the plum

© Yosa Buson (tr. RH Blyth)

This is Chevrefeuille's haiku dedicated to Buson:

fresh fallen snow
reflects the light of the full moon -
first plum blossom blooms

© Chèvrefeuille  

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One of the main products of our area are plums ...

late spring cold
surprises the first plum blossoms

in Sarca valley

Writing With Shiki (3) - "reeds tremble" - July 18, 2014

Today's post is dedicated for the third time to Shiki.  Chèvrefeuille put this little known haiku up for our inspiration:

meigetsu no deru ya yurameku hanasusuki

at the full moon's
rising, the silver-plumed
reeds tremble

© Masaoka Shiki

Thinking of the full moon, and here in the Carpe Diem post, we find that the moon is an autumn kigo, I'm going to attempt to write a haiku in Shiki's style:

shimmering moon light
along the lake front
the willows weep

© G.s.k. '14

silver moon rise
over the eastern mountains
enlightened valley

©G.s.k. '14

I loved how Chèvrefeuille took us on a tour of the moon throughout the seasons.  It was a perfectly delightful post and I would recommend you click the link on his name in the beginning of my post and visit the Carpe Diem site directly ... it's a wonderful read.

Writing with Issa (3) - "sky light" . July 17, 2014

For today's visit with Issa, Chèvrefeuille from Carpe Diem Haiku Kai tells us:

"Today we have our third haiku by Issa and as I have told you earlier this month .... Issa looked very closely to nature and respected even the most little creatures such as mosquitos and flies. So for this episode I have an extra challenge for you all. Write/compose, by stepping into Issa's footprints, haiku about the littlest creatures on earth. So you have to write/compose a haiku about bugs. It's not easy I think, but maybe it helps to go outside and grab some earth in your backyard to discover the little creatures living in it."

Here are four haiku written by Issa to be used as a guiding inspiration:

sore abu ni sewa wo yakasu na akarimado

don't be mean
to that horsefly
skylight!

cha no mizu mo kakehi de kuru nari hotaru kuru

from the tea water's
water pipe also comes...
a firefly

tôshi tamae ka hae no gotoki sô hitori

let him pass
like a mosquito, a fly...
solitary priest

hae uchite kyô mo kiku nari yama no kane

while swatting a fly
today again...
the mountain temple bell

 ©  Issa

between lettuce

I spot a mating pair of flies -

no salad today

searching for insects

my grandson scoops up the mud

in the fresh puddle

sultry summer evening

the sound of buzzing insects

deepens the silence

© Chèvrefeuille

 

Now, my attempt:

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watch the honey bee
gathering sweet nectar
faithful subject

rain on the skylight
little spider waits
to repair her web

the leaf bends
under its welcome burden
buzzing bumble bee

invisible
tiny green caterpillar
hides beneath the leaf

© G. s. k. '14