Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (6) a river breeze (Matsuo Basho)


Dear friends,

As you (maybe) know I am participating in the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016, themed "one with nature" and I love it. However it isn't easy to create every day a new haiku for the Summer Retreat and today I am making it myself easy. By the way it's to hot her in The Netherlands to sit a while behind the PC. It's around 35 degrees Celsius, finally summer, but this heat ... well I will not complain, because until last weekend the Dutch summer was a disaster with a lot of rain and low temperatures.

As I said ... I have made it myself a little easy today. I love to share a haiku by my sensei, Matsuo Basho, and a haiku written by me inspired on that one by Basho.

Here is the haiku by Basho:

kawa kaze ya   usu gaki ki taru   yu suzumi

a river breeze
the one wearing a light persimmon robe
enjoying the coolness


© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

Basho wrote a preface to this haiku: "Enjoying the cool breeze on the bank of Shijo, an observance is practiced from the beginning to the middle of June. A special floor is set up right on the river, and people enjoy drinking and eating all night. Women tie their sashes correctly tight, and men wear their formal long coats. I see even the apprentices of a cooper and the blacksmith. They seem to have too much leisure time, singing and making noise. This is probably a scene which can only be seen in the capital (Edo, now called Tokyo)".

Summer in Japan

And here is my response inspired on that beauty by Basho:

observing the crowd
having fun on the seashore
almost naked

© Chèvrefeuille

I love the full beaches in summer. Everyone has fun enjoying the warm summer and the coolness of the sea. Children laugh making sandcastles, grown ups reading, playing, drinking, eating and laughing. Summer is a wonderful season and I think ... everyone enjoys it.

Well ... that's my submission for today for the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat. Feel free to step in and participate, you are welcome.

See you ...

3 comments:

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Only "almost naked"? Why not all the way? ;)

humbird said...

Love this idyll of seashore and colorful crowd, nice haiku.

Anonymous said...

A great day then, nice!