Shikoku Island

Dear friends,

Maybe you know I am hosting a daily haiku meme at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai (link on the right). At Haiku Kai I have a seasonly feature the so called "season-retreat". At the moment the Summer Retreat 2018 is on and the theme is "finding the way". So I have to create haiku (or tanka) themed "finding the way".

I have created a haiku inspired on this theme about the once in a lifetime pilgrimage of Buddhists along the 88 temples on the Island Shikoku. At Carpe Diem Haiku Kai we did this pilgrimage virtually back in 2014.

Pilgrim on Shikoku Island

Shikoku Island
walking the path of Kobo Daishi –
Lotus from the deep

(C) Chèvrefeuille

I hope to do this pilgrimage once in my lifetime too.

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2018 Peace Within (3)

Dear friends,

At Carpe Diem Haiku Kai our 2018 Winter Retreat is on. A period of 30 days to write haiku or tanka every day on a theme. This year's theme is "Peace Within" and I love to share a haiku here with you inspired on this theme:

one heartbeat
breathtaking views in the Himalayans
only me

© Chèvrefeuille

I love this haiku ... I can see the Himalayans in front of me, I feel the mountain breeze and the silence around me, makes my mind still ... in peace again ... peace within.

See you

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2017 "Life is Beautiful" - lotus flowers

Dear friends,

As you know I am hosting a daily haiku meme at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai and every season I start a so called "retreat", a period of 30 days in which the goal is to create haiku or tanka on a daily base with a theme. At the moment the 2017 Winter Retreat is running and the theme I have chosen is "Life is Beautiful".

So I thought to create a few poems with "Life is Beautiful" as theme, these poems are all themed "Life is Beautiful", but it's not always a poem in winter sphere.

reaching for the sun
lotus flowers blooms from the mud
old pond changes

deep silence
even deeper as the nightingale starts to sing
beautiful life

snow falls gently
covers up the autumn fields
faraway sounds

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Imagination Without Limits

Dear friends,

Welcome at a new post at Chèvrefeuille's Haiku blog. It has been a while, but I had my reasons for that. As you (maybe) know I am the owner and host of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, a daily haiku-meme also here at Blogger.

At Carpe Diem Haiku Kai we are busy with a new month full of beautiful CD Imagination episodes and today I shared an image of Lake Como (by Jonathan Reid) for inspiration. This month I am also experimenting with the haiku form. Say ... trying to create haiku like Santoka Taneda did. Taneda wrote haiku without using the "known" rules of haiku writing. I liked how he "played" with this wonderfull Japanese poetry form.

Let me share the CD Imagination image here with you too:

Wisteria Blues by Jonathan Reid

The above image was shot at Lake Como (Italy). It's a beautiful scene. Look at all those blueish colors and that magic light from the windows. A wonderful scene ...

passion
blue colors
sparkle

© Chèvrefeuille

This is what I call an experimental haiku in the same spirit as Santoka Taneda.

Do you like to write and share haiku than you are invited to visit (and maybe participate) Carpe Diem Haiku Kai at: https://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com

Have a great day.

Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat 2017 departure #13 gone with the wind

Dear friends,

The Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat 2017 is running towards its end, August 15th 10:00 PM (CET) it will be closed, and this retreat I wasn't very active, because of all different reasons, but well ...

However I love to give it a try to catch up, but that means I have to do 18 other posts ... I don't know if that's possible but I will give it a try. Here is my 13th post to the CD Autumn Retreat 2017:

angry at the gods
she torns apart the holy scriptures
gone with the wind

 

post 14:

leaving school
an outcast he is
being gay

 

post 15:

autumn departs
in deep silence willow leaves fall -
tears on this grave
as the willow is green again
another year has gone

autumn in Koyo (Japan)

post 16:

crystal cobweb
sparkles in the early sun
dewdrops vaporize
just a little while
I felt a rich haiku poet

post 17:

broken branches
last leaves ripped apart
autumn departs
the first snow starts to fall
cuddling in front of the hearth

post 18:

reflections
scattered by autumn leaves
the old pond

autumn in Japan

post 19:

searching wisdom
I pray to Mother Earth
before leaving

post 20:

a last leaf
swirls on the wind towards the east -
first snow falls gently

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... that's it for now .... see you

 

Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat 2017 (9) leaving home

Dear friends,

Maybe you have noticed it, but the Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat 2017 is running. This Retreat the theme is "departure" and I think it is a wonderful theme for autumn, but ... and that you will have seen also ... I am not a regular publisher in this Retreat, but I love to change that.

So here is a new "impromptu" verse themed departure:

leaving home
in a hurry
grandfather again

© Chèvrefeuille

No ... I have not become a granddad again, it is a haiku I wrote, because two (2) of my grandchildren had birthday last month. And two (2) other grandchildren this month ...

See you ...

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Autumn Retreat 2017 (8) farewell verse

Dear friends,

Here is entree 8 for the Autumn Retreat 2017:

farewell verse
as I depart from the train station
forget me not

© Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat 2017 (7) leaving home

Dear friends,

As you maybe know I am hosting a daily haiku meme, also on blogspot, titled Carpe Diem Haiku Kai and maybe you know that I am initiating a seasonly retreat every season. The Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat 2017 is running already for a month and I have already read wonderful haiku and tanka, but until today I didn't publish a lot for this autumn retreat, so today that's going to change.
The theme for the Carpe Diem Autumn Retreat is departure, because I associate autumn with departure and leaving or letting go ... not an easy theme maybe, but of course I just want to challenge you and myself.

leaving home
the youngest son of four kids
finally on his own
cherishing the love of his life
being together as one

© Chèvrefeuille

It's a strange idea that the last of your children is leaving the nest ... of course we all know that they have to go one day, but as that day comes it gives you a real feeling of departure ... your life as parents is changing immensely ... an empty nest ...

See you again ...

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2017 (16) Unconditional love

Dear friends,

Maybe you have followed my other blog Carpe Diem Haiku Kai and than (maybe) you have spotted our new Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2017. It's running towards its end and I love to publish here a submission for this Summer Retreat themed Unconditional Love. Love is one of the most important emotions I think, and Unconditional Love is what we need here on our planet, because unconditional love has no boundaries and will always reach out to other people around you and around the world.

without boundaries
I open my heart to spread love
on wings of birds

© Chèvrefeuille

Without love we cannot reach our hands towards people around us. Love is really the only way to reach peace all over the globe.

Spread love,

Chèvrefeuille

Spring Retreat 2017 (5) praying hands

For the CDHK Spring Retreat 2017 "fragile beauty":

praying hands
in front of Buddha
sweet incense
© Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem Spring Retreat 2017 fragile beauty (3) young leaves

Dear friends,

As you maybe know I am hosting a daily haiku meme Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This month we are on our way to Santiago de Compostela following that ancient pilgrimage route, but we also are busy with the Spring Retreat 2017 themed "fragile beauty", 30 days of writing at least one haiku a day to celebrate spring.

Feel free to visit and be part of this 30 days of writing haiku.

such sadness
to see tears on young leaves
the bright sunlight

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Spring Retreat 2017 "fragile beauty" 1 diamonds

Dear friends,

Maybe you have read it somewhere, but else I love to tell you. Every year I organize a seasonly "retreat" and on January 15th I started with the Spring Retreat "fragile beauty". The "retreat" means 30 days of writing (at least) one haiku or tanka themed "fragile beauty".

So here is my first "Spring Retreat" submission:

fresh fallen snow
fragily beauty covers the garden
blanket of diamonds

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Tanka Kukai "Winter Love"

Dear friends,

Here is my submission for the first ever Tanka Kukai at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, my daily haiku meme. This first ever Tanka Kukai is themed "winter love" and here is my submission:

wonderful trees
covered with fresh snow
crystalizing sunlight
the backyard covered with snow
finally a white Christmas

© Chèvrefeuille

If you would like to participate in this first ever Tanka Kukai "Winter Love" than visit the post about it HERE.

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "Find The Silence" #20 the sound of rain

Dear friends,

The Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem is almost over. It runs until December 15th at 10.00 PM (CET), so just a few days to respond. This Winter Retreat was a joy, but also a challenge. Trying to write a haiku or tanka on a daily base wasn't easy, but as I see how many responded than it was for sure a success.

the sound of rain
on the tin roof of the cabin
deepens the silence

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ....

PS. If you would like to participate .... than feel free to visit Carpe Diem Haiku Kai by clicking on the above (fat) link.

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #19 a tanka

Dear friends,

Just a few minutes ago I created a new post for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. In that episode I shared a tanka that was inspired on a piece of music, but it fits also the theme of the Winter Retreat, so I love to share that Tanka here too for the Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem.

heavenly music
resonates through the neighborhood
early sunrise
birds praising their creator
I embrace my love

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 find the silence #16 awakening

Dear friends,

Another submissions for the Winter Retreat at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. This Winter Retreat is a period of 30 days in which the challenge is to create a haiku or tanka every day themed "find the silence".

in deep silence
thoughts tumbling through my mind
awakening

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 Find The Silence #15 hidden glory

Dear friends,

It has been a while that i posted for the CD Winter Retreat, but time isn't at my side. I am a busy guy with a lot to do ...

hidden glory
revealed as the mist evaporates
broken bell

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #14 walk through the forest

Dear friends,

I has been a few days ago that I posted here at my personal weblog. I am (to) busy with my daily haiku meme Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. Yesterday I started with the new month of Carpe Diem. This month I hope to inspire my visitors with classical music of all times and from all over the globe. Therefore for this Winter Retreat I have tried to bring the two things together.

The above music video gives you Ernesto Cortazar playing Beethoven’s Silence.

This music piece inspired me to create the following haiku:

walk through the forest
only the sound of nature to enjoy
ah! that silence

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

PS.: video created by: Erikson Nunes

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 #13 twister

Dear friends,

Well I was on a role I think because I have another nice submission for the Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem:

through the river
twister takes the fastest path -
birds remain silent

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ....

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 #12 New Year's Eve

Dear friends,

Another submission for the Winter Retreat "find the silence" of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Ah! that silence
the first day of a new year
the wind of last year
plays with bare branches
nothing has changed


© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...