The Haiku Challenge, day 23

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 23 – February 23rd – Theme: Joy of Giving Form: (ABC, CDE, EFA) - Haiku

Another haiku form I am not so familiar with. I have read some of these on Ramesh's weblog. I love this form, so this is a real challenge for me. But I have to try before I die :-) (just a proverb people use here in The Netherlands).

Joy of Giving

wonderful verses of the Far East

a haiku addict

a haiku addict

writing every day again

verses of nature

verses of nature

every season it's own words

all through the year

all through the year

I enjoy giving my haiku

to the world

to the world

I only can say 'haiku is great'

join the fun

join the fun

throwing snowballs in the street

a child's play

Also contributed to: Thursday Poets Rally

Thursday Poets Rally

Thank you for being here and make your comments on these new haiku.

Sincerely,

My Other Weblog on Poetry

Thursday Poets Rally wk. 61

Thursday Poets Rally week 61

Good day to you all,

Another week has gone by. Another week to Rally is ahead of us. I am glad to be in it again and I hope that you will visit my contribution to this weeks rally and read it with pleasure. I have search for some new haiku to publish here and I think I have a nice set put together.

snow falls softly

the statue of Buddha covered

in white silk

Credits: Buddha in the snow

winter night
a lonesome stray cat
in the old barn


lost in the field
only stars as my compass -
cry of a snowy owl


making love
in front of the fireplace
finally home

Well I am happy with tis set of haiku. A nice little story.

Happy Rally!!

THURDAY POETS RALLY week 58

Another week has gone by. A new Thursday Poets Rally has come. This last week was very busy. My wife had her birthday and all of our childeren and grandchilderen were at our home to celebrate it. It was a great day. We also decorated the Christmastree.
Inbetween these activities finding time to write haiku wasn't easy, but ... I was inspired and excited when I got the Thursday Poets Award for week 57. Another thing to celebrate.

I am honoured to have gotten this award for my haiku and I like to thank all of you who nominated me. Who am I to got this award which I humbly accept.
Well ... back to business. I am preparing a series of blog-items about Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), a haikumaster. I already published the first four parts of this new series, which I have given the title Basho Revisited (for example part one), earlier this week on my blog. In every part of Basho Revisited I am telling something about Basho's life and use a haiku written by him. Writing about Basho is easy, because I love his haiku and I am feeling a kind of bond with him. I also try to write a haiku in the same sense and tone of the haiku by Basho. I hope (and that's the challenge) that my haiku has a little of "Basho's Spirit".
According to fellow haiku poets, my haiku are in the same Spirit as the haiku by Basho. I can't say that of my own haiku, maybe you, my visitors, can tell me.

In part eight of Basho Revisited (not published yet) I used the following haiku by Basho which he wrote in 1676. It's a translation by Jane Reichhold and was published in "Old Pond: Basho's (almost) thousand haiku" also by Jane Reichhold.

essential to life
the little space under my hat
enjoying the coolness

This is a not so well known haiku of Basho. The Japanese hat in this haiku is the so called "kasa".

Credits: kasa

The "kasa" was an umbrella like hat. In some way through wearing this 'kasa' Basho always had his own shady place at hand.

The haiku I wrote in this part of Basho Revisited has the same tone, sense and humour I think.

such a hot day
my shadow needs to cool down
under the willow

Another one with the same theme:

hot summerday
the shadow of the willows
Ah! that coolness

Happy Rally!!

Thursday Poets Rally, week 57

Another week has gone by. The Thursday Poets Rally week 57 has already begun. So another weeks challenge to write a few haiku for this Poets Rally.
Sometimes I don't have enough inspiration to write my haiku, but the last days there was an overwhelming inspiration by reading Haiku Vol. 3 by R.H.Blyth. In our haiku world we call the Haiku series (4 volumes) of Blyth "the Bible of haiku". Blyth has a great feeling with haiku of the ancient masters such as Matsuo Basho and Kobayashi Issa. Vol. 3 of this series is titled "summer-autumn". I love both seasons, but My heart begans beating a little bit harder when it's autumn. So I have chosen a few haiku with autumn as theme.

autumn tranquility

the days shorten
the colourful leaves
Ah! what a sight

mysterious moon
behind thin clouds
leaves falling

tears fall
this autumn day
has gone by
such sadness
without the full moon

credits: moon behind clouds

This series of haiku and one tanka (the last one) made for Thursday Poets Rally week 57

A cold winter day
I think of days gone
and days to come

Sincerely,

The Poetry Palace, thursday poets rally (week 56)

thursday poets rally, week 56

A new week. So again a new thursday poets rally (week 56). I love this rally and I am glad that I have been invited to join. This weeks theme (a theme I choose autumn). I am a haiku poet and the autumn is one of the most lovely seasons (in my opinion). Just like the classic haiku poets I love the autumn moon. In my opinion the autumn moon is the most beautiful moon.

in the twilight
the autumn moon shines bright
on fallen leaves


through the branches
without leaves
the autumn moon


"look daddy!"
the little child yelled
the full moon


through the torn window
I am gazing to the full moon
of late october

Sincerely,

THURSDAY POETS RALLY

A new challenge. The Thursday Poets Rally, part of The Poetry Palace, invited me to join.

The Poetry Palace

Cranes fly
through the evening clouds
what a sight

A lonely flower
my companion
for one night

At sunrise
the sound of church bells -
my morning prayer


Come On! Travel to the The Poetry Palace and look for yourself. Maybe you will join us too?!