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 ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #11 a new day

Dear friends,

As you all know the first Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai is running and I haven't had time enough to publish every day for this Retreat, so my excuses for thst. For today I have a beautiful tanka, if I may say that myself, a little bit immodest ...

silence
listening to the rain
this morning
the birds celebrate
a new day

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 #10

Dear friends,

Another nice haiku for the Winter Retreat, but not in the setting of winter, but in the setting of summer.

the babbling brook
makes me drowsy and happy -
a late summer night

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #9

Dear friends,

During lack of time it wasn't possible to publish every day lately, so my excuses for that. As you all know at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai the Winter Retreat is running. 30 Days writing every day a haiku or tanka themed "find the silence".

Here is my new submission for the Winter Retreat 2016:

rustling leaves
telling stories from all over the world
the silence deepens

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #8

Dear friends,

I am on the nightshift and that means that I have not enough time to write for this or my other weblog. However ... a haiku in which the theme of this Carpe Diem Winter Retreat "find the silence" is used must be done.

I love writing haiku (or tanka) and it's really a joy to create haiku (or tanka) on a daily base. So I just had to do it.

Today I have a nice tanka for you, maybe you have read this one already on one of my other blogs, but as I stated above ... I don't have time enough. This one is from my archives:

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

© Chèvrefeuille

Willow Tree in Autumn

 

See you ...

 



Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #7 a cicada's song

Dear friends,

The Carpe Diem Winter Retreat is almost a week running and I have already read wonderful haiku and tanka inspired on the theme "find the silence". I am grateful that so many of you have found the way to the Winter Retreat ... thank you.

silence found
the colorful sky at sunset -
cicadas sing

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" 6 breathing silence

Dear friends,

Another day to create a haiku or tanka for the Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. For this Winter Retreat, the theme is "find the silence" ... and as you maybe know I have written a lot of haiku themed "silence", it is one of my favorite themes for my haiku (or tanka).

Here is my new haiku for the Winter Retreat:

alone on the beach
only the cries of seaguls -
breathing silence

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" 5 awakening

Dear friends,

Carpe Diem's Winter Retreat has started and it is really a joy to read all those wonderful submissions themed "find the silence". And what a joy it is to create haiku (or tanka) themed "find the silence" on my personal weblog.

Here is my new entree for the Winter Retreat:

in deep silence
thoughts tumbling through my mind
awakening

© Chèvrefeuille

Awakening

See you ...

 

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 Find The Silence #4 mesmerizing

Dear friends,

What a challenge this is ... an every day haiku or tanka themed "find the silence" and today I have tried to create another haiku. Maybe you know Santoka Taneda, he was a so called "free-style" haiku poet and he never used the 5-7-5 count or a kigo. I am a fan of his style so I thought I do a "free-style" haiku this time, or as I called it myself ... a haiku in the Kanshicho-style (in the way of the Chinese poem).

the waterfall
ah! that sound ...
mesmerizing

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ....

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #3 old temple

Dear friends,

Here is my third haiku for the Winter Retreat of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. A period of 30 days in which I will (try to) write a haiku or tanka every day themed "find the silence". If you like to participate in this Winter Retreat than visit: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

an old temple
shelter for the night -
a Nightingale sings


© Chèvrefeuille

The above haiku isn't a recent one it is part of a haibun I wrote inspired on Basho's "Narrow Road Into The Deep North". That haibun was titled "My Narrow Road". Tomorrow I will be back again with another haiku or tanka for the Winter Retreat.

See you ...

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" #2 incense

Dear friends,

The day before yesterday I started the Winter Retreat at my other weblog Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, a period of 30 days writing a haiku (or tanka) every day, themed "find the silence". In my haiku (and recently tanka) silence is a theme I love to use so this Winter Retreat must be easy for me, but 30 days creating a haiku or tanka on silence every day will also be a challenge to me.

deep silence
only whispered prayers -
the scent of incense

© Chèvrefeuille

Incense (image found on Pinterest)

Well ... see you ....

Carpe Diem Winter Retreat 2016 "find the silence" 1 deep silence

Dear friends,

It has been a while, but my other weblog Carpe Diem Haiku Kai takes to much time to publish more often here at my personal weblog.
Yesterday I started the first Carpe Diem Winter Retreat, a period of 30 days in which the goal is to write a haiku or tanka every day themed "find the silence".

Here is my first haiku for this Winter Retreat:

deep silence
only the sound of rain
on my window

© Chèvrefeuille

See you ...

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (30) on the veranda

Dear friends,

This is my last submission for the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat. 30 Days writing one haiku a day are over. It was really a joy.

on the veranda
a yellowish butterfly
the light of sun down

© Chèvrefeuille

See you again.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (29) shooting star

Dear friends,

The Summer Retreat is almost over still three days. It was a wonderful experiment and I have enjoyed launching it and to participate in it.

young leaves
whisper in the evening breeze
look! a shooting star

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (28) such sadness

Dear friends,

My new submission for the Summer Retreat of Carpe Diem, the place to be if you like to write and share haiku.

such sadness
to see tears on young leaves
the bright sunlight

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (27) deep silence

Dear friends,

A new haiku for the Summer Retreat of Carpe Diem:

spring breeze
cherry blossoms dance in the moonlight
deep silence

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (26) cry of an eagle

Dear friends,

My submission for the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 for today:

whispering leaves
telling all wisdom of the steppes -
cry of an eagle

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (25) Black Mamba

Dear friends,

My submission of today for the Summer Retreat of Carpe Diem.

I'm paralyzed

as bitten by a Black Mamba -

awesome sunset

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (24) a jack stone

Dear friends,

Here is my submission for Carpe Diem's Summer Retreat 2016. The Summer Retreat is a period of 30 days in which the goal is to create one haiku a day themed "one with nature". So here is my haiku for today ... and I hope it reflects the theme "one with nature".

a jack stone
sharpened by the brook
a masterpiece of art

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (23) timeless beauty

Dear friends,

Yesterday I received very sad news through the mail. Jane Reichhold, Queen of Haiku, a very dear and close friend and haiku poetess passed away. She was 79. Jane ... Rest In Peace.

As you know I am hosting a daily haiku meme, Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, and back in 2013 I created a few special episodes with haiku by Jane Reichhold. My submission for the Summer Retreat is a haiku I created in response on one of those specials. A small tribute to Jane Reichhold.

timeless beauty -
the glint of polished pebbles
in the crystal brook

© Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (22) ghostly cobweb

Dear friends,

Today I have chosen to create a tanka for you to submit for the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat. I am not a great tanka poet, but I like to use this form on a regular base just to stay in touch with the form.

ghostly cobweb

shimmering in the early daylight

pearls of dew

fainting away when the sun rises

like a phantom

© Chèvrefeuille

Ghostly cobweb

Well ... I hope you did like this tanka. See you tomorrow.

Have an awesome weekend.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (21) sunflowers

Dear friends,

Here is my new submission for the Summer Retreat of Carpe Diem. This time I love to share a "cascading" tanka.

in my garden
sunflowers bow their heads
in honor of the sun
I plant a pair of sunflowers
in the backyard

in the backyard
no sun at all will be seen
only sunflowers
those beautiful little suns
in my garden

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem "Use That Quote" August the month of "the power of words" tomorrow

Dear friends,

As you know I am the owner and host of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, a daily haiku meme. Recently I started a new month full of excitement ... August id themed "the power of words" and the goal this month is to create haiku inspired on quotes by known and unknown people.
Today the quote is by H. Jackson Brown, Jr, an author.

[...] "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today." [...] H. Jackson Brown, Jr

This quote inspired me not at first, but just a few seconds ago I had a revelation and here is the haiku inspired on this quote:

Nightingale

a new day rises
the Nightingale praised its Creator
whole night long

© Chèvrefeuille

A nice one I think.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (20) silence (a haiga)

Dear friends,

Today's submission for the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat is one from my archives, it's a haiga which I created back in 2006. It's one of the first haiga which I made. It shows a Japanese Garden, which once was part of an exhibition of agriculture.

silence
the sound of water
happiness

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (19) so fragile

Dear friends,

Here is my submissions for the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat of today. This haiku is inspired on a haiku by Basho, one of the four greatest haiku poets ever, which I love to share first here:

hatake utsu   oto ya arashi no   sakura asa

plowing a field
the sound of a violent storm
morning blossoms

© Basho (1644-1694)

With this haiku came a preface as was very common in those times:

Preface: 'On March 11, at the shrine of Shirahige in Araki village'. Usually in tanka the words 'arashi' (a violent storm) and 'sakura' (cherry blossoms) are combined in the fear that the blossoms will be blown down in a storm. So the 'wit' here is to combine these words with another (much more common) meaning. 

Plum Blossom

And this is my haiku:

so fragile
the white plum blossoms
in the evening sun

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (18) sweet perfume

Dear friends,

The Summer Retreat of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai is going great and I am happy (as the owner and host of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai) that I started the Summer Retreat. It was just an idea, as once was Carpe Diem to challenge haiku poets to create a haiku a day ... and it happened ...

As a haiku poet I use a "haigo" or "penname" and as you know my "haigi" is Chèvrefeuille (French for Honeysuckle). I am a Dutch haiku poet and I write almost all my haiku in English. I even find it very difficult to create haiku in my own language, Dutch. Sometimes I even think in English and that's sometimes, e.g. at work, a "pain in the a..", but I cannot help it.

Honeysuckle (the English translation of my "haigo" ... Chèvrefeuille

For today's submissions to the Summer Retreat I have chosen to write a haiku in which my "haigo" is used.

sweet perfume
lingers in the warm summer night
Honeysuckle blooms

© Chèvrefeuille

And here is an oldie from my archives:

searching my inner self
following the way of Honeysuckle
path of wisdom*

* Honeysuckle, in her spiritual meaning is the path of wisdom to find your inner self.

See you tomorrow

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 "one with nature" (17) silk tree, a tanka

Dear friends,

As you all know I am a haiku poet and the most poetry I wrote are haiku, but today I love to share a tanka with you. A tanka, is like haiku, an ancient Japanese poetry form, but instead of three (3) lines a tanka is written with five (5) lines.
Several years ago I started to create as they are called "cascading haiku", and nowadays I "re-write" those "cascading haiku" to tanka, or stand alone haiku. Today's tanka "silk tree" is a re-done cascading haiku:

silk tree blossoms

in a soothing summer rain
trembling in silence
silk tree blossoms, so fragile,
in a summer breeze

© Chèvrefeuille

Silk Tree

Well .... see you tomorrow again. Have a great week.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (16) between roses

Dear friends,

Here is my new submission for the CDHK Summer Retreat:

between roses
the sound of a fountain
in the garden

© Chèvrefeuille

monastery

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (15) amazing autumn

Dear friends,

Here is my new submission for the first Carpe Diem Summer Retreat themed "one with nature". This time I have chosen for a whole new haiku inspired on the "free-style" haiku-ing of Santoka Taneda (1882-1940).

Santoka Taneda

Let me first tell you a little bit about this idea of "free-styling". What is different about Santoka compared to Basho, Issa, Ryokan, Saigyo, or Dogen, is that he did not follow the traditional conventions of the poetic form in which he worked. Santoka was a disciple of Ogiwara Seisensui (1884-1976), the leader of the "free-style school of haiku". This school of haiku discarded the traditional use of the season word and the 5-7-5 structure. Instead it opted for a freer verse form. John Stevens, in his book Mountain Tasting (published in 1982), explains that after Shiki's death in 1902, [...] "there became two main streams in the haiku world, one working more or less in a traditional form using modern themes and the other which fell under the 'new development movement." [...]

I think this so called "free styling" is what I mention "Kanshicho-style" in which the rules of haiku-ing are more free interpretable. It's a kind of haiku-ing I like to use and that made me once a renown haiku poet.

still life -
colorful forests
amazing autumn

© Chèvrefeuille

Of course the scene in this one is not really summer, maybe departing summer, but it is created with the the idea of "one with nature".

See you tomorrow.

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2016 (14) cry of an owl

Dear friends,

Summer looks over here in The Netherlands, temperatures are low, a lot of wind and rain, it feels more like spring or autumn, but well ... our Dutch summers aren't known for the warmth, but more for the rain.

30 Days of haiku-ing isn't easy to fulfill, but it looks awesome to see how many haiku and tanka are already linked to the Carpe Diem Summer Retreat ... see for your self, visit the Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Summer Retreat at: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai feel free to participate and share your haiku or tanka with all those poets who are already participating.

Here is my haiku for today:

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

© Chèvrefeuille

See you tomorrow.