September Heights, day 30 free

Inspired by the theme at

 

This is the last day of September Heights, it was a joy to participate in this challenge to write a haiku every day on a given prompt. Today our journey will end and we have to wait 'till April 2013 for a new April Heights.
The prompt for today is free given by Rachana. So I can take this for real and write a haiku on 'free' or I can write a haiku without a given prompt, that's also free I think. But ... I would like to share a few haiku which I have written in the past.

Last Spring I contributed a set of haiku to the haiku-contest of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF) as I did in 2011 and in 2010. In 2010 one of my haiku got a honorable mention which made me very proud. This year ... none of my two haiku got a prize or a honorable mention, but I love both haiku very much and I think they are both wonderful. The VCBF haiku-contest is over so I can post my contribution of this year here.

I love seeing my Cherry Tree bloom. It's almost magical when I see the fragile blossoms open. In the moonlight they look even more fragile ... so wonderful and mysterious.

such fragility
sprouting cherry blossoms
in pale moonlight

cherry blossoms bloom
in the moonlight so fragile
ah! the Spring breeze

Credits: Cherry Blossom in the Moonlight

And to write a haiku on the given prompt free ... well I have to try.

finally free
after a long hot Summer
at last Autumn

at last Autumn
free art of Mother Earth
rainbow leaves

Credits: Rainbow Leaves

Well ... it was really a joy to be part in this September Heights. And if you, my dear visitors, have need for another daily haiku meme ... come visit my new weblog Carpe Diem, seize the day ... you can write a daily haiku on a given prompt. This new daily haiku meme will kick-off October 1st with the first prompt waterfall.

For closure:

I loved reading all your entries for September Heights. I am sure that I have missed a lot of your posts, but ... I hope you will forgive me. During lack of time I couldn't comment on all your wonderful posts. Hope to see you again somewhere, some place ... see you all next April Heights.

Blessed Be.

Chèvrefeuille

September Heights, day 29 battlefield

Inspired by the theme at

Almost over ... counting down the last days of September Heights. Today we have battlefield for prompt. September Heights was a battlefield. Every day we had to write a haiku on a given theme. Sometimes it wasn't easy and sometimes it was. I have read wonderful haiku and (as I read the comments on my haiku) I think I have written nice haiku. There were difficult prompts for me, because  English isn't my maiden language. I tried to write haiku on every given prompt. OK back to the prompt of today.

Source: Samurai

When I read this prompt a haiku written by Basho came in mind. Basho wrote it at an ancient battlefield which he encountered during his 'Narrow Road to the Far North -- Oku no Hosomichi', one of his journeys. This battlefield at Takadachi was now just covered with grass. He wrote the next haiku when he encountered it and cried afterwards.

waving long grass
all that remains of ancient warriors
trace of dreams

(This is a translation of the original by myself: the original haiku in romaji is: natsukusa ya / tsuwamono domo ga / yume no ato)

If you have time ... please read Basho's Narrow Road to the Far North, it's a wonderful haibun. I have read it several times and enjoyed it very much. Every time I read this haibun I encounter new things, new deeper meaning. Really it's worth reading.

Let's go and do some haiku writing on 'battlefield'.

a bridge to far
allies taking the wrong way
peace in reach

unknown soldier
slaughtered on the battlefield
no more dreaming

The Unknown Soldier - Moscow

 
my battlefield
writing haiku every day again
can't find the words

can't find the words
writing in a foreign language
my battlefield

Hm ... quite good I think. Love the differences in these haiku. Enjoy the read.

By the way: October 1st I will kick-off a new daily haiku meme Carpe Diem, seize the day. Be welcome to share your haiku with us.

September Heights, day 28 waltz

Inspired by the theme at

 

Day 28 of the September Heights is on ... it feels already a bit sad to know that this challenge is almost over, but ... well it's not yet over ... so let's go for today's prompt waltz.

courting swans
they move so gracefully
waltzing together

waltzing together 
swaying over the dancefloor
with my wife

with my wife
swaying, so gracefully
like courting swans

Credits: courting swans

Isn't it wonderful? Waltzing, courting swans ... such a wonderful sight. Well ... 'till next day.

Also published and shared on: Haiku my Heart

September Heights, day 27 footprint

Inspired by the theme at

 

The end of this September Heights is almost there. Just a few days to write a haiku. For today the prompt is footprint. With that prompt it must be easy to write a haiku (maybe a few).

next to my footprint
the empty shell of a hermit crab =
Ah! what a sadness

virginity lost -
the tiny footprints of sparrows
in the fresh snow

Credits: footprints

That was my post for today. See you all next day.

September Heights, day 26 paperboat

Inspired by the theme at

Today paper boat is the prompt. A lovely one and it brings sweet memories. As I have told earlier in one of my posts for Haiku Heights I learned about haiku through a colleague of mine when I was learning for being a teacher. She was an origami artist and she brought me the Japanese haiku. Since that day I am a haiku addict and I write haiku right from my heart. So paper boat has to be a good one to write a haiku on.

Let's go do some haiku writing (smiles).

fountain of joy
children playing with paper boats
one sunny day

one sunny day
I folded paper boats with my grandsons
ah! what a joy

ah! what a joy
to see the paper boats sailing
to the horizon

to the horizon
paper boats sailing away
children's laughter

children's laughter
when their paper boats sail
fountain of joy

Well ... counting down ... four days to go and than ... September Heights is over. What a sad idea.

Well ... maybe my new weblog CARPE DIEM, seize the day a new daily haiku meme
The first prompt for Carpe Diem is waterfall and is already on. Come enjoy the fun, share your haiku with Carpe Diem.

September Heights, day 25 sleep

Inspired by the theme at

Good day to you all, my dear visitors,

Day 25 of September Heights is on, the theme is sleep. I can imagine a few haiku on this theme, so let's go for it and do some haiku composing.

midday nap
a hot summer day break
against the cool wall

a butterfly
sleeping on a sunflower
shall he have a dream?

be my friend
blue butterfly on Honeysuckle
I am alone

Source: Blue Butterfly on Sunflower

Well ... almost over this September Heights. 'Till now it was great! Thank you Leo for this treat.

September Heights, day 24 paradox

Inspired by the theme at

This will be a difficult one ... how to write a haiku (or a few) on paradox it's such a abstract word. I have to struggle a little with this one I think, but I will publish a new haiku for today's September Heights.

What is a paradox? It's a contradiction e.g.:

A taste for paradox is central to the philosophies of Laozi, Heraclitus, Meister Eckhart, Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche, among many others. Søren Kierkegaard, for example, writes, in the Philosophical Fragments:

[...] that one must not think ill of the paradox, for the paradox is the passion of thought, and the thinker without the paradox is like the lover without passion: a mediocre fellow. But the ultimate potentiation of every passion is always to will its own downfall, and so it is also the ultimate passion of the understanding to will the collision, although in one way or another the collision must become its downfall. This, then, is the ultimate paradox of thought: to want to discover something that thought itself cannot think [...] (Source: Wikipedia)

Source: Escher's Paradox

what's a paradox?
stairs going up and down
on the same time

what's a paradox?
thoughts without thinking
on the same time

what's a paradox?
haiku is for sure a paradox
different images

different images
seen through readers eyes
haiku paradox

Not so strong I think, but ... I loved writing these series of haiku on paradox.

September Heights, day 23 Hummingbird

Inspired by the theme at

Also published and shared on: Haiku My Heart

What a lovely prompt we have today ... Hummingbird ... It's the smallest bird on Mother Earth's surface. They are such wonderful creatures in so much different colors. I have searched the Internet for a few wonderful pictures of the Hummingbird.

the hummingbird
his wings waving away the wind
looks for nectar

what a pretty sight
a hummingbird searching for nectar
Lily's cup

a passionflower
opens her heart with golden nectar
for the hummingbird

Well ... what a wonderful creature it is. The Hummingbird ... totally one with his nature and his Creator.

See you tomorrow.

PS.: I couldn't retrieve the sources of the pictures. If you are one of the copyright owners of these pictures please let me know ... meanwhile I thank you for using the pictures.

September Heights, day 22 birth

Inspired by the theme at

Ah! Birth ... what a wonderful prompt, but not an easy one to write a haiku about. Well ... I have to try of course I can't allow myself to skip a day ... (smiles).

what a wonder
Mother Earth gives birth
to a new Spring

what a wonder
being there when my child was born -
tears of joy

what a wonder
giving birth to a new haiku
every day again

A New Spring

Well ... it was a tough one to write, but ... well enjoy the read.

September Heights, day 21 glory

Inspired by the theme at

Glory is the prompt for today's September Heights (thank you Jaideep). Another great prompt ... maybe I will write a sequel on the one of yesterday.

his eyes went dark
a journey to heaven started
brought new light

brought new light
in Gods heavenly home
the glory of life

the glory of life
cherry blossoms blooming
above his grave

above his grave
the skylark is glorifying
his Creator 

his Creator
brought new life to the world
my nephew

my nephew
with his sparkling eyes
what a glory

God's Heavenly Home

I hope you liked the read and the continuation of the haiku of yesterday. It's sometimes sad to write such haiku like this, but ... well I love my work ... and take care for these patients out of unconditional love.

'Till next day.

September Heights, day 20 lights

Inspired by the theme at

Today lights is the prompt (thank you Maharukh). You would think 'an easy one', and maybe that's true, but as an oncology nurse I would like to write a few haiku on lights associated with my work in the local hospital. Every day I have to deal with very ill people. Some of them are shortly diagnosed with cancer, others dealing with cancer for a long time. Not only the patients have to deal with their illness, but also their relatives have to deal with it. I hope that this will be a good one.

after a while
several chemo cures further
light in his eyes

light in his eyes
day by day it becomes less
the end is near

the end is near
family and friends gathering
after a while

after a while
eyes become dark, no sparkle
finally heaven calls

finally heaven calls -
he ... has gone ... the pain will be gone
after a while

Credits: stairway to heaven

September Heights, day 19 island

Inspired by the theme at

September Heights day 19 island not an easy one I think, but ... I have to try it.

tropical island
returning to the Garden of Eden
paradise is here

Paradise?

Well ... 'till tomorrow.

September Heights, day 18 starve

Inspired by the theme at

I am a bit late today, but ... well I had other things to do. Today the prompt is starve and it brought memories back of the Haiku Challenge of Few Miles last february when one of the prompts was famine. I had some difficulties with writing than a haiku on the theme, so today ... I hope to do better with starve.

every day again
all around the world children die
through lack of food

starvation 
why? still there is hunger and famine
even in the Western World

a homeless
seeking for food
in the garbage 

in the garbage
thrown away without thought
a Happy Meal

Credits: Children die through lack of food

It's shocking that this ... still occurs in the 21t century. It's just awe full.It makes me feel sick and sad ... Mother Earth's inhabitants dying ... through greed of the worldwide big corporations.

Well ... see you next day.

September Heights, day 17 meadow

Inspired by the theme at

Today the prompt is meadow,  grassland, must be an easy one to write a haiku on. In my country we have great meadows. So let's go do this.

lie down on my back
the perfume of the meadow
makes me drowsy

Well ... do you like this one? See you tomorrow.

September Heights, day 16 grass

Inspired by the theme at

September Heights is a challenge ... and I like this challenge very much. It's really a joy to write an every day haiku on a given prompt today it's grass a wonderful theme I think, but not an easy one ...

every day again
grass grows by itself
and so do I

A good one I think. well see you tomorrow.

September Heights, day 15 Creation

Inspired by the theme at

Creativity as an inspiring source for writing haiku ... hm ... nice prompt. Let's go do this ...

Mother Earth's art
leaves are changing in color
to re-create

creation of our world
with our spirit we can do that
co-creators we are

pillars of creation

Well ... see you all tomorrow ...

September Heights, day 14 revelation

Inspired by the theme at

Isn't it a great haiku month? We are on or way in the second third of the September Heights and today I have to write a haiku on revelation. My first thought at this prompt was 'it was a revelation when I discovered haiku at school' so I will try to write a haiku (or two, maybe three) about how I discovered haiku a long time ago. I discovered haiku when I was studying for teacher in the late eighties. A fellow student saw how I wrote little verses between my notes during the classes. She, by the way, was an artist with origami and had a lot of knowledge on Japan. She pointed me at haiku and gave me a little booklet with information about haiku. When I read that ... ah! it was a revelation ... the little verses I wrote got a name HAIKU. Since that day I continue writing haiku and became a well known haiku poet in my country and since the start of this millennium  I also became Internationally known.

Credits: haiku/haiga

Well let's do this ...

a little verse
caught me in it's flight
ah! a revelation

ah! a revelation
it was when haiku caught me
at college

at college
writing in silent moments
a little verse

a little verse
from the land of the rising sun
caught me

caught me
deep in my heart and soul
a little verse

Not a strong one, but .... I enjoyed writing this cascading one. Hope you enjoyed it.

See you all next day.

Be inspired.

September Heights, day 13 Symphony

Inspired by the theme at

Symphony ... what a wonderful prompt. Thank you Becca of "On Dragonfly Wings with Buttercup Tea" for this prompt. It's not an easy one, but I think I can write a haiku or two, maybe more, with this one.
Symphony? It could be a wonderful piece of classical music, but also the melting together of several sounds, colors and odors. Well ... let's go do it ...

This is the music of one of the most famous symphonies of Ludwig von Beethoven ... his Fifth Symphony with that stunning overture. I love the music of Beethoven and I even have played his music once.

world famous symphony
with a stunning overture
Beethoven's Fifth

Beethoven's Fifth
loses it's beauty
the sound of nature

the sound of nature
Mother Earth's symphony
this serene morning

this serene morning
nature's colors and sounds
world famous symphony

Well ... I think I succeeded in this one, but that ... my dear visitors ... isn't up to me to decide. Hope you enjoyed reading it.

See you tomorrow.

September Heights, day 12 Rain

Inspired by the theme at

Today's prompt is Rain a wonderful prompt, because we are entering autumn and in that season rain falls are very common and often accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. At least ... in my country.

autumn has come
every day heavy rain falls
leaves tolling around

leaves tolling around
covering the streets and gardens
their sweet perfume

their sweet perfume
of dead and decomposing
autumn has come

See you all tomorrow.

September Heights, day 11 divine

Inspired by the theme at

Here it goes ... another day of September heights. Thanks Leo for the opportunity to write every day a haiku on a given prompt. Today ...divine.
Day 11 is on, several years ago the whole world was shocked and shaken by the terrorists attacks on the WTC since than the war on terror is continuing. This, however, isn't the prompt for today. It's divine which means godlike or heavenly. 
What about this prompt else? It could be a divine person such as a high priest or a preacher man. It also can be intervention of a Higher Power so this will not be an easy one, but I have to try ... of course.

divine being
brought eternal love to the world -
Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama
a prince of the people
becomes divine

becomes divine
brought everlasting love
and emptiness

and emptiness
was brought to the heart of town
that day in September

that day in September
did shock the whole world
started a war

started a war
after the crucifixion of a
divine being

Not a strong one I think. Strong in it's images, but it feels artificial. Ah! I enjoyed writing it and that's enough to me.