The Haiku Challenge day 29, the last day of the Challenge

Day 29 – February 29th – Theme or Word: Journey

This it ... the last day of the Haiku Challenge. It was a real Journey to write an haiku every day on a given theme. It wasn't always easy, sometimes even tough to write, but I succeeded every day again.
Today this Journey will come to an end and I have to wait for a possible new Haiku Challenge next year. I will surely miss it. It was fun and a pleasure to write an every day haiku or some other haiku form if asked. There was e.g. the Pi-ku and the Naisaiku haiku forms I wasn't familiar with. And what about the Acrostic haiku ... that (for sure) was a challenge.
 I loved doing this and now ... well just a last change to write for The Haiku Challenge 2012. I will thank Someone is Special for giving us the opportunity to write our deepest feelings and write haiku. Haiku ... my passion. I love to write haiku and for sure I will write haiku the rest of my life and maybe ... some Pi-ku, Naisaiku and Acrostic haiku too.

Today ... my last change to write another set of haiku to share with you all. This set of haiku must be very special, because it's the last day of The Haiku Challenge. So let's do it.

Someone is Special asked us "to leave your footprints" that's what I have done and I will use that line in one of my haiku here.

It was a pleasure to be part of this Haiku Challenge.

Namaste

a little verse
to leave my footprint on the Internet
scent of Honeysuckle

scent of Honeysuckle
makes me slumberous
dreaming of passion

dreaming of passion
while walking along the seashore
with the one I love

On a Journey, along the Lord's Roads

with the one I love
I undertake a journey
into oblivion

into oblivion
with my pencil and paper
a little verse

It was my pleasure to share this with you and I hope that all who visited my haiku-blog will continuing reading and writing haiku or one of the other haiku forms we encountered.
With sad feelings struggling with happy feelings I remain silent and humble.
Well ... maybe we meet again ... some day, some place, until than ... God Bless.

Sincerely,

Chèvrefeuille

 Chèvrefeuille a.k.a. Kristjaan Panneman

PS. I hope this will not be the end of all your visits here. Please drop in sometimes.

The Haiku Challenge day 28

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 28 – February 28th – Theme or Word: YOUR BLOG NAME FORM: Haiku + Form of your Wish

Chèvrefeuille or Honeysuckle

Chèvrefeuille's Haiku-blog is the name of my weblog. It's my 'Nom de Plume' Chèvrefeuille. With that pseudonym I follow in the footsteps of the classical haiku masters as e.g. Matsuo Basho and Kobayashi Issa. As Chèvrefeuille I write haiku since the start of this millennium. Before that I wrote my haiku as Kristjaan Panneman (that's my real name) and became a well known Haiku Poet in my country.
Since I am using my nom de plume I became also an international known haiku poet. Several years ago I started my first weblog Chèvrefeuille's Haiku-blog on Blogger. Now a days I have four weblogs all about haiku or other poetry forms.

For todays challenge I have written the following set of haiku:

scent of Honeysuckle
arouses my senses
this hot summer night

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.

midsummer night
Honeysuckle in full bloom
Ah! that perfume

(Chèvrefeuille is French for Honeysuckle)

Another one:

scent of Honeysuckle
the smell of dew on her flowers
Holy incense

Well ... see you tomorrow when the last day of The Haiku Challenge is on ... I shall miss it ...

Sincerely,

The Haiku Challenge day 27

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 27 – February 27th – Theme: Paint the Image

Photo Clicked by Siva of: Siva's Art Work

What does this Image tell me? What do I see? I see a fence, it's open. Is it a fence that closed a concentration camp or ... something else. Could this open fence stand for freedom of thought, freedom to live your own life. It looks like an opening to reach out to freedom. On the fence I see a Star of David, the Jewish symbol. In the distance I see a farm ... it looks like this was a concentration camp, the most of them were situated on the countryside. Further I see fallen leaves, brown colored so the season must be Autumn or early Winter. The sky is grey, it's a sad mood this image brings up to me, but also a happy mood, because the fence is open and freedom beckons.
This will be a tough challenge I think, but ... I have said that so many times during this Challenge and I always succeeded. So this time ... well we shall see.

unlocked fence
walking towards the countryside
finally free

brown leaves
rustle through the corridor
David's Star rises

closing the garden
no one to disturb my thoughts -
Virginia Creeper



See you tomorrow.

The Haiku Challenge day 26

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 26 – February 26th – Theme: Paint the Image

Inspirational Image from: Google Images, Author: Unknown

This is a very touching photo, so full of pain and misery, but also full of love. As I see it ... this young boy has to take care for his younger brother or sister. They have no place to go. Maybe they have lost their parents through hunger or war. So they live on the streets and their home is a stairs. How to write a haiku to paint this image? This is a tough one I think.

near starvation
living on the streets of the world
brotherly love

brotherly love
stronger than ever now they are alone -
like swans



Like swans a lifetime together



like swans
a lifetime struggling together
against hunger

Well ... see you again tomorrow for another Haiku Challenge Day.

The Haiku Challenge, day 25

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 25 – February 25th – Theme or Word: Cult Form: - Haiku

Today's challenge, write a haiku with the theme or word "cult" and the haiku form I have to use is 3-5-3. This is a complete different scheme as is common for haiku. Haiku, in the classical form has three sentences of 5-7-5 syllables. So this will be a tough challenge. No ... that's bullsh.., because I write in the so called Kanshicho style. That style has no strictly rules for the syllables. So this must be "a piece of cake" for me. I hope so.

Well ... I had to search for the definition of cult and for synonyms for cult. The meaning of cult "group sharing belief" and I found the following synonyms: body; church; clan; faith; following; religion; persuasion. A long row of synonyms which I can use for today's challenge.

This is tougher than I thought.

Honeysuckle

can be wonderful -
persuasion

my religion
faith of Mother Earth
blooming plum

the old church
a shelter for the storm -
the butterflies

See you again tomorrow, for another challenge day :-)

The Haiku Challenge day 24

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 24 – February 24th – Words: Dream Walks Thanks to Rachana Shakyawar of Humming Today because the phrase 'Dream Walks' was coined from her poem

Dream Walks ... This I associate with the Vision Quest. But as I went on search of Dream Walks on the Internet I ran into organized walks for cancer. What to do ...?
I just write a few new haiku with both meanings in it.

against cancer
walking with each other
Dream Walks

Dream Walks
while walking, my thoughts go to
my brother's spirit

Credits: Vision Quest

bringing alive
the inner child within me
on a Vision Quest

on a Vision Quest
searching for the roots of my life
in my far past

See you tomorrow for a new challenge :-)

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

The Haiku Challenge, day 22

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 22 – February 22nd – Theme: Paint the Image...




Photo Clicked by Enosh of: Enosh Bansode Photography

I don't know if this is the right Photo, but ... I have used this one to write a new contribution to the Haiku Challenge.

at sunrise

trees waving in the cool breeze

another hot day

another hot day

I am looking for shade

under the willow

under the willow

I laid down my tired head

dreaming sunrises

I read these wonderful comments of my visitors and than realized that a really had used the wrong picture. Well .... I have to revise this one, but I am not going to delete this picture and the haiku. I will place the correct photo here and write a new contribution.

Credits: Enosh

ankle chimes
listen to the movement
of the young dancer


a ballerina
dances through the streets
sound of chimes


sound of chimes
through the midsummer night
fading away


See you tomorrow for another challenging haiku day.

The Haiku Challenge, day 21

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 21 – February 21st – Theme: Dedication

This is a tough one. I had to search for the meaning of dedication and some synonyms. I can't write a haiku without that information. So ... let me try this one.

in the old temple

man can feel the devotion

of the monks

with faithfulness

monks resonating their mantra

for the Boddhisatva

dedicated

to the doctrine of emptiness

the monks keep silent

in every flower

I can see the hand of God

that's devotion

dedicated

to ancient Japanese poetry

I am a haiku poet

'Till tomorrow

The Haiku Challenge, day 20

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 20 – February 20th – Quote: Live out of your imagination, not your history

Imagination or fantasies of the mind. Haiku isn't imagination it's about real life. It paints with words a tiny little moment as short as a pebble thrown in the water. In just an eye blink the haiku poet composes his haiku. But this is The Haiku Challenge so haiku can be a way to compose with words your fantasies.

Life has been good to me and I had a wonderful youth. Memories that are close to my heart. I don't live out on my history ... so let's go ... I will write a few haiku right from the heart and out of my imagination.

my imagination

walking on a sunny beach

another day gone


laying in the sand
with the love of my life
totally naked


totally naked
sharing body fluids
sand on my buttocks

walking in moonlight
hand in hand with my love
the sound of the sea


the sound of the sea
accompanies a French kiss
her delicious scent

I live out of my imagination and not my history. I just imagine how it should be when I lived with my family in the Caribbean. I see the white beaches, I feel the sun on my naked body, the ocean wind through my hair, the shade of the palm trees and the music of the Caribbean. Awesome I think. Maybe this year I will visit the Dominican Republic with my lovely wife. Maybe ... my imagination as painted with the words of this series of haiku will become reality and if so ... it will become a part of my history.

See you tomorrow.

The Haiku Challenge day 19

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 19 – February 19th – Theme: Seasons Type: Kigo

Well today's challenge is fun. Write a haiku about your favorite season and use the classical Japanese Kigo (or season words).

Also published for: Poets United The Poetry Pantry #88


I haven't a favorite season, but if I have to say a favorite season than it should be spring or autumn. Why? Spring because of the feeling to be reborn and Autumn because of the moon. The moon of autumn is, in my opinion, the most beautiful.
For today's challenge I will write haiku about every season (including the classical Japanese season New Year).

New Year:


New Year's eve
through the bare branches
the wind as always

Spring:


after the darkness
I am longing for the young leaves
and cherry blossoms


the blooming cherries
watching them in the moonlight
it's magical


under the cherry trees
a gathering of families
cherry petals fall

Summer:


leaving the beach
sands on our backs and buttocks
at sunrise


the shortest night
a shallow depression
and used condoms


after the heat
cooling down in the rain
almost naked


the cool rain
washes away the moisture
of the hot night

Autumn:


crystal vase
all colors of the rainbow
chrysanthemums bloom


what a sad day
drizzling rain and dark clouds
colorful leaves


behind the clouds
hides the almost full moon
the scent of rain


cloudless sky
at midnight the blood moon (*)
breathtaking


(*) the full moon of October, also called Harvest Moon

Blood Moon

weeping willow
in the autumn sunlight
a golden tree

Winter:


snow falls
on colored leaves
departing autumn


Buddha
covered with fresh snow
still smiles


deep frozen lake
the sound of scratching skates
children's laughter


snow melts
the crow moon (*) rises
at last spring


(*) the full moon of March is called Crow Moon or Lenten Moon

Crow Moon

as always
seasons come and go
the moon stays the same

Sorry ... as you can see I was inspired. Hope you enjoyed reading this series of haiku on seasons. :-)

See you tomorrow again ... be inspired and write your verses right from your heart.

The Haiku Challenge day 18

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 18 – February 18th – Theme or Word: Famine

This isn't an easy one to do I think. First I had to find the definition of famine, because I didn't know that word. I found that famine means hunger and starvation. To find another word with the same meaning I search on synonyms for famine and I found the following synonyms: poverty, misery, scarcity and starvation. With those words I think I can write a haiku (or maybe a few haiku), but it is really a tough one. So I hope that the following haiku are OK.

the cold winter

birds in misery

heavy snow

an old cow stable

a place for refugees

what a poverty

scarcity

water birds freezing 

severe winter

Mother Earth cries

every day her inhabitants

starving of hunger

What a sad Challenge today. It wasn't easy and these series of haiku aren't masterpieces I think, but they are all very strong. (By the way: these are written in Kanshicho-style).

Credits: The face of Poverty

Until tomorrow. 

The Haiku Challenge, day 16

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 16 – February 16th – Theme or Word: Sin Form: Haibun

This is a wonderful Challenge Day, because I may write a haibun one of my favorites. The total amount of 150 words ... I don't know if I can manage that ... well we will see.

This is also contributed to: The Gooseberry Garden Poetry Picnic


IMPERFECTION

I am an oncology nurse. I see very ill patients every day. It sometimes feels as a sin to do what the physician wants me to do. Of course the goal is to make the patient healthy again, but there are lines I don't want to cross. Patients, e.g. with lung cancer, are at the end of there strength and nevertheless the physician wants to do everything. I can understand that. Physicians are healers, but not to all costs. Very ill patients not becoming healthy anymore must have the chance to die in peace and with a certain quality of Life and in dignity. Patients must have a perfect way to die. I think it's a sin, an imperfection, to cross the lines and take the patient's dignity and quality of life.

death can be a friend
the savior of very ill people -
a flower of light

See you tomorrow ... for another challenge day.

The Haiku Challenge, day 15

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 15 – February 15th – Theme: Paint the Image
Inspirational Image from: Google Images, Author: Unknown

A new Challenge day, today day 15 ... paint the image.

after the game

an abandoned football

smiling from the mud

the game is over

all levels played

with a smile

in the muddy water

a smiling ball looks up to the sky

rain broke the game

This wasn't easy. It's a lovely picture, but it was a tough one to write haiku about. Thank you for the inspiration you have given with this lovely picture.

See you tomorrow.

The Haiku Challenge, day 14

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 14 – February 14th – Theme or Word: Love or Valentine

Valentine's day, a day to send cards to secret lovers or give gifts to the one you love. But ... who was Valentine? I did some research on Valentine.

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is a holiday observed on February
14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.
The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").

Saint Valentine (in Latin, Valentinus) is the name of several (14 in all ) martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name "Valentine", derived from valens(worthy, strong, powerful), was popular in Late Antiquity. Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name and that he was buried on the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14, he was born on April 16. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name. For this reason this liturgical commemoration was not kept in the Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969. But "Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those with him at Rome" remains in the list of saints proposed for veneration by all Catholics

Well ... now I know a little bit more of Saint Valentine's Day. Now I can write a few new haiku for today's haiku challenge :-)


behind the clouds
the mysterious moon
'be my Valentine'


Valentine's Day
the postmen brings love cards
someone unknown

newly weds
eating oysters
under the plum tree


her lovely face
smiling at me in the mirror
'love you forever'


newly weds
under the blooming cherries
Ah! how lovely




Until tomorrow :-)

The Haiku Challenge, day 13

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 13 – February 13th – Theme: Paint the Image
What a beautiful smile by my Nephew Ashik, Today is his 2nd Birthday :-) Photo Clicked by Someone is Special of Few Miles

Paint the image is the task for today, day 13 of The Haiku Challenge. It's a wonderful picture and it inspired me to the following series of haiku.

the little boy
playing with a balloon
"it's the full moon!"


big white balloon
makes the little boy laugh
after his tears


the future
is here and now full of joy
a little child laughs


See you tomorrow.

The Haiku Challenge, day 12

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 12 – February 12th – Theme or Word: Colors Form: Naisaiku

I am not so familiar with the Naisaiku so I had to read the way to do at the Naisaiku-blog. First I thought "this isn't my kind of poetry", but when I read the way to write Naisaiku again I thought "this is fun and so close to me".
The Naisaiku uses the real classical haiku in which it was possible to switch the lines e.g. a good haiku (a classical one of course) has three lines, the first and third sentence can be exchanged. I will give an example.

This one was the first haiku I ever wrote in English:

a lonely flower
my companion
for one night

This is written in the classical Kanshicho-style and when I exchange the first and third line the haiku becomes:

for one night
my companion
a lonely flower

Unless the exchange of the both lines this haiku remains the same. As I understand ... in a Naisaiku this is what I have to do: choose a haiku which is reversible and make it a new form. Well I have tried it with the one I gave above.

a lonely flower
my companion
for one night
A LONELY FLOWER

for one night

my companion

a lonely flower

Doing this is fun! I love this artificial poetry. Maybe I will write a few Naisaiku on the theme colors.

colorful bouquet

a joy to look at today

memorial day

colorful bouquet

memorial day

a joy to look at today

colorful bouquet

  

This is really fun, so I have to write another one :-)

modern art

fantastic colors

amazing

modern art

amazing

fantastic colors

modern art

Credits: Modern Art

See you again tomorrow.

The Haiku Challenge, day 11

Written for The Haiku Challenge 2012 - Day 11 – February 11th – Theme: Paint the Image
Inspirational Image by: Narayana Nethralaya

Painting with words inspired by this photo. First I would like to say: This Haiku Challenge is great, I love how this has been put together. An every day theme, words, pictures and new forms. Thank you for this Challenge Few Miles. Chapeau!

Back to today's challenge.

morningglories bloom
like the eyes of my wife
I fell in love

look into the eyes
of the people around you
share your love

great eyes
the eyes of Buddha
full compassion


Well see you tomorrow :)