The Swan – December 15, 2017

Alone

 

Cee’s Black and White Challenge

 

 

November 19, 2017 Autumn Reflections (tanka and haiku)

orange squash
bubbling in a pot
silence deepens
then from the window
laughter! children playing ball

evening shadow
in the naked kaki* tree
a last leaf falls

gsk ’17

• kaki – persimmon

An evening walk – A Story in Waka – October 16, 2016

An evening walk – A Story in Waka

crossing Arco’s bridge
the gloaming paints the clouds
three broken street lamps
add to the skyline etching
how lovely shadows can be

cars whiz past
still the geraniums bloom
on the bridge railings

crossing the road
under shadowy clouds
through rushing traffic
how unlike the river Sarca
this modern flow of steel

under pools of gold
from lamplight to lamplight
this road leads home

ahi – noisy dog
jumping and barking loudly
behind closed gates
whether challenge or welcome
it goes unheeded

old stone wall
silently guides lone footsteps
up this moonlit path

the stream is silent
under the wooden bridge
despite morning rains

Bolognano
the church bells strike eight
as I enter town
light spills from closed windows
bodiless voices drift by

I unlock my door
a cautious cat looks on
just beyond my reach

© Gsk ‘16

Autumn Colours – Shadorma – October 15, 2016

dearest friend
these autumn colours
bring to mind
fall feasting
on jujubes and persimmons
(before snow flakes fall)

© Gsk ‘16

B&P Shadorma & Beyond – Full Circle – October 15, 2016

Ten Styles of Tanka – Post 3 – January 22, 2016

 

November Afternoon

in the distance
as the sun melts in the mist
a solemn ray
disperses light on the lake
and his soul in the wind

© G.s.k. ‘16

3. Elegant beauty – urawashiki tei, characterised by harmony, balance, and beauty of cadence

Examples of this style is this one from the great poet of the late 7th century – Kakinomoto no Hitomaro from the Kokinshū, #9:409:

honobono to / akashi no ura no / asagiri ni / shimagakureyuku / fune o shi zo omou

dimly dimly
on the shores of Akashi Bay
morning mist
vanishing by distant islands
longing follows the ship

Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #66 Teika’s Ten Tanka Techniques by Jane Reichhold

 

 

 

Morning Haiku and Waka – Sunrise – December 2, 2015

dawn breaks
shadowing willows and pines
in black and white

sun’s reflections
outlining autumn trees
at dawn

© G.s.k. ‘15

Carpe Diem Haiku Writing Techniques #21 The Technique of Mixing It Up:  today’s technique helps us include the author creating a bit of ambiguity using the gerund in one’s haiku … who is doing the action, nature or the author?  Here are two examples of how the technique works:

end of winter
covering the first row
of lettuce seeds

© Jane Reichhold

meigetsu ya ike o megurite yomosugara

full moon
walking around the pond
all night

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

The Calling Road – Haiku – December 1, 2015

rustling leaves fall
an invitation to walk
along the long road

this single tear
as the gull skims the water
a new dawn is born

© G.s.k. ‘15

Carpe Diem #870 prologue: a door of grass; spring departing; how glorious today we begin our walk along “The Narrow Road”  with Basho, our host at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai has written a splendid post using extracts from Basho’s famous book, below are some of the haiku you can find on the post in which to inspire oneself … but I would warmly recommend dropping by Chèvrefeuile’s post and read the extracts from Basho’s diary!

kusa no to mo   sumi kawara yo zo   hina no ie

a door of grass
the resident changes for a time
a house of dolls

spring departing
birds cry and in the fishes’
eyes are tears

how glorious
young green leaves
flash in the sun

© Matsuo Basho 

And our hosts haiku:

the last night
I couldn’t sleep –
a Nightingale sings

© Chèvrefeuille

a farewell verse
scribbled on a receipt
don’t forget me

© Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – Flying Deer (Troiku) – November 29, 2015

autumn morning
the flight of his soul
with the flying deer

autumn morning
golden trees and sunshine
the Sarca Valley

the flight of his soul
begins its journey
into the Tao

with the flying deer
beyond this mortal coil
eternal freedom

© G.s.k. ‘15

 […] Then … my heart misses a heart beat. In front of me tumble a lot of little creatures, monkey like, in a dark universe of solidified magma. I forget to breath … I see a huge flying deer with antlers of spiraling curls and legs elegantly floating through the skies. This magnificent animal escaping from two reaching hands, is three thousand years ago made by humans from the Bronze Age. The half-open mouth is from a goose, symbol of the soul; its flight is pointing to the universe, maybe its a symbol of the transformation of the soul that rises to Heaven after dead. … And the “flying deer” is one of the deities who are pointing us the way, teach us the way to let go and accept life as it is.” […]        Chèvrefeuille an astral voyage

flying deer
points towards the after-life
true acceptation

© Chèvrefeuille

cry of an eagle
reaches the ears of the flying deer
listen to nature

© Chèvrefeuille

Carpe Diem #868 Stag Beetle / Flying Deer

Reflections at a Water Fountain – Circular Poem and Hay(na)ku – November 28, 2015

Reflections at a Water Fountain

tumbling water splashing
dashing an autumn leaf in cold water
[alter of mystic autumn rites]
ignites my imagination:
all life issued …
spewed – from water but, oh, the change
strange – and somehow, humbling
tumbling water splashing

*

falling
water splashes
autumn’s red symbol

reflecting I saw
life’s evolution
unfold

© G.s.k. ‘15

 

Poetry challenge #7: Circular poem

“The rules are simple. A circular poem is one that goes round full circle. The last word of the first line rhymes with the first word of the following line and so on until you end up back at your first line.

Lines can be any length, it’s the rhyme that’s important. Ideas and images can be as stream of consciousness as you like, theme, whatever springs to mind.”   Jane Dougherty

Also linked to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie [Hay(na)ku]

Morning Haiku and Waka – November 28, 2015

morning walk
silence in the city
dawn breaks

each morning bleaker
carpets of leaves
skeleton trees

dawn visions
ravens on the wind
the beech stands nude

in the sky
another bird rumbles –
the plane for Venice

white cat mews
locked out of the house
cold in the courtyard

returning home
my poetry awaits me
embracing life

warming the water
a hot cup of green tea
no sugar needed

© G.s.k. ‘15

This week’s heeding haiku with Chèvrefeuille November 25th 2015,”baransu” on Mindlovesmisery’s Menagerie is very interesting indeed.  Here Chèvrefeuille does a break down and explanation of how to create balance in a haiku … here are the haiku he used as examples:

a walk through the city
step by step I discover
a newly built world

© Chèvrefeuille

the old pond
a frog jumps into it
sound of water

© Basho (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

the old pond
yesterday … Irises bloomed
only a faint purple

© Chèvrefeuille

mountain stream
salmon swims to the well in thin air
rebirth of summer

© Chèvrefeuille