Two Tan Renga: Hokku by – Tomas Transtromer and Hamish Gunn – May 11, 2016

A renga with Tomas Tranströmer

A dragonfly pair
fastened to one another
went flickering past

©Tomas Tranströmer

joyfully trapped flying
in a summer romance

© G.s.k. ’16

A renga withHamish Managua Gunn

petal lanterns —
a waterfall of flowers
her lips touch mine

© Hamish Managua Gunn

streams of sensation
under spring moonlight

© G.s.k. ’16

This is Tan Renga Month at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai and I was away and was happy to see that I only missed on of the Tan Renga – so for the episode dedicated to May 7, I also wrote for the hokku presented on May 6.

The Minstrel – Soliloquy no Renga – May 5, 2016

the morning shadow
hidden a minstrel sings
a song for his love

echoes upon the water
brings no answer hither

where is his lady
flown off to meet another
his song echoes still

along the walkways others
walk past without hearing him

the wind changes
cold upon the land – whispers
spring hides away

now the willow’s tresses fly
as the cold winds blow from sea

in the coming storm
a blackbird sings of love
hidden in shadows

© G.s.k. ‘16

Well … I just discovered that I misread the consignment so I for Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #78 Soliloquy no Renga “autumn night” by Santoka Taneda  I will attempt to write a proper “Soliloquy No Renga” perhaps later today if I have time … I won’t be posting for the next 4 days as the Historical Reenactment season is again upon us and I’ll be off to 1430 Italy … ciao,  Bastet

Monday Haiga – April 25, 2016

Springtime, morning, the way the light plays with the camera lens … and a little imagination:

as morning dawns
enchanted light and colour
a finch calls his mate

© G.s.k. ‘16

Reblog: Morning Haiku and Waka – NaPoWriMo – April 5, 2016

From Bastet’s Waka Library on Blogger …

And a tanka:

morning serenade
sweet perfume of mimosa
and thoughts of you
what more can be said of spring
then a warming I love you?

© G.s.k. ’16

Morning Haiku as I Travel – March 22, 2016

spring morning
sparrows fly madly at dawn
’round the cat-woman

annoying fly
buzzing  on the glass window
trapped in winter

as the train flies by
dust raises in the still air
settling in ennui

Imagination
medieval flags flying
in Padua’s squares

© G.s.k. ‘16

Haiku Horizons – fly

NaHaiWriMo – Zig-Zag – February 13, 2016

Lone Bee Haiga

zigzagging
inebriated by spring
a lone bee

© G.s.k. ‘16

(The above photograph was really very nice even before I started to go wild.  I began to imagine what it would be like to be a bee (ah – uhm) who’d just woken up after a winter’s nap and to find the fields full of the delightful smells of spring.  I can’t imagine what the vision of a bee might be, or if their sense of smell influences what they see … so I just ripped loose with the colour and pretended that it be psychedelic !)

NaHaiWriMo

The Narrow Road (4) – December 7, 2015

this dreary rainfall
falls on late-blooming cherries
mingling
fallen petals and rain drops
upon this unknown road

© G.s.k. ‘15

Carpe Diem #874 Rainhat Island; since the cherry blossoms

 

Passing through the castle towns of Abumizuri and Shiroishi, I arrived at the province of Kasajima (Rainhat Island), where I asked the way to the mound of Lord Sanekata of the Fujiwara family. I was told that I must turn right in the direction of the villages of Minowa and Kasajima visible at the foot of the mountains in the distance, and that the mound was still there by the side of a shrine, buried in deep grass. I wanted to go that way, of course, but the muddy road after the early rain of the wet season and my weakness stopped me. The names of the two villages were so befitting to the wet season with their echoes of raincoat and umbrella that I wrote:

Rainhat Island—
where did you say it was?
muddy roads in May

© Basho (Tr. Donald Keene)

Sand and Wind – Haiku – October 11, 2015

wind-blown sand dunes
trapped in discarded fish nets
a lone gull screeches

© G.s.k. ‘15

For:

Carpe Diem Perpetuum Mobile #2 rainbows sparkle (or movement in haiku)

Back to the Basics – Haiku – August 13, 2015

ah – cherry blossoms
in the garden it’s snowing
perfumed pink snow-flakes

© G.s.k. ‘15

The rules of classical haiku:

5-7-5 syllables
A moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown into water
A kigo (season word)
A deeper, spiritual meaning
And last, but not least, it must have a nature image

 

Heeding Haiku With Chèvrefeuille August 12th 2015 Classical Japanese Garden

Haiku Horizons prompt “song” – May 26, 2015

The morning concert has a new beat this morning, as sparrows and swallows squawk and the blackbirds and the finches warble, a single cuckoo sent up a call, very different from the normal cuckoo-cuckoo I’m used to hearing, more like cucooku-ku cuckooku-ku.  It added a note of originality to an already gloriously beautiful morning with dappled mountains and a return of a warm southern wind.  I don’t think even Vivaldi could have competed this morning with the birds … what an ode to spring!

late spring morning
festivities in the air
happy bird song

© G.s.k. ‘15

Haiku Horizons – Song (click the icon for the link)