dandelion dandelion
on the sandy beach
spring opens its eyes © Ogiwara Seisensui
children building sandcastles
seagulls sing off key © Tournesol’17
dandelion dandelion (Ogiwara Seisensui) Tan Renga
Category: CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI
leaves float away (Dolores Fegan) (Tan Renga)
autumn evening
like whispered prayers
leaves float away © Dolores
day drawing to a close
hoot of an owl
©Tournesol’17
an autumn leaf (tan renga)
now it reveals its hidden side
and now the other—thus it falls,
an autumn leaf © Ryokan Taigu
spilling a faint light
easing safer passage
©Tournesol’17/05/16
The “hokku” we had to use today at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, is Ryokan’s Jisei (death-poem):
ura wo mise omote wo misete chirua momiji
now it reveals its hidden side
and now the other—thus it falls,
an autumn leaf
© Ryokan Taigu
silent steps (tan renga)
silent steps –
one more candle illuminates
the old chapel
© Ese
soft clicking of high heels
echo from nowhere
©Tournesol’147/05/10
Morning breeze (tan renga)
morning breeze
coming in the window
surf sounds
(C) Jane Reichhold
daybreak ritual
a cardinal sings
©Tournesol’17/05/10
sakura (tan renga)
pink sakura blush
spring’s kimono falls to earth
silk snatched by a breeze
© Kim Russell
sashaying playfully
floating with grace
©Tournesol’17/05/06
season’s treasures (tan renga)
from the paulownia
without a breath of wind–
falling leaves
© Nozawa Boncho
storing innocent love affairs
summer’s furtive rendezvous
©Tournesol’17/05/06
the poet’s craft (troibun)
In the past few years she has been altering her way of meditating. Rather than consciously searching for a quiet place to tune out for a few minutes, writing waka (Japanese poetry) has entered her life and added to another way of musing.
Her thoughts and feelings about a day, an event and especially about nature has become welcoming moments of contemplation. It is also a wonderful way to detach from the busyness of a day and look more carefully under a few layers and truly reflect within. Nature seems to have that effect in bringing out those hidden layers and connecting with nature.
simmering thoughts
swell of the current
the river flows
simmering thoughts
after a long winter’s slumber
tulips breaking ground
swell of the current
rolls off the tip
a poet’s tongue
the river flows
spilling over waves
in verse
©Tournesol’17/05/04
Kim Russell is the guest writer and runner up of the Cherry Blossom kukai who wrote:
pink sakura blush
spring’s kimono falls to earth
silk snatched by a breeze
© Kim Russell
Check out her beautiful piece at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai where she writes about ‘the poet’s craft'” and creates a series of beautiful haiku and tanka. For this meme, the theme she leaves us with is to reflect on our own experiences as haiku and tanka poets.
guiding light (troiku)
(c)Clr’16
©Clr’17
©Clr’15
©Clr”17
Here is the quote for our inspiration:
“There is nothing you can see that is not a Bashoflower; there is nothing you can think that is not the moon”. Matsuo Basho
And here is our host’s response on this quote:
hidden in the mist
fields of thousand tulips
waiting for the sun
© Chèvrefeuille
And here is my troiku (a new haiku form created by Chèvrefeuille)
enhanced by its glow
reflecting golden star,
mere dandelions
enhanced by its glow
guiding lovers
through the night
reflecting golden star
striking yet, unassuming,
sunflowers
mere dandelions
adorn wide open spaces
healing benefits
©Tournesol’17/05/01
Carpe Diem Haiku Kai “Use that Quote”
first day in May (Troibun) Daily Moments – Tan Renga
Aw, finally spring is really here! She loves May for many reasons…budding blossoms giving hope, lilac trees burgeon and tulips reaching to the sky in so many brilliant colours. She remembers as a young child in primary school, the month of May meant she was allowed to go out on a school night. She would put on her Mary Jane’s that her mother had brought from the shoemaker. The taps had been added on the tip and heels. They said it was to prevent the wearing of the shoes. But she just loved to hear the clickety click when walking on the sidewalk to church. She would change into something pretty, bring a sweater for the walk back home and of course place her rosary in her little purse.
Clickety click, and on she went but entering the church the clicks echoed so loudly, even tip-toeing made heads turn. Old ladies with thin lips and silly hats frowned disapprovingly but there were always one or two that knew her mother or grandmaman and nodded approving her presence to recite the evening rosary to Mother Mary.
first day in May
walking through the park
lovers hand in hand
first day in May
begins the month of Mary
droning Hail Mary’s
walking through the park
hair blowing in the wind
cherry blossoms wave
lovers hand in hand
kiss under the cherry tree
petal on her nose
©Tournesol’17/05/01
Daily Moments – First day in May (Troibun)
I had not read the meme properly and just realized we were to write a tan renga…since it is May 1st, I can’t help keeping the same theme as my daily thoughts.
on a gust of wind
the cherry blossoms dance through the streets
in praise of the Creator
© Chèvrefeuille
girls clutch their rosary,
month of Mother Mary begins
©Tournesol ‘17/05/01
Tournesol dans un Jardin 