Sweetness (haiga) …CarpeDiemHaikuKai #531

“ …It was but yesterday I thought myself a fragment quivering without rhythm in the sphere of life. Now I know that I am the sphere, and all life in rhythmic fragments moves within me”. Khahil Gibran

Chèvrefeuille reminds us about all living things including insects however small are children of Mother Earth just as we are. Sweetness being the theme he sees this as found among all of Mother Nature`s offsprings as well as the sweetness mixed with tang tasted from fruits.
under the hedge
I saw little creatures crawl
between fallen leaves
© Chèvrefeuille

vibrating cobweb
the spider awakens from his sleep
breakfast is served
© Chèvrefeuille

stow away worms
communion of ants
fallen fruit
© Tournesol ‘14/08/03

I get home late,
gnats fly wildly at the door
wise spider waits.
© Tournesol ‘14/08/03

Submitted for: CarpeDiem #531 Sweetness

Persimmons (Haiku Shuukan )

I never heard of Persimmons before until this prompt.
Shiki apparently was also fond of Persimmons:
sanzen no haiku wo kemishi kaki futatsu

having examined
three thousand haiku poems –
two persimmons

After reading Georgia’s offering to this prompt, I was interested in reading her post. What a joy to read and see the photos she added of these fruit trees that grow in northern Italy as well as in Japan. Chèvrefeuille has certainly given us a challenging prompt.
At first I thought of not being capable of writing anything but Georgia’s lovely introduction describing Italy’s fruit trees and how these fruits do not conserve as well as our apples , I am piggybacking a bit on her story (hope that’s okay, Cara) and her photos that inspired me to write this:

Photo credits: Wikepedia

Persimmons
over abundance of fruit
rot on lawns

rot on lawns
birds fill their bellies
Persimmons fruit

Persimmons fruit
gaudy orangey red
savour the sweetness

© Tournesol 2014/08/02

Submitted for: Haiku Shuukan #16, Persimmon

Willow Tree (haiga) (CPHK – #530 Mist)

willow tree

filters glaring star

birds serenade.

Submitted for: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai #530 Mist

Double Rainbow (Tan Renga)

Credits: Double Rainbow

What wonderful haiku and the photo provided is stunning.

I could not help but be reminded of the double rainbow I had seen on my way from work one day I finished unusually early. It had been raining in mid October and the sky had darkened already save for Montreal street lights, only the rain, my umbrella and bumping into pedestrians kept me alert walking to the Métro. Then as I gazed at the sky, just above the church facing the Métro, I saw a rainbow. I was quite astonished to see it this late in the day and I don’t think I have ever seen such a sight in the Fall. In the country and small towns we are graced with such views but in the city there are too many distractions to really notice. City workers were leaving their buildings and I could not help but notice their faces look up at the sky and smile even after a hard day’s work. Then some people cheered as a second rainbow faintly joined it’s cousin. Thank you Ese for this lovely reminder and haiku and Chèvrefeuille for offering this prompt, it brings me back to fond memories in the country and especially that October fest of colours … and now I have added two Tan Renga to focusing on “time to count blessings” as I am also reminded of that moment last October in Montréal on boulevard Laurier.

double rainbow
arches across stormy sky
time to count blessings (Ese)

the joy and laughter of my kids
resonates at the family barbecue (Chevrefeuille)

double rainbow
arches across stormy sky
time to count blessings (Ese)

yuppies stare up openmouthed
filled with wonder and reverence (Tournesol)

double rainbow
arches across stormy sky
time to count blessings (Ese)

gauchely holding umbrella
photograph a miracle (Tournesol)

Submitted for: Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge #45, “Double Rainbow”

Footprints (CarpeDiemHaikuKai #529)

Credits: Foot-prints in the sand

Today Chèvrefeuille is inspired by “Sand and Foam” by Gabril Kahil which is the first prompt of this month. I am still shocked that August has come so quickly!

I am forever walking upon these shores,
Betwixt the sand and the foam,
The high tide will erase my foot-prints,
And the wind will blow away the foam.
But the sea and the shore will remain
Forever.

What a wonderful poem to set the mood.

This first prompt of this new CDHK-month is almost a little episode of Carpe Diem “Distillation” and of course you may use the goals of CD-distillation for this episode, that’s all up to you, feel free …

Chèvrefeuille shares a lovely poem once shared in February 2012 for the Haiku Challenge of SiS.

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

with the one I love
I undertake a journey
into oblivion

into oblivion
with my pencil and paper
a little verse

a little verse
caught me years ago with it’s beauty –
addicted forever

Well, my heart goes pitter patter to that poem and sets me in the right mood for this:

walking on wet sand
eyes closed, breathing in echoes
seagulls

seagulls
squawking along the beach
waves rumble

waves rumble
water rising up my legs
erasing footprints

erasing footprints
loves lost, hearts broken
tears streak

tears streak
evokes blissful desires lit,
walking on wet sand

walking on wet sand
musings blow in the wind
turn into love poems.

© Tournesol ‘14/08/02

Submitted for: FootPrints Carpe Diem #529

I squealed (Kyoka)

Hot summer nights

feel a shadow overhead

bat squeals!

I duck and squeal louder

woke up the neighbourhood

Waterfalls – chutes – haiga (CPHKFamily #1)

(c) Clr - 2014 Yamaska River — (c) Clr – 2014 Yamaska River

affligée par la vie

penchant sur la rive

larmes en cascades

tous les peines

déversent en abondances

chutes acceuillent

craintes, peines

répands en cascades

paisible

flexibility

rooftops, concrete buildings

city waterfalls

river flows

emotions over dams

waterfalls

imitate

tears

river holds

lamenting grief

waterfall

river listens

waterfalls

drown regrets

Photo credits: clr- Tournesol ‘2014

Submitted for: CarpeDiemHaikuFamily#1Waterfall

Departed soul (haibun) In memory of Bruno

© clr A true Rock Star, he will be missed

Yesterday marked one week that a friend and colleague died, Sunday morning, July 20th. I wrote a series of haiku/senryû, last week with the vivid image of Bruno when I last saw him mid May of this year. He had been battling pancreatic cancer for well over a year at that time and still accepted that I visit him and he posed for a book that was being compiled to give to another colleague who is battling breast cancer. Bruno believed in thinking positive at ALL times. He believed in the fight and never gave up, nor did he stop encouraging our friend who is still under treatment and we KNOW she will rise above this insidious disease. She is the loving and most generous person (much like Bruno) who phoned me to give me the sad news that our friend had passed. I feel so blessed to have heard from you, Leslie, you have no idea how much it meant to me.

Here is the series I wrote the day I learned of his passing…

Care Bear Hugs

I’ll miss that smile
soothing presence like balm
Care Bear hugs.
*
those innuendos
making me feel young and sexy
twinkle in your ~~{lie}~~ eye
*
they’ll all split their wings
you’ll have them laughing so hard
angels in heaven

originally posted: Care Bear Hugs

Today it is raining. It is grey and my mood is morose. I called in sick today as my body would not respond and seemed to be listening to my soul…I feel as if I am 99 today…a time to rest. In the shower I weep tears of grief and let the water wash them away. I have written in another post how I asked, “Why not take me? I am older, my family is raised, even my grandson is older than Bruno’s son. Why not take me?” The world is a mystery and the Great Spirit acts in mysterious ways. What do I know? Who am I in this vast sea of souls? But I do know that Bruno was a mind, heart, soul and body of pure essence filled with compassion and love. Anyone who has had the chance to meet him even if briefly, is blessed having been touched by an angel.

Reading Bruno’s orbituary in the Montreal Gazette, minutes ago, here at Second Cup, I am sad and yet could not help but smile when I read that his blood type was B Positive! Of course, what else could it have been? This reading along with Chèvrefeuille’s prompt on writing with the theme “A departed Soul”, has stirred up the following lines…

Departed Soul

dawn smiled
clouds made way
an angel
*
an angel
soars over sad hearts
begging for smiles
*
begging for smiles
his loud roar thundered
B positive
*
B positive
his lifetime message
gift

–

New Year’s Fun (haibun) (CarpeDiem #526 Issa (5), “New Year’s Writing”)

Credits: Japanese Fireworks

It is a Japanese custom to write with a writing brush on the second day of the year.

New Year’s Eve was always a special time for me as an older child. I used to babysit with my best friend her little brother at her house. We were allowed to stay up until way past midnight, drink cola and eat chips! Something I was never allowed at home unless there was a party. Her parents were having a New Year’s Eve “reveillons” with my parents at my home. About 30 seconds to midnight I would dial (in those days we had rotary phones!) and wait until midnight before letting go of the last digit of my home phone number, to be the FIRST to wish my mom and dad Happy New Year’s.

Another race New Year’s for our family was to be the first to ask our father (grandfather in my mother’s case) to be blessed for the new year. I always felt extra special if I got to my dad before my sister. At my grandparents, however, all seven children knelt in the living room as my grandfather blessed them all ONCE. {My grandmother, actually took over this role when my grandfather died even if she was a woman.}

If there was not too much snow, we often went out behind my grandparents’ home to ice skate on the river. Those were wonderful times when it was safe to do this as the winters were cold for many months, not like today where we get rain at Christmas.

I was saddened reading about Issa’s childrens’ passing so early in life. But I am pleased he wrote poems of laughter and joyous times in their memory.

kodomora ga kitsune no mane mo susuki kana

the children
pretend to be foxes…
pampas grass

New Year’s Eve
children playing with the fresh fallen snow –
fireworks coloring the sky

I will be writing in that youthful joyous vein.

Guy Lombardo
ringing in the New Year
got Mom first

Santa’s new skates
on the moonlit river
Dad blessed me first.

Submitted for: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, #526, Issa,(5) “New Year’s Writing”