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Thread: ARTS: Haiku prompt: spring/fall

  1. #1

    ARTS: Haiku prompt: spring/fall

    Hi all

    I would love to read some haiku about the season in your area! For large parts of the northern and southern hemisphere we are moving into spring or fall, but I know that other parts of the world have different seasonal patterns.

    A few to get you started from classical writers (English translations by Robert Hass from The Essential Haiku):

    Midfield
    attached to nothing,
    the skylark singing

    -- Matsuo Basho

    The cherry blossoms fallen
    through the branches
    a temple

    -- Yosa Buson

    Spring rain:
    a mouse is lapping
    the Sumida River

    - Kobayashi Issa


    Some contemporary poets (from last spring's edition of hedgerow journal #127):

    sunburst
    more flower
    than pot

    -- Elizabeth Alford

    making the meadow
    last longer
    -- crickets

    -- Gary Hotham

    day moon
    a sick friend
    brings me flowers

    -- Eishuu (former member of Treeleaf)

    first news
    of a friend's death
    blackthorn blossom

    -- Kokuu


    So, go feel, taste and touch nature and get haikuing!!!

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday-
    Last edited by Jundo; 01-24-2021 at 02:36 AM.

  2. #2
    corona virus
    flourishing
    cherry blossoms


    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/lah today.

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  3. #3
    Member Hoseki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    St. John's Newfoundland, Canada.
    This one happened to me this morning.


    spring rain
    arms out stretch as he
    slides to his car

    Gassho
    Hoseki
    Sattoday

  4. #4
    Heavy is the crown
    Winter's King is slow to sleep
    Spring is so patient

    Gassho
    Kyōsen
    Sat|LAH
    橋川
    kyō (bridge) | sen (river)

  5. #5
    Nice haiku guys! <3

    I should warn you upfront that I don't practice the 5-7-5 rule, I practice the "in a breath" rule. :P
    And although these are not Spring/Fall themed directly, they deal in the interchangeability of seasons-- and are a couple of my better works.
    Glad to share them with you, and hope you enjoy:


    Summer nights.
    How missed you are,
    On winter mornings


    One hundred islands in winter,
    A fiery archipelago:
    Clouds at sunset.


    Gassho,
    Chris

    st/lah

  6. #6
    I should warn you upfront that I don't practice the 5-7-5 rule
    Few English Language Haiku (ELH) poets do now and, as you probably know, the 5-7-5 structure refers to Japanese sound units (morae) rather than western syllables which tend to be longer.


    another day
    in quarantine
    the smell of wild garlic


    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday-

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    ...the 5-7-5 structure refers to Japanese sound units (morae) rather than western syllables which tend to be longer.
    Right, and there were 17 morae-- (was having trouble remembering the unit name), hence 5+7+5=17.
    Btw, really love your work on this one Kokuu.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    first news
    of a friend's death
    blackthorn blossom

    -- Kokuu

  8. #8
    You are very kind, Chris! It was published in the hedgerow journal of small poems (issue 127).

    I very much like this one of yours!

    Summer nights.
    How missed you are,
    On winter mornings


    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday-

  9. #9
    Ocean mist.
    Trees offer new buds.
    The world exhales.

    Gassho,
    Krista
    st
    Last edited by Naiko; 04-01-2020 at 09:55 PM.

  10. #10
    bowing flowers
    a cat’s sudden turn
    lady bumblebee

    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/lah today.

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  11. #11
    Awesome haiku KristaB and Kotei!

    Here's what I wrote today, (two versions):

    ---------------------
    in a breath

    Old pines rustle
    Flash! --and crack!
    Forest fire.

    5-7-5-er

    Old pines, voice of wind--
    Flash of light and thunder crack!
    A forest fire.
    ---------------------

    Gassho,
    Chris
    st/lah

  12. #12
    Treeleaf Unsui Nengei's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Minnesota's Driftless Area
    Muddy day
    Frost at night
    Melting snow glistens

    Gassho,
    Nengei
    Sat. LAH.

  13. #13
    A quick off the hip haiku as I work from home. I really want to get stuck into Betty Drevniok's haiku writing exercises and put more thought into them:

    Patio doors open
    Slurping lollies
    Sun streams in.

    Gassho,

    Heiso

    StLah
    Last edited by Heiso; 04-08-2020 at 12:35 PM. Reason: forgot to sign off!

  14. #14
    Birds eat
    Cats lurking
    The moment is gone

    Here is the inspiration (my cats):
    IMG_5274.jpg

    Gassho,
    Mateus
    Sat/LAH
    怠努 (Tai Do) - Lazy Effort
    (also known as Mateus )

    禅戒一如 (Zen Kai Ichi Nyo) - Zazen and the Precepts are One!

  15. #15
    Hey all,

    Hallelujah, I've found the haiku page! I'll be here voraciously reading alot so thank you all for sharing. I've been lucky enough to read Kokuu elsewhere and it is enriching to hear some new voices. I've been blogging haiku for a year now and I find it really helps the practice. Anywho here is one of my latest from sunny old Blighty.

    A flower asks "Forget-Me-Not"
    But I have already forgotten.
    A bell rings
    I wake and -
    Remember.

    Gassho,

    Neilio

  16. #16
    A flower asks "Forget-Me-Not"
    But I have already forgotten.
    A bell rings
    I wake and -
    Remember.
    Nice tanka, Neilio!


    bowing in silence
    for the 20 000 dead
    bluebell woodland


    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  17. #17
    As ever your responding entry is evocative and poignant.

    Gassho
    Neilio

    SAT/LAH

  18. #18
    It's so wonderful to find an active haiku group here! Here are a few recent haiku inspired by Spring (my current season) and Fall (my favorite season):


    Autumn breeze—
    the empty swing
    barely moves


    October sky
    in the bathroom mirror
    streaks of grey


    Autumn wind singing—
    old wind chimes
    translate every word


    little by little
    the snowman
    reveals the spring grass


    April showers—
    the sky itself
    remains dry


    I hope these can hold their own here. There is some truly wonderful work in this and the other haiku threads! Please keep writing/posting! :-)

    Gassho,
    Rob

    SatToday

  19. #19
    Wonderful you are a haiku writer, Rob!

    Thank you so much for your contributions.

    I love autumn too and your October sky poem is great. I totally get that and wrote something similar myself once:

    white hair
    in my beard
    autumn clover


    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday-

  20. #20
    looming deadline
    I watch the birch sway
    back and forth

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by RobD View Post
    barely moves


    October sky
    in the bathroom mirror
    streaks of grey
    I love this, Rob.

    Gassho,

    Heiso

    Stlah

  22. #22
    May day morning
    the sun bursts through
    on a wet plastic slide

    Gassho

    Heiso

    StLah

  23. #23
    Thank you Kokuu. I'm looking forward to spending much of my forum time in this subgroup.

    And I also really like your haiku below. It's simply brilliant!


    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post

    white hair
    in my beard
    autumn clover

    Gassho,
    Rob

    SatToday

  24. #24
    Thank you Heiso! And you haiku resonated with me as well. I'm often drawn to the play of sunlight on different objects, so I can just feel the glare of the sun coming off that slide. :-)


    Gassho,
    Rob

    SatToday

  25. #25
    Thanks Rob - as a man of a certain age yours resonated with me too.

    Gassho

    Heiso
    StLah

    Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

  26. #26
    From yesterday's first retreat sittings...

    morning zazen
    the sound of the bell
    melts into birdsong

  27. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    From yesterday's first retreat sittings...

    morning zazen
    the sound of the bell
    melts into birdsong
    a ringing bell
    global birdsongs becoming one
    thank you Kokuu

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  28. #28
    Walking through meadows
    Daughter on my shoulders
    50 shades of green.



    Gassho

    Heiso

    StLah
    Last edited by Heiso; 05-13-2020 at 07:17 AM. Reason: Forgot to gassho!

  29. #29
    Walking through meadows
    Daughter on my shoulders
    50 shades of green
    Lovely! I like a lot the comparison of spring and children and once wrote:

    first flush of spring
    I take my daughter
    to buy flowers


    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  30. #30
    Thanks, I hadn't made that association but you're right, children and spring go well.

    We're very lucky that we have this place within walking distance and we have plenty of time for exploring at the moment so there's plenty of inspiration:
    https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-re.../roding-valley

    Gassho

    Heiso
    StLah

    Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

  31. #31
    A few I've been playing around with recently :

    Skimming stones,
    My daughter shrieks
    Sun on the lazy river.

    Dragonflies
    In the sun
    Dancing on the river.

    We wait
    Will baby come today?
    Spring into summer.

    Gassho

    Heiso
    StLah

    Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

  32. #32
    Heiso,

    Such lovely haiku! In particular, I love the parallel images in the last one where you compare/contrast the transition of the seasons with the anticipated birth of a child. Just wonderful!


    Here's a new one that "interrupted" my reading the other day that I think fits this thread:

    reading Dogen—
    old wind chimes
    in the Spring breeze


    Gassho,
    Rob

    SatToday

  33. #33
    reading Dogen—
    old wind chimes
    in the Spring breeze
    Lovely!

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  34. #34
    Member Onka's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Rural Queensland, so-called Australia
    Jundo suggested recently regarding my verbosity that in Zen less is often more. In the spirit of that teaching I thought I'd have a crack at Haiku. I haven't read the rule book but...

    'The Game Changer'. Life?
    Surely a bad joke on me.
    Autumn sun Kinhin.

    Gassho
    Onka
    Sat today

  35. #35
    A few recent attempts here. Not sure even I appreciate them or whether they are even haiku. Any guidance would be appreciated.

    Broken flowerpot
    Tomatoes quiver
    Before the North wind.

    Swinging basket.
    Dusk-drunk bats
    Hunt their prey.

    Swaying grass touches his heart.
    Night has fallen.

    Gassho

    Neilio

    SAT/LAH

  36. #36
    I am trying to write a haiku (or very short poem) a day, here's a couple I wrote this week.

    Green leafy branches
    a framed black cat sits
    underneath the pale August sun.

    Toothless smile in clouds
    the sun hides, the sunflowers
    bow to the brown leaves.

    Gassho,
    Mags
    ST

  37. #37
    Crunch—
    Fallen leaves amidst mist.
    The deep forest

    Gassho,
    Nick
    SatLah

  38. #38
    falling leaves
    drawing perfect circles
    at the herons feet

    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/lah today.

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  39. #39
    Rising sun
    Rays lost in thick fog
    November morning

    Gassho
    Sat

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