plum-coloured asters
final flourish of summer
clusters of rapture
©️2018 Ontheland
:
broken by the storm
the asters’ fragrance rises
out of damp earth
©️Jane Reichhold (1937-2016)
memories in wildflowers
sun-kissed pebbles by the sea
(my response)
:
Carpe Diem’s Tan Renga challenge #15 inspired me to write about the wild asters behind my garden and to provide a Tan Renga response to Jane Reichhold’s haiku that I intend to be a small tribute to her as a haiku poet and teacher.
September is Tan Renga month at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. The first haiku we engage with is by Jane Reichhold.
:
morning sun
the twinkle of stars
still in the dew (Jane Reichhold)
elixir of a cool night
anointing the brow of day (my response)
:
©️2018 Ontheland
In this special edition of Carpe Diem’s Renga with Basho series Chèvrefeuille asks us to commence with a greeting verse (‘hokku’) actually used by Basho to commence a Renga Party. The other verses by Basho were written as stand alone haiku. As usual I have bolded Basho’s haiku (translated by Jane Reichhold) and italicized my two-line responses.
:
autumn coolness
each peeling with our hands
melons and eggplant
:
last embers of summer
lodge under our fingernails
:
swinging bridge
lives are intertwined
in ivy vines
:
the trellis has been transformed
brimming with succulent fruits
:
with young leaves
I would like to wipe away
the tears in your eyes
:
a blur of joy and sadness
ushers in each season
:
blossoms at their peak
the mountain the same as always
at day break
:
a mist of whitening dew
blades of grass sparkle at sunrise
:
a clear night
cooling myself under cherry trees
waves of flowers
:
I peel my eyes to glimpse
a shooting star flash the night sea
:
©️2018 Ontheland (bolded haiku are authored by Basho as translated by Jane Reichhold).
a swinging gate
on both sides the flowers
open-close
©️Jane Reichhold
birds call others answer back
a world with no real borders
©️Ontheland
~
A Tan Renga for Carpe Diem. The opening haiku was written by Jane Reichhold (1937-2016) and the challenge was to follow it with two lines. I sourced the image from Pixabay.
:
In this Renga with three haiku of Matsuo Basho, translated by Jane Reichhold, the three line stanzas in bold italics are written by Basho and the regular typeface responses are mine.
what kind of tree
with the unknown flower
such a fragrance
.
is that a brown-headed crow
snapping air for flying fare?
.
with a fan
drinking wine in the shadow
of scattered blossoms
.
wren on the pedestal bath
sipping flower-flavoured tea
.
melting away
the brush draws up the water
of a spring
.
swift strokes over rice paper
unveiling a waterfall
.
blossoms at their peak
the mountain the same as always
at daybreak
.
floral scents infuse the dawn
bird songs trill to greet the day
~
©️2018 Ontheland
Another Renga Challenge of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai featuring six haiku by Matsuo Basho, shown in bold type. The challenge is to create a Renga by writing two-line responses, shown in italics.
sleep on a journey
then you will understand my poem
autumn winds
whisper delights and sorrows
rain spatters my reflection
into the sea
throwing my sandals
rain on my hat
playing hopscotch with bare feet
relishing schoolyard pastimes
village kids
don’t break all the plum branches
for cattle whips
compose haiku with carved nibs
pausing to inhale the dawn
mid-harvest
a crane on the rice paddy
in a village in autumn
farmers rush out to the fields
winter chores haunting their thoughts
polished again
the mirror is as clear as
flower-like snowflakes
lace shawls drape the mountain peaks
pine branches dazzling white
falling to the ground
a flower closer to the root
bidding farewell
we’ll meet again in springtime
when verses are fresh like dew
~
©️All haiku in bold type are written by Basho (1644-1694) as translated by Jane Reichhold
©️Couplets in italics, 2018, Ontheland
Carpe Diem Crossroads #13 presents two wonderful haiku by Matsuo Basho, Japanese haiku poet (1644-1694) which we are to contemplate and then create a new ‘fusion’ haiku. There is a second part of the challenge that I will feature in my Sunday morning post.
BASHŌ’S HAIKU (translated by Jane Reichhold)
chilly coolness
my feet on the wall
for a midday nap
~
the colour of wind
planted artlessly
in a garden of reeds
~
MY FUSION HAIKU
a cool summer breeze
scent of an afternoon nap
in a Zen garden
~
©️2018 Ontheland
Photo is sourced from Pixabay
Why a video featuring pheasant sounds? Read on and it should make sense. This is my response to Carpe Diem’s third Renga Challenge featuring, once again, Japanese Haiku Master, Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694).
The three-line haiku in bold print are written by Bashō (as translated by Jane Reichhold). My couplet responses are in italics. Here goes:
passing through autumn
a butterfly seems to lick
chrysanthemum dew
.
a long pilgrimage begins
with sweet wine and sad farewells
.
five or six
sitting with tea and cakes
a fireplace
.
under Cold Moon, drumbeats sound
the caroller’s descant soars
.
a skylark sings
the pheasant’s voice is
the instrumental music
.
snow geese call in urgent tones
flying to their far North home
.
how glorious
young green leaves
flash in the sun
.
a child sage writes in the sand
an old poet lifts her pen
.
early summer rains
falling so heavily they cover up
the waterfall
.
chrysanthemum blooms live long
tending hopes and memories
©️2018 Ontheland (as noted, haiku are written by Bashō)
Carpe Diem’s Renga Challenge #1 invites us to choose from a selection of Basho’s early haiku (as translated by Jane Reichhold) and to create a Renga of at least 6 stanzas by arranging Basho’s haiku and inserting two-line verses in between.
inside the temple
visitors cannot know
cherries are blooming.
©️Bashō
robin calls from the treetops
blend in with the morning chants
©️Ontheland
the voice of reeds
sounds like the autumn wind
from another mouth
©️ Bashō
leaves fly like paper dreams
a season’s short-lived splendour
©️Ontheland
what a sprout
a dewdrop seeps down the nodes
of generations of bamboo
©️Bashō
the moon paints fresh oak leaves
once barren branches shimmer
©️Ontheland
the old woman
a cherry tree blooming in old age
is something to remember
©️Bashō
an ancient mountain stupa
stands watching the setting sun
©️Ontheland
For Carpe Diem Crossroads #10 Chèvrefeuille chose two beautiful haiku by Jane Reichhold:
coming to sea cliffs
the off-shore breeze raises
a flower fragrance
out of a wave
rainbows of high tide
arching wind
© Jane Reichhold 1937-2016
At first, making a new fusion haiku felt daunting as I don’t live by an ocean. However, on a second read two poems came to me. The first is inspired by Reichhold’s first haiku and a visit today. The second is a fusion, drawing from both of Reichhold’s haiku and my memory of rainbows in spray. I visited Niagara Falls, shown in the photo, many years ago (Pixabay.com).
lilacs in a vase
their heavy scent fills the room
Ah! a window breeze
~
leaning over the falls
scent of rain splashes my face
rainbows in the spray
~
©️2018 Ontheland
Ontheland 