Friday, December 30, 2016

Carpe Diem #1112 Music For The Royal Fireworks by Händel


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Here it is our last episode of 2016. We have had a wonderful year and now we are facing a new year, 2017, and I hope 2017 (our first lustrum, our first fifth anniversary) will become an awesome year starting in January with that wonderful novel by Paulo Coelho "The Pilgrimage". In January I hope to go on a pilgrimage together with you all to Santiago De Compostela while we are reading "The Pilgrimage". Maybe you can remember our pilgrimage months back in 2015, they were awesome and I hope this pilgrimage will be awesome too, I hope even more awesome than our first one.
Of course we have to remember Jane Reichhold, so I have created a wonderful Theme Week around her birthday, January 18th. If she was alive she had become 80 years, so a festive month to honor her and tribute her cannot be forgotten. By the way I hope to create a tradition around Jane's birthday every year of our existence.

This is our last episode of 2016 and I have a wonderful piece of music for you. Maybe you have read the prompt-list for December 2016, than you have seen that I had planned two musical compositons, but I decided to do just one and that one fits this day in a perfect way.

Today I love to inspire you all with this magnificent piece of music by Händel, "Music For The Royal Fireworks".


This wonderful piece of music inspired me to create the following haiku:

New Year's Eve
the sound of fireworks
scares the demons

© Chèvrefeuille

Well .... what can I say more to this episode? Just this:


This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until January 4th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, pilgrimage, later on. For now ... have fun!


Carpe Diem Special #224 Candy's 4th Yellow School bus


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

First my apologies for being late with this CD Special, it is the 4th CD Special in which I share poems from Candy, our winner of the "Tribute to Jane" kukai. During work and the holidays it wasn't possible to bring this CD Special to you, but today on the penultimate day of 2016 I had time to create this episode. So here it goes. I have gathered a few wonderful haiku and a tanka which Candy loves to see in her e-book "Lonely footprints" which I hope to complete next week.

blue dragonflies dart
along the edge of a pond
playing summer games


yellow school bus
rumbling down the street
small faces framed
behind the square windows
longing for summer days


Yellow Schoolbus
I love these Yellow school buses. Here in The Netherlands we don't have that, but I have seen them often on TV-shows or in Movies. Must be awesome to ride to school with such a wonderful Yellow school bus. 


wind in the pines
swirls upward to heaven
whispered prayers

viewing festival
standing amid pink blossoms
woman’s beauty fades

© Candy

Candy is a real gifted haiku poet and I hope Candy will be part of CDHK for a long time. Thank you Candy for sharing such beautiful poems with us here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Here is my response on this wonderful series of poems by Candy. I have chosen to share a haibun which I have written a long time ago as my Sakura started to bloom again.


SPRINGTIME

When the dark period of the year goes by and spring is coming I become happy. Spring is my season. After hibernation nature begins blooming and comes to live. As I see the Snowdrops come in bloom I feel how Mother Earth is reborn again.
The Cherry- and Plum-trees begin blossoming and especially when the Cherry tree in my backyard is starting to bloom I am so happy.
I have to give a party when the first Cherry blossom blooms. I call all my friends and family to tell them that my Cherry tree is in bloom again and that's worth a celebration. I love that moment. I feel a little child again and come to live after my hibernation.
Springtime ... nature comes to live once again. It's worthy to celebrate when the Cherry trees are blooming, especially mine of course :-).
My Sakura (© photo Chèvrefeuille - 2014)

I have written a lot of haiku about Cherry trees, but I have never written , as I call it, "my masterpiece" on Cherry trees. Maybe this is the one. In this haiku I hope that spring is present.

on winter's edge
the first Cherry blossom blooms
rain falls softly
© Chèvrefeuille
This last CD-Special of 2016 and the last by Candy is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until January 4th at noon (CET).

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Carpe Diem #1111 Oniria by Bruno Sanfilippo


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

During lack of time I will only publish the piece of music (as planned) to inspire you. Sorry for the inconvenience. Our last CD Special I hope to publish tomorrow ... my excuses for the delay of that CD Special not only to Candy, but also to you all.

Today the composition to become inspired is created by Bruno Sanfilippo and is titled Oniria.


I hope you liked the music and I hope it will inspire you.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until January 3rd at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel, later on.


Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Carpe Diem #1110 Winter Breath by Adrian von Ziegler


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are counting down to the end of 2016. These are the last few episodes of a wonderful year in which we have had happy times, but also sad times, but above all we had the opportunity to create wonderful poetry from the land of the rising sun.

Today I have a nice piece of music created by Adrian von Ziegler, a young composer. Maybe you remember that we have had a month full of his music here at CDHK, so maybe this piece of music you have heard, maybe not. I had planned a piece of music titled "Mists of Avalon", but it turned out that that piece of music was created by BrunuhVille and not by Adrian von Ziegler, so I have chosen another wonderful composition by Adrian von Ziegler titled "Winter Breath".


A beautiful composition that fits the time of the year in a great way, if you live on the Northern Hemisphere.

I hope this piece of music will inspire you to create wonderful haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry forms (like e.g. Sedoka or Choka)

Ah! that silence
the first day of a new year
the wind of last year
plays with bare branches
nothing has changed


© Chèvrefeuille

This tanka I took from my personal weblog and was submitted for our recent Winter Retreat.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until January 2nd at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, Oniria by Bruno Sanfilippo, later on.


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Carpe Diem #1109 Siddharta's Journey by Guy Sweens


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today I love to share a "reprise" of a piece of music which I used earlier here at CDHK. Maybe you remember it, maybe not. I created this episode back in August 2013. I will not full re-create that post, but I love to share the music video of this wonderful piece of music by Guy Sweens, a young Dutch composer of New Age and Fusion music.

Guy Sweens
You can find more about him at his own website www.guysweens.com or you can read the mentioned episode HERE again.

Guy Sweens is a composer similar with that other favorite of mine Karunesh Karunesh was by the way the one who brought me the music of Guy Sweens, but that you can read in that mentioned episode of CDHK.

Here is the music video of Siddharta's Journey by Guy Sweens (video made by Nick of London)


I hope this composition will inspire you to create haiku or tanka. I love to share a re-done cascading haiku, I turned it into a set of tanka:


in the light of dawn
the world looks mysterious
a new day begins
the sweet sounds of birds singing
in the light of dawn


walking the path
from richness to poverty
enlightened Buddha
reaching for the deep truth of life -
walk his path

© Chèvrefeuille

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until January 1st at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Mists of Avalon by Adrian Von Ziegler, later on.



Monday, December 26, 2016

Carpe Diem #1108 Promise


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you have had a nice holidays time with a lot of joy, love, peace and wonderful gifts. And I hope you all have found time to create new poems. I myself can say that I had wonderful days with my loved ones and I hadn't time to create.


I hope you enjoyed the music and of course I hope that you will be inspired by this music. Have a great week.

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until December 31st at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Siddharta's Journey by Guy Sweens, later on.


Sunday, December 25, 2016

Carpe Diem #1107 Symphony No. 1 by Giovanni Sgambati


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

December is running towards its end and 2016 will be soon over and become history. It was a joy to create this month full of music to inspire you all. For today I have another nice composition for you to awaken your muse and become inspired.

Today I love to share a piece of music by Giovanni Sgambati to inspire you.


I hope this wonderful Symphony has awaken your muse and I hope it brought you great feelings and wonderful haiku or tanka..

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 30th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next epoisode, Promise by Thomas Bergersen, later on.




Saturday, December 24, 2016

Carpe Diem #1106 Symphony No. 11 The Winter by Joachim Raff


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

During the holidays I will only publish the regular prompts. The last CD Special I will publish after Christmas. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas time and a wonderful and inspirational 2017.


This episode is open for yuour submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 29th at noon (CET). I will publish our next episode, Symphony No. 1 by Giovanni Sgambati, later on. For now .... have fun!




Friday, December 23, 2016

Carpe Diem Seven Days Before Christmas 2016 #7 Twas The Night Before Christmas


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This is it the last episode of our special feature "Seven Days Before Christmas 2016". For this last episode I have chosen the easy way, just because I thought that after a whole year of creating CDHK I could do it once the easy way.
There are a lot of traditions around Christmas, but the most beautiful tradition is the American tradition to read the Twas The Night Before Christmas poem and so I thought maybe I can make a special episode of one of our other special features "Carpe Diem Distillation". Maybe you can remember that feature. The goal of CDHK Distillation is to create a haiku or tanka inspired on a given poem. So here it is that wonderful poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas" with a short introduction to the poem.


Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the poem Twas the night before Christmas also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. It is now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve.

The poem 'Twas the night before Christmas' has redefined our image of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to the creation of the story of 'Twas the night before Christmas' St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers!


Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863)

Clement Moore, the author of the poem Twas the night before Christmas, was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of Twas the night before Christmas was to remain anonymous. The first publication date was 23rd December 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.

Twas the Night before Christmas Poem

Make it Snow !


Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!





"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.



He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

******************************************


A wonderful poem and a challenge to create a haiku or tanka distilled from this poem. Have fun!

Well ... it not a "real" distillation of the above poem, but I love to share a series of Christmas haiku which I once published on my own personal weblog:

preparing Christmas
decorating the Tree of Light
brings peace and joy

Christmas stockings
hanging above the fireplace
awaiting presents

at dinnertime
drinking eggnog, eating turkey
and Christmas pudding





a Child was born
in a cold winter night
Angels singing

peace to the world
while wars are being fought
tears of Christ

make it happen
enjoy the Holidays
Merry Christmas


© Chèvrefeuille

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until December 28th at noon (CET). Have fun! Enjoy the Holidays!


Carpe Diem #1105 Christmas Oratorio: Cantata #1 BWV 248 - Mov. 1/9 by J.S. Bach


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's Christmas Eve and I have chosen a really nice piece of music by J.S. Bach, the Christmas Oratorio. Just enjoy the music and maybe it inspires you.


This is the complete version of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas time full of joy and laughter.

Are you inspired through this music? Please share your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form with us all.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 28th at noon (CET).

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Carpe Diem Seven Days Before Christmas 2016 #6 meditation


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are counting down to Christmas and Christmas time is the time of year in which we look back, or look forward. We stand still by what is going on in the world and how to cope with that.

Peace

Recently another attack on the Western world took place in Berlin. A truck driver who drove his truck into the people visiting a christmasfair with a lot of casualties and deads. Christmas symbol for peace, symbol for love will be different forever ... again terror wins. We have seen it over the past years terror becomes stronger and stronger and all based on religion and religious ideas and feelings.
Why do religions clash with each other? They all belief in a supreme being who will lead them on their way to salvation, the only difference is the path they walk.

As I look back than tears flow over my cheeks, my heart is in pain, love, unconditional love has gone, but I will stand up to that feeling .... religions have to respect each other's ideas and dogmas and they certainly cannot discipline people who think and belief different. Maybe ... we have to realize a World Religion, a religion based on unconditional love without being disrespectful to those who belief in a different way .... a religion based on unconditional love can spread that love and that love can be a wave, that wave can bring peace to the world.


I am still hoping and praying that peace will be here once and I hope it will be soon ...  our world doesn't need more terror, war and all of those things that create sadness and hate. What our world need is light, that light is what we celebrate in this time of year. That light has nothing to do with Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism ... that light has to do with unconditional love a love so strong that it can change the world, let unconditional love bring back the light to the world and than peace will certainly follow.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I wish you all that unconditional love will shine a light on your lives and on our world.

unconditional
without exceptions built in
live agape


© Chèvrefeuille


This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 27th at noon (CET).


Carpe Diem #1104 Libertango by Sofia Gubaidulina


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I think you all will have the same feeling in this time of year. Busy ... busy ... not time. Of course there will be several of you who don't have that, but to me this time of year takes a lot of time. So again this episode I love to share only the composition which I had planned to day to inspire you.


Sofia Gubaidulina is a Russian female composer. She was born in 1931 and has written a lot of nice music.

I hope you like this piece of music I have chosen and I hope it will inspire you.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 27th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Christmas Oratorio: Cantata #1 BWV 248 - Mov. 1/9 by J.S. Bach, later on.


Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Carpe Diem Seven Days Before Christmas 2016 #5 candles


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are counting down to Christmas and today I love to inspire you with another nice prompt, not specific for Christmas, but we see these often around and with Christmas ... candles. Candles are the symbol for light and in this time of year it stands for the return of the Light to the world. The Light of our Creator, His Son, Jesus Christ was born in a stable. With His birth the light returned to the world, the promise and hope for a better future ... that is still the idea and the thought behind Christmas.

Candles ... I love them, they make the room special, full of love and romance. Candles are the most important thing in a life full of love, because candles bring romance and sensuality to us. Candles ... light that we can share with everyone around us ... candles ... I can't imagine a Christmas without candles.

candles
Inspired on a well known haiku by Buson I wrote the following:

lighting one candle
with another candle -
Christmas Eve


© Chèvrefeuille

And here is another one, found in my archives:

reflections
the light of the candle
on her face


© Chèvrefeuille
Image found on Pinterest
And I love to share a tanka here with you which I re-created from a set of haiku which I wrote several years ago:

house altar
photo's of loved ones
I light a candle
in front of my brother's photo -
the scent of Old Spice


© Chèvrefeuille

This episode of Seven Days Before Christmas is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until December 26th at noon (CET). Have fun!