Tag: Carpe Diem Haiku Kiu

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge 103 Basho’s “a flash of lightning.”

Challenges, Nature, Poetry, This and That

Here is my contribution to the lovely “hokko” chosen by our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai host, written by the master Basho.  (A Tan Renga consists of a three-line Haiku by one poet, and completed with two additional lines written by another poet.)

http://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/2016/06/carpe-diem-tan-renga-challenge-103.

inazuma ya yami no kata yuku goi no koe

a flash of lightning—
passing through the darkness
a night heron’s scream

©Basho (1644-1694)

—give a tantalizing glimpse
of imagined things unseen

©Sometimes, 2016

 

Carpe Diem 974 Cyprus, a poem

Challenges, History, Poetry, This and That

Here is a small contribution to Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, one of my favorite poetry sites.     Hosted by Chèvrefeuille, the site discusses Haiku and other forms of Japanese poetry, and some interesting history to go along with it.  Here’s the link, for those who are so inclined to visit 🙂   chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/

The particular topic of this poem is the Island of Cyprus, which has been around for ages under various rulers: the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Arab Caliphates, the French, and the Venetians–THEN ruled for three hundred years by the Ottoman Empire from 1571-1878.

Sometime during that rich history, a wall was built which divided the capital city of Nicosia.   Finally, in 2008, the was was demolished and citizens of Nicosia could visit their relatives at will for the first time.

 Below are two Haikus written by Chèvrefeuille, followed by one of my own.

 
broken heart
families torn apart
tears of Nicosia

© Chèvrefeuille

healed heart
finally the broken sunflowers
reach for the blue sky

© Chèvrefeuille

ancient purpose forgotten
leaves poets to ponder
why there was a wall…at all.

© Sometimes, 2016