Haiku 03/07/2018

spring wind comes blowing
tossing sparrows to the sky –
wind bells clang loudly

Hatsu yuki – First Snow: Ryoanji

I am posting on Real Toads Tuesday Platform.

 

Hatsuyuki – First Snow
Midnight.  I walk to the trees at the verge of the woods. I can see against the rough black bark where bits of snow have settled into the crevices of the bark – like exotic plants on the steep side of the cliff. I touch the snow with my lips – soft cold against rough and then melting. I bow my head against the tree – I murmur 侘寂 wabi-sabi.

The stillness, the snow, the silence.   I am no longer here but there – years past on the viewing platform at *Ryoanji. On the wall sit hundreds of suzume – sparrows.  Like me, they are watching the rocks in the 枯山水, karesansui. Feathers fluffed against the cold, tiny bright eyes seeing all. The air becomes sweet and before the suzume begin to flutter, I know…snow. I feel them on my face before I see the flakes and soon, they stick to the gravel, to the moss around the base of the rocks. The birds flutter off to more sheltered spaces but a few stay for the crumbs the humans leave behind.

Ryoanji and hatsuyuki. I stay until the moss is white and the ***suzume have all left. Straight down and fast, the snow falls. I stand and bow the long, deep bow of deepest respect. As I leave, it comes together for me – mujo – impermance, wabi sabi – the beauty of imperfection, mono no aware – the deep sadness at the passing of things – the snow that falls, the snow that melts, the birds that fly away…and the rocks that stay behind.

snow falls – white **sho-ru –
silence drifts to cover rocks –
peaceful dragon sleeps

* Peaceful Dragon
**shawl
***sparrows

dVerse Poets: Open Link Night #169

Today is Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub  Come join us and submit a poem in your choice of form and subject or –
come and read the work of some amazing poets!

copyright kanzensakura

Spring Haiku

I.
my new kimono –
shamed by the tender green of
willows fresh foliage

!!.
unable to sleep – the
stars and I listen to the
frogs singing at night

III.
Night haze softens bare
trees – plum blossoms secretly
begin to unfold

IV.
spring wind comes blowing
tossing sparrows to the sky –
wind chimes clang loudly

Two Haiku and One Poem about Wind

Utagawa Hiroshige 1797-1858

I.
The spring moon watches
The wind blowing at night – plum
Petals drift gently

 

水の花 Mizu no hana: water flowers
Heavy blossoms pull down the branches
Of trees by the river.
Higher blossoms weep down their petals
Upon the surface of the river
In which the submerged blossoms drown.
Dead leaves cover the earth
beneath the trees.
Sharp winds blow
Removing the corpses of winter.

 

Today at dVerse Poets Pub, the prompt is to write poems inspired by the wind.  Come join us at 3:00 pm EST!  http://dversepoets.com

 

What Lies Beneath

Today at dVerse Poetics Pub, we are having a joust of sorts. We are to choose a line (or more) from one of two poems (or both) chosen by the previous bartenders, Brian and Claudia. Here is the link: http://dversepoets.com/2015/02/26/pick-a-line-and-get-that-joust-started/ I chose a line from Claudia’s poem. it is in italics.

copyright kanzensakura

Branch blown by the wind –
fingers stick out from the snow
reaching out.
I threw out bread for the birds
On both  ends,
A sparrow perched,
their feathers fluffed with the cold
and bright eyes seeking
out the bits of bread closest
to their perch.
The full branch lay encased
under the snow
holding steady – an invisible bridge.
the sparrows chirp
and cock their heads
and converse about their plans.
“later we will cross
tower bridge into the night”.
In the morning
I see no trace of their
tracks but the bits of bread are gone.

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge #70

The challenge today was to add on verses to a haiku – a renga.
The original haiku is by our host and evokes a lovely peaceful image:
sweet perfume
mingles with the sound of rain –
a dog barks (c) © Chèvrefeuille

Uchu no take ni suzume (Sparrows and rain)
sweet perfume
mingles with the sound of rain –
a dog barks
sparrows play fluttering their
wings chirping joyful rain songs

Utagawa Hiroshige 1797-1858
Sparrows and willows in rain (Uchu no take ni suzume),
Polychrome wood block

 

Linked to Carpe Diem Haiku Kai:  http://chevrefeuill escarpediem.blogspot.se/2015/01/carpe-diem-tan-renga-challenge-70.html

スズメ Suzume

sparrows squabble in
the rain over an earthworm –
silent wrens steal it.