Carpe Diem #1593 flowers out of season (kaeribana)
winter skies
soft waves of pink in garden
lenten roses
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
winter skies
frozen mud
Carpe Diem #1579 bonfire (takibi)
fading sunset
scent of woodsmoke
scents the air
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
frosty evening
sledding down the hull
wind whipping
someone throws an old tire
in the bonfire
Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #61
Plato’s “The Republic”:
[…] “I will tell you, Socrates, he said, what my own feeling is. Men of my age flock together; we are birds of a feather, as the old proverb says; and at our meetings the tale of my acquaintance commonly is–I cannot eat, I cannot drink; the pleasures of youth and love are fled away: there was a good time once, but now that is gone, and life is no longer life. Some complain of the slights which are put upon them by relations, and they will tell you sadly of how many evils their old age is the cause. But to me, Socrates, these complainers seem to blame that which is not really in fault. For if old age were the cause, I too being old, and every other old man, would have felt as they do. But this is not my own experience, nor that of others whom I have known. How well I remember the aged poet Sophocles, when in answer to the question, How does love suit with age, Sophocles,–are you still the man you were? Peace, he replied; most gladly have I escaped the thing of which you speak; I feel as if I had escaped from a mad and furious master. His words have often occurred to my mind since, and they seem as good to me now as at the time when he uttered them. For certainly old age has a great sense of calm and freedom; when the passions relax their hold, then, as Sophocles says, we are freed from the grasp not of one mad master only, but of many. The truth is, Socrates, that these regrets, and also the complaints about relations, are to be attributed to the same cause, which is not old age, but men’s characters and tempers; for he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.
I listened in admiration, and wanting to draw him out, that he might go on–Yes, Cephalus, I said: but I rather suspect that people in general are not convinced by you when you speak thus; they think that old age sits lightly upon you, not because of your happy disposition, but because you are rich, and wealth is well known to be a great comforter.”[…] (Plato’s The Republic)
evils of old age
creep in stripping away
the pleasures of youth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
youth and old age
character and temper
determine happiness
Carpe Diem #1527 Rustling Leaves (extreme haibun)
An autumn walk the woods, squirrels chatter overhead. Straw colored grass-heads bow in the breeze. Leaves skate down the pine trees with a cascading rustle. Afternoon sun casting long acorn shadows on the ground.
full hunter moon
shines on a scattered carpet
of autumn color
Carpe Diem #1521 Lao Tzu … flexibility of water
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” (Lao Tzu)
water gently flows
over the rock face
etching new features
Carpe Diem’s Quest for a (new) masterpiece #4 autumn leaves
fallen leaves
clogging garden fountain
balance lost
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ornamental grass
violet flower head sways
balancing bird
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
neglected garden
mint entangling my shovel
with each transplant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
abandoned garden
among the weeds
one purple flower
a chaffinch twitters
in the autumn dusk
For some reason I did not post the haiku I wrote for the summer kigo month at Carpe Diem, so I will share a few now.
Carpe Diem #1458 short night (mijikayo)
this short night
the mosquito’a whine
filling the cracks (stillness)
Carpe Diem #1459 evening lull (yuunagi)
evening lull
we sit on the swing
counting fireflies
Carpe Diem #1461 waterfall (taki)
under the falls
water dancing on my head
tears release you
summer storm
a water fall cascades
for the porch roof
Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #37 Troiku Challenge “Time”
perpetual snow
reflects the sunlight –
I dream of a nude beach © Chèvrefeuille
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
through tears
cherry blossoms scattered
by the breeze © Chèvrefeuille
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cherry blossoms
reflecting sunlight
snowy breeze My fusion Haiku
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Troiku
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cherry blossoms
reflecting sunlight
snowy breeze
cherry blossoms
fading to soon
passage to summer
reflecting sunlight
teardrops fall
on faded petals
snowy breeze
dries my tears
carrying new hope
Carpe Diem #1387 The Breeze at Dawn
The Breeze at Dawn:
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
© Rumi
Adas Poetry Alcove 