Haiku Shuukan #11, Kitten

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another week has gone by and is time for our new Haiku Shuukan episode. This week our prompt is kitten. I don't think that needs more explanation.
For this episode I have gathered a few photos of kittens for your inspiration, you don't have to use them, but maybe it helps you to write new haiku.

Credits: kittens

kittens playing
learning to survive
in big world

© Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Red kitten

beautiful eyes
shining like millions of stars
new born kitten

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope I have inspired you all ...

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Friday at noon. Have fun! Our new episode, laughter, I will try to post next Friday.

Haiku Shuukan #10 Jacob's Ladder

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another week has gone by and it was a busy week. I was in the nightshift and we had to care for our grandsons. I am a bit tired so this new episode will not become a very long episode.

This week our prompt is Jacob's Ladder and it's not about the biblical story, but about that lovely little blue flower which you can see here-after. So I hope it will inspire you all to write haiku or senryu and share them with us all here at our Haiku Shuukan.

Jacob's Ladder

Well ... have fun! This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until next Friday June 27th at noon (CET) and  I will post our new episode, kitten, around that time also.

Haiku Shuukan #9, Idyllic

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another week has gone by ... I had a busy week, but it's really my pleasure to introduce to you our new prompt for this week here at our Haiku Shuukan.

This week's prompt is Idyllic and here is the meaning of this word and some synonyms for it. Maybe it makes it easier to write haiku with it.

Idyllic means: extremely beautiful and peaceful

Synonyms or related words for this sense of idyllic

Beautiful: beautiful, glorious, stunning, breathtaking, gorgeous, splendid, exquisite, elegant, angelic, ravishing

and can also mean: extremely happy, without any problems

Synonyms or related words for this sense of idyllic

Pleasant, enjoyable and relaxing: epic, pleasant, enjoyable, relaxing, nice, pleasing, pleasurable, lovely, cheerful, restful

Credits: Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England - an idyllic village

One of our contributors to our other weblog, Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, is Maniparna of Scattered Thoughts. As I was preparing this episode I ran into an "idyllic" haiku composed by her. Here it is:

romping with dry leaves
the idyllic afternoon
poured slumber in me

© Maniparna of Scattered Thoughts

Another example, this time a classical haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) in which I think idyllic is in the deeper layers and this haiku by him is really a beauty in it's simplicity.

kids look,
let's get outside quick,
hail!

© Matsuo Basho

Well ... I think this prompt isn't very difficult, so I am looking forward to your haiku inspired on this prompt. Here is my attempt:

a new day rises -
the weeping willow on the piazza
a birds' gathering

© Chèvrefeuille

Credits: Weeping Willow

Now it is up to you my dear haijin, visitors and travelers ... let this post inspire you to write your "idyllic"-haiku and share it with us all here at Haiku Shuukan.

This episode is OPEN for your submissions at noon (CET) and will stay open until next Friday June 20th at noon (CET). I will try to post our next weekly prompt, Jacob's Ladder, later on that week.

Haiku Shuukan #8, Harmonious

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to see that Haiku Shuukan starts to become a little bit more known to our haiku-poets and friends all around the world. It's not an easy task for me to do this weekly meme next to my daily haiku meme, but I am loving it to much to let it go.

This week our prompt is "Harmonious" and I think that word doesn't further explanation, nevertheless I will challenge you all a little bit. Therefore I challenge you to write a haiku with the classical rules as there are:

1. a kigo or season word;
2. a keriji or cutting word (it's a word or transliteration mark which divides one scene from the other in the same haiku)
3. 5-7-5 syllables;
4. it describes a moment as short as the sound of a frog jumping into the pond;
5. sometimes a deeper spiritual meaning;
6. first and last line are interchangeable;
7. it describes an experience and not how the poet feels about it

Well ... I hope you all will like this "extra" chellenge for this week's prompt.

Credits: Harmonious

This episode of Haiku Shuukan is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until June 13th at noon (CET). Have fun, be inspired and share your classical haiku with us all ...