Sunday, April 27, 2014

Carpe Diem Special #89, Soen Nakagawa's "awoken from a nap"


Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

This month of Carpe Diem is coming to it's end almost. We have had a wonderful month with beautiful Modern kigo for Spring, we had our first Ghost-Writer week and we had the CD-Specials by Soen Nakagawa, our featured haiku-poet for this month. And last but not least we had our first Tan Renga Squared Challenge ...
I am a little bit sad that this month will be over soon and that we don't have those wonderful haiku by Soen Nakagawa anymore, but ... well ... that's life (smiles) all things are coming to an end. I am still busy with creating our new prompt-list for May ... I hope to publish it asap, but before May 1st.

Ok ... another nice haiku written by Soen Nakagawa has to be here in the middle of our attention and I think I have found a wonderful haiku for your inspiration. I hesitated by the way to use this one, because it's a very uncommon haiku in which Soen Nakagawa uses 'penis'.
As I read that haiku for the very first time in the on-line magazine "Frogpond, 32.1 (2009)'' I was in a little shock. I had never read a haiku of a haiku-master in which the word 'penis' was used explicitly, but after a while I thought ''why not it's part of nature''. So I decided to use that haiku for this last CD-Special of April.

Credits: Steppe

This haiku  is one of Soen’s own favorites:

Aiming my penis
out over the steppes
awoken from a nap

(c) Soen Nakagawa

To this haiku he adds, “The word penis had never been used before in a haiku, and I was criticized for exposing such a thing! But a penis is just a penis. Nowadays there is confusion regarding sex. But in truth, sexual energy, like digestive energy, is God’s fine energy, Buddha’s energy, cosmic energy.” 

It's so like Soen himself who used plastic cups for the 'tea-ceremony' and instant coffee ...
As I stated above I was in a kind of shock, but after a while a haiku by Basho came in mind in which he (Basho) is not using the word ''penis'' itself, but hidden in another image.

ought one laugh or cry
when my Morning Glory
withers up

(c) Basho

In this haiku by Basho he refers to his penis ... not using the exact word, but ''my Morning Glory''. Of course its just a word, but I am more of the ''hidden word'' than of calling it by its name in haiku, but that's just the way I honor haiku.

Credits: Morning Glories

The goal of these CD Specials is to write a haiku in the same tone, sense and spirit as the one given. So let me try to write a haiku in the same sense, tone and spirit as the one by Soen Nakagawa.

Excalibur ...
pulled out of the stone -
a new day rises


(c) Chèvrefeuille

Well ... what do you think ...? It's for sure in the same sense, tone and spirit I think ... (blushing).

This Special episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until April 30th 11.59 AM (CET). I will try to post our new episode, Safflower, later on today. For now ... have fun!


8 comments:

  1. Very well-handled post, and witty too! Cheeky haiku!

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  2. It's a real challenge!

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  3. This haiku reminds me of an early morning waking in a tent... the urgency and sweetness of peeing outdoors... Loved the excalibur .. what a metaphor

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  4. Unexpected, original and ...yes, challenging is another word that comes to my mind :)

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  5. The timing of this post is so ironic! Today i was rudely awoken from a nap - and a *delicious* dream - by a phone call that turned out to be a sales call!

    Cheeky haiku ... Who knew? Love it. ;)

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  6. Fun post, and fun haiku that you wrote!

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  7. There is much to be left to interpretation :)

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  8. A great haiku as always Kristjaan.

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