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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Season Your Poetry Part II

I had such an outstanding response to Season Your Poetry that I decided to do Season Your Poetry Part II to continue the tradition of writing poetry in the Japanese tradition. Matsuo Basho invented the Haibun form during the Edo period while travelling on a journey - for enlightenment! He kept a daily travel journal (nikki) and thus a new poetry form was invented. One of my trips to Japan, I traveled the route of Basho.  Most amazing experience.  A Haibun consists of a brief prose portion with a haiku at the end of that portion. Hai means poetry and bun means prose. At the end, the haiku brings the whole of the prose together.

One of Basho's haiku: “Taken in my hand it would melt, my tears are so warm—this autumnal frost.” A most elegant metaphor for the death of Basho's mother. It acts as a stand for Basho's previous haibun. A reader could have a literal understanding of this metaphor as a haiku, but its full effect—its aware (ah-wah-ray) —is apparent only when one reads the prose of the haibun that precedes it. In the prose of the haibun, the reader clearly sees that Bashō used the word frost to describe holding his dead mother’s white hair,

The western haibun has evolved into a long, vividly described poetry form. I am preferring the original form, the more spare and compact writing. I would like you all to write a haibun for me. the haibun is not to be more than 100 words. The haibun below by Basho from the Narrow Road is only 88 words long. I often write haibun with only 44 words!    Basho's haibun:
     Days and months are travellers of eternity. So are the years that pass by. Those who steer a boat across the sea, or drive a horse over the earth till they succumb to the weight of years, spend every minute of their lives travelling. There are a great number of ancients, too, who died on the road. I myself have been tempted for a long time by the cloud-moving wind - filled with a strong desire to wander.
the summer grasses—
for many brave warriors
the aftermath of dreams
Basho
Here is one of my 44 word haibun as another example:
Haibun: Winter Ocean
Walking along the shore, snow begins. The sky is grey overhead and golden sand becomes white. Broken shells roll in the surf. I hold my face up to the sky to be kissed.
lazy snowflakes kiss the shore –
ocean kisses back –
winter romance blooms

Haibun is not flash fiction. It is an autobiographic writing or, a truthful accounting of something that has occurred in your life and directly affected you. Haibun like haiku are not named. However I have begun the practice of naming them for simplicity. I begin Haibun:----- title for the haibun. It is also a seasonal accounting - winter at the ocean, spring picnic under cherry blossoms, autumn canoeing down a river. Take us in the haibun where you are. Edit your words carefully - hold the moment of your haibun in your mind and feel it.  Remember: No more than 100 words! a brief paragraph ending with a haiku.  The haibun can be on any subject as long as it actually happened to you.

I will be catching up with the poems written for my last prompt. I apologize for unexpected sickness. I hope you all enjoy this prompt as much as I enjoyed writing it!  Remember:  NO MORE THAN 100 WORDS!  Please travel among the other poets.  I know I will enjoy this journey!


Hiroshoge  Evening Bell at Mii Temple, from the series Eight Views of Omi Province  ca. 1835
A scene such as Basho would have experienced




15 comments:

  1. Hello my dear Toads! I hope you all are having a great week so far! Wild pear trees and crabapple trees are bursting into bloom. A great occasion! I hope you all will attempt a haibun and find out what a wonderful form it is.

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  2. Double checking--is this fully sloth-approved???

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    1. Of course it is dearie. One of my favorite forms.

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  3. Great prompt, Toni! I am heading out so will be back on return to enjoy the responses.

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  4. Sorry you had a bug last week. I hope you've recovered to "operate gear'. This prompt made it appear that you are. I have to decide. True haiku or more like senyru now. I know my true to my life rose portion.
    ..

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    1. I am still sick but improving. Thank you for asking Jim. Than k you for writing to my post. I commented on your haiku rather than the senryu.

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  5. Glad you think so Sherry. I live writing haibun, especially the eastern form.

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  6. This was an interesting prompt and neat form. I usually stray away from form poems, but this one seemed like a bit of fun! Thanks for posting!

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  7. I love the continuation of the prompt. Thank you for inspiring us.

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  8. Just what I needed, after struggling fruitlessly with a different kind of writing. I love the combination of factual prose and haiku.

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  9. Toni- Please remove my Link- I added a haiku as opposed to a Haibun. I hope you are feeling better!

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  10. Good Afternoon, Toads! Thanks, Toni, for another prompt highlighting haibun! Hope your feeling better. See you all around the pond soon! :)

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