The Night of Spring - Kyoshi Takahama

Kristjaan came up with a new Special haiku episode, where Kyoshi Takahama, the haiku-master of May and his haiku are used as inspiration. Kyoshi isn't a well known haiku poet, but he has written wonderful haiku.

Today's haiku by Kyoshi is written at the end of Spring,which he calls 'the night of Spring'. As Kristjaan said, that's a wonderful imagery for the departure of Spring.

I really liked this prompt and felt very happy to write on this theme.

The special haiku:

haru no yo ya tsukue no ue no hiji-makura

the night of Spring -
an elbow-pillow
on the desk

Carpe Diem Special #37

May 17th - The night od Spring

the night of this Spring -

decorating my window

last apple -blossoms

late apple-blossoms

swung by the late-Sping faint beeze -

writing spring haiku

last sight of Spring moon -

the summer morning ballads 

in forest's birds song

NahaiWriMo

May 17th - Quandary or Quietude

the peace in her voice

filling her yard in sping sun -

acacia perfume

  
 

The WIP IT Good Blogfest

The WIP IT GooD Blogfest

On Friday, May 31st, you can take your chance to tell the blogosphere about your most recent [W]ork [I]n [P]rogress. You’ll be guided by the provided prompts to answer in your own post, and even give you the opportunity to solicit CP’s (partners who exchange material for detail critique – usually chapter by chapter) or Beta Readers (test readers who read entire manuscripts and offer broad opinions) if you’re looking for that.
Here are the prompts you'll have to follow:
WIP Title:
Word Count (projected/actual so far):

Genre:
How long have you been working on it?:
Elevator Pitch (if you came across an agent in an elevator ride, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book):
Brief Synopsis (250 words or less):
Are you looking for a Critique Partner?:
Are you looking for a Beta Reader?:

I really love this blogfest idea because it helps and guides you to tell others about what you're working at and it helps you get help in finishing/editing/revising/ your work. :) Go visit DL Hammons at Criusing Altitude and Elise Fallson to sign up for this fun and very, very useful blogfest.

Carpe Diem

May 16th - Justice

no right or wrong now

on paths of Life, awaiting

the Divine Justice

merciful cherry

knows no distinction between

the damned and the blessed

in perfect balance

serving the Creation's heart

Free Will and justice

NaHaiWriMo

May 16th - pet

caressing my cheeks

sweeping my old verandah

 May morning mild breeze 

Review Shadows of the Past

Review: Shadows of the Past

   Shadows of the Past

Publish date: 4^th December 2012

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Genre: paranormal/light romance/light horror.

 Blurb 

Anne's relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.
The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world--one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil's vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve's soul from its torment.
Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?
The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

My Review:

The book is exactly what the blurb promises to be: a beautiful and touching paranormal love story that plays on the idea that love transcends time and soul mates will always search for each other.

First, I loved the premise of the book: the restless soul of a young nun from the XVth century leads Anne, its present day reincarnation, towards the place where the nun's body has been abandoned centuries ago without being aloud to find peace.

Secondly, I loved the shift between present and past, between Anne's and Genevive's stories and the way their stories are woven together. Carmen plays the visions/apparitions/dreams card and the fact that in spite of telling the story of two different female protags, she manages to create background for both Genevive and Anne.

Thirdly, I liked the descriptions the author used to put everything in place - I'm not usually a big fan of thorough descriptions, but this book is one of the few exceptions.

I'd say Carmen managed to write a beautiful, touching love story that transcends time, about overcoming adversity and one's learning, personal growth and transformation and a second love story about choices.

The end of the book is a happy one if just a little gloomy, which is understandable for such a tragic story (promising more, maybe? - I hope so). 

I felt for Genevive's lack of luck, I loved Anne for her strenght and I loved the  book.

Author bio:

            Carmen Stefanescu was born in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.
            Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books. 

            She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.

Find her on:

Goodreads

Amazon

Google+

Blog

 

Carpe Diem

April 15th - The Wheel of Fortune

silent mid-spring clouds -

young gypsy reading the cards

near an acacia ***

foretold destiny -

a May rain washes away

all my misfortune

my fate's dual coin -

tossing up the dry  branches,

down they go again

my faith and my fate -

walking by a water stream

searching direction

karma comes and goes -

in Mother Earth's ancient laws

I find my justice

NaHaiWriMo

April 15th - odour and ornaments

robed in small sharp thornes,

perfuming my green garden,

roses' pale blossoms

tasting like spring day -

red poppies smile at the sun 

in wheat fields odour

*** I'm not a racist I'm just playing on stereotypes

Wisdom

After too much time away from my very good friend, the Internet, I'm back to it.

Carpe Diem

May 14th - The Hermit

all our world's wisdom -

children's happy, lovely smiles

in morning sun rays

under the blue sky,

his Inner Self connection -

no Sunday service

NaHaiWriMo

May 14th - neccessity

blue butterfly wings -

all my happy dreams shattered

by reality

R is for Ruins

On my way to my grandma's house I have to pass by the ruins of "St. Haralambie" church (yes, near a forest, too) which had been built in 1818 and whose mysteries are yet to be revealed. This is one of the things tourmenting my curiousity as a child and was a central place to many stories I was creating in my childhood and teens.

dandelion fields

stirring imagination -

dubious riuns

mysteries hidden -

the pass of time will deepen

curiousity

stories writing place -

playing with ghosts from the past,

rewriting the truth

After more than 2 decades fantasizing about the ruins and inventing stories, about 2 years ago I've researched it and I haven't found more than the name of the church and the year of the construction. So, my mind still creates scenaries and scenarios around it. I could imagine a ghotic novel around this mystery (1st draft almost ready - boxed in autumn - why haven't God offered me the gift of finishing up everything?)
________________________________

NaHaiWriMo

April 20th - music/musical instrument

late-April evening -

cicada's sad violin

telling his story

Carpe Diem

April 20th - Abraham (wisdom)

halfway through his life,

contemplating what has been -

ready for future

his speech,

like never before -

a lesson

Q is for Questions

When I was little I had a lot of questions about everything and everyone - I was a curious child. I used to walk a lot and imagine the places surrounding me the way my parents have told me they used to look like before I was born.

questioning my past -

flooded by dazzling sunlight,

running the wild fields

The hometown of my memories was quite unchanged during my growing up. Only since five years ago the aspect of Scornicesti started to change, getting more modern, more like this century.

tell me willow tree,

which are the secrets you keep

about what has been

Now, when I take a walk around the town I remember the town of my childhood: gloomier than today, but the house of most of my memories.

the same old pine tree

I was using as shelter

during Hide and Seek

It's difficult not to smile at those memories.

Whispers in the Dark?

NaHaiWriMo

April 19th - darkness

alluring sunset,

sweet scent of blooming cherries -

darkness descending

Carpe Diem

April 19th - whisper

whispers in the wind -

just the locusts in this field

hear my fervent cry

The combination of these two prompts brought back to memory a song from a few years ago. Before hitting "play" turn the volume down, please. ;)

Carpe Diem Treasure

Kristjaan came up with a new episode for his already beautiful and alluring challenge. This is called "treasure" and it requires to use someone else's haiku, a haiku that brought back to you some memories.

So, for today's Carpe Diem Treasure I've stopped at one of Basho's haiku:

where’s the moon? 

the temple bell sunk 

to the bottom of the sea

 

tsuki izuku / kane wa shizumeru / umi no soko

 

These beautiful lines brought back to my memory the visit to a salina from a few months ago. I've been fascinated by that beautiful dark place and by the salt lake equipped with boats in order to make the time there more enjoyable. Inspired by Basho (I just love his writing), remembering my trip to that salina, here's my haiku and a memory of that place:

 

 

I hope you'll enjoy this haiku, because I really enjoyed that short but beautiful trip.

I'm also adding two links to my recently published poems: 4and20poetry where my poems opens this month's edition (happy!) and to my "Sharpening the green pencil" entry. I'll render the ones from Sharpening the green pencil, since these are harder to find:

 

streight road to nadir -

the anchor of the past

is lost on the sky

 

(drum drept spre nadir -

ancora trecutului

pierduta pe cer)

 

 

 

day in and day out

nature watching from the window -

apart from the world

 

(zi dupa zi

privind natura de la geam -

distant de lume)

P is for Paradise

I love parks. Unfortunately, Scornicesti has only a park and that's very small. When I was younger, I used to go visit Rusciori, a touristic complex anexed to a beatiful lake. I used to loose track of time, wondering enjoying the view, dreaming and imagining stories, writing poems in that fabulous decor.

Enjoy the pics, they speak for themselves:

O is for Old

Scornicesti isn't a modern town. Most of its buildings have witnessed the change . The apartment buildings are relatively new, but the houses , the villas and mansions - they know the rhythm and the pulse of the town.

slowly aging town -

old houses and roads and men

guarding their secrets

under low rooftops

April sun burning old walls -

some swallows nesting

rain clouds on spring sky

darkening my surroundings -

town's greying buildings

no statues, no art -

old people on old benches

in the morning sun

April Blend

Back on the net from my aunty duties. Happy to have one more poem published. Catching up. Again.

NaHaiWriMo

April 9th - sound

music for her ears,

better than all symphony -

her baby laughing

April 10th - zoo

house full of children,

now singing "happy Birthday!" -

my domestic zoo

April 11th - underwater

underwater stones -

travelers watching the lake,

their image transformed

April 12th - clown

crying 

tears of happiness -

a clown

April 13th - miss/missing

admiring tulips

from near the garden's white fence -

missing hyacinth

April 14th - pond

swung by April wind 

cherry tree blossoms petals -

the pond in pink coat

April 15th - alley 

watching the alley,

since two centuries ago

silent gargoyle eyes

April 16th - wildflower/weed

her smile, sun colored -

snatching weeds from her garden

April morning task

April 17th - mushrooms

after short spring rain,

a blue butterfly resting 

on a small mushroom

April 18th - antique

family heirlooms,

her silver filigree rings -

her girl's antique toy

Carpe Diem

April 16th - finally spring

from the angry clouds

after a short April rain,

finally spring sun

 

April 17th special - lonely flower

messanger of spring

among the budding branches

a cherry blossom

wild field inscence 

scattered in the April wind -

lonely violet

this April evening

first magnolia blossom,

my sole companion

April 17th - small mountain

to dodge the spring rain

after dragging a bread crumb -

inside the anthill

April 18th - threnody

funerary song

honoring the memory

of long lasting love

under April clouds

in a cherry blossom rain

sad sky threnody

thunders and lightings -

angels' laments for their lives,

a last song for them

L is for Lake

Happy!

So... in 8 days time I am an aunt twice! So, I'll be missing from the net and all the challenges till Sunday, visiting my sisters, gazing with adoration at my two nieces.

Have a wonderful week everybody!

(having a glass of wine, celebrating; smiling happily)

H is for Hydro

The creek that crosses the town is called Plapcea. It's just a feeble water thread on the surface and sometimes, in torrid summers it dries out completely. But in the spring months it's nice to watch the idle water finding its way through herbs and stones, nourishing the land and keeping it green.

I find it moderately active in spring, very inspiring in summer, very dull in autumn. That makes me wonder how can a single thing inspire different states at different times.

by the water stream

watching the white sand and herbs -

my dreams of summer

slowly running in,

my thoughts and the idle stream -

soft breeze wrapping me

G is for Green

I love spring, I love sunlight and light breeze! And I love that in April and May I can really enjoy those in Scornicesti, because it's packed with green herbs, grass tress and flower, especially wild flowers.

In spring and summer the green and the wild flora tame the grey resting in the town's old buildings. 

through small gray buildings

in the April light I smell

stains of green, of spring

I enjoy walking around the town, strolling around the hills surrounding Scornicesti. I enjoy their serenity, their silence and peacefullness.

spring oasis,

the wild fields in April night

calling my echo