Sweltering Heat

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just sitting outside in more than 38℃, sweating,
eyes closed, too hot for any action



sweltering heat -
the different songs
of cicadas



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roses

tiny roses in late sunshine - our great love

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Last Bon ceremony

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送り火や　家族で見えし　流れ星

okuribi ya kazoku de mieshi nagareboshi



sending-off the souls -
the whole family watches
shooting stars




The whole large family of our neighbour, now 82, has been back home this year, which is quite seldom lately in rural Japan.
So many generations watched the heavenly spectacle together in great awe!


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The final ceremony for O-Bon is sending off the ancestor's souls with a special fire, okuirbi.


My First Bon Ceremony

My Shooting Stars


O-Bon rituals and related KIGO





Okuribi, the great send-off fire in Kyoto


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some comments

Nice one, Gabi . . . and blessed, indeed.

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How exciting, Gabi...
love the fireworks!
I enjoyed your haiku -- and learning about this event!

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Hi Gabi - A very good haiku and one that has instructed me in a wonderful tradition. I only wonder if it would work better for most readers if you drop the hyphen after "sending"? I realize it can work either way . . . jez wonderin'

sending off the souls–
the whole family watches
shooting stars

.. GABI : Thanks, for your suggestion.

I guess I mixed it up with the usual translation for okuribi,
(送り火) (roughly, "send-off fire").

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Shooting Stars

....................................... \ \ ......... \ shooting stars - how many promises will he keep ? / 。。。。。。。。。。。。 catch the moment - the shooting stars outnumber my wishes \....................................... ................\

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Meteor Showers as KIGO

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some comments

This is SO good! It has the dreamy quality of the old masters. So reflective and just right.
Thoroughly enjoyed.

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I missed it! Thanks for the links Gabi, and the lovely haiku.

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Oh, a wonderful haiku, Gabi san! Fine work indeed!

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Lovely, haiku, Gabi. Glad you've had a good view of the meteor showers. So often, we end up with clouds!!!

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its a lovely haiku ... makes me go all tanka-ish ...
i cant see the pic ... i see the wording and what i think must be the stars are slashes and dots ... however i can imagine it ...

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Aaaah! Hi Gabi, A beauty!

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Mother Mosquitoe

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I watch her
s l o w l y .. sucking my blood -
mother mosquitoe








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This one became so dear to me, I just could not swat her off. She left quietly after finishing her meal, and the spot did not itch as much as it usually does ...


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Actually, the first version of this one was written a few days ago in hospital, when a young unexperienced sister nurse tried her hand at my veins ... only later, when this mosquito choose almost the same spot for her action, it clicked again



I watch her
s l o w l y sucking my blood -
sister Mosquito




... Mosquitoes (ka 蚊) ... a KIGO

Comments from HH

hey Gabi, I like how you stretched out "slowly"

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Oh, a beautiful moment, Gabi...
(I've done this -- once or twice, lol!)

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Lovely GABI!
I like the way you've done it!

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Hi Gabi. I can't think of anything else that I would watch "slowly sucking my blood" so L3 seems rather obvious. If your remove "my blood" I think your 'ku will pack more of a punch ...

I watch her
slowly sucking ...
mother mosquito

... now I see a baby at the breast in the first two lines - suddenly transformed in the third.

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a s l o w rise
to the bump --
blood plump "ka"

INSPIRATIONAL as USUAL dear Gabi san

知美

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Early Morning

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early morning -
the joy to be
BACK again



gentle rain
on the parched fields -
Namu Amida Butsu



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Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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Rainbow

初盆や 夕日の雲に虹のある first Bon ceremony - a rainbow joins the sunset clouds

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First Bon Ceremony (hatsu Bon)
Performed for a person that died during the last year.

My aunt has died just a month ago, at age 93!
This sunset spectacular was like a special present from heaven.



My Last Bon Ceremony, August 15


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some comments

Oh, beautiful shots, Gabi!
I really like the haiku too... how nice to have heavenly colors added to the celebration!

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Lovely colours in the photo, Gabi. Looks like a good omen to me!

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Lovely GABI
I loved your poem and nature's gift to you with the rainbow. Lovely !

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Hi Gabi,
I like the haiku and the photo. The idea of 'first Bon ceremony' is interesting in that instead of being a 'first' for someone, such as a child's 'first' of some kind, it has a totally different feeling being both for the deceased and still-living family.

The skies have been beautiful here, too, the past few days.

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. WKD : Rainbow (niji 虹) Regenbogen .


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autumn sunset

watching the sunset my long shadow grows lo o o o o oonger

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long, nagai 長

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some comments

GABI,

This haiku surprises me!
I thought you never deviate from a three line haiku?!!!
Good one!

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very interesting how you wrote the word longer!

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I like your sense of humour Gabi!
Works for me, and I usually don't care for concrete poetry. ( I think that's what it's called when you design with text) But this is easy to read and brings a smile... How long is this haiku 'moment'

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Reiterating: all haiku are haiku.

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Oh, this is delightful, Gabi... I love it!


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Effectively your visual disposition of the adjective "long" really fits the kanji transcription !

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Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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Kannon Bosatsu

思いのまま　宝をくれる　仏かな omoi no mama takara o kureru hotoke kana

"Omoi no mama ni takara o kureru hotoke-san"

As a Buddhist sculptor and conservator of many Japanese works of art, including National Treasures, and an Esoteric priest of the Tendai school, Nishimura Kocho has special access to icons such as the Nyoirin Kannon-- and special control over their interpretation.
Pilgrims beseech the Nyoirin Kannon for blessings through the power of the "wish-granting gem" held in the innermost right hand of its six arms.

CANONIZING KANNON:
THE NINTH-CENTURY ESOTERIC BUDDHIST ALTAR AT KANSHINJI
source : www.westga.edu






My Page
Dedicated to Nishimura Kocho, Master Carver
Nishimura Koochoo 西村公朝, 仏師



Nyoirin Kannon
Daruma Museum


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Kannon with a thousand arms
Senju Kannon 千手観音

Thanks to some friends, we have English verisons


it grants me
whatever I wish –
this Buddha

Janice

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giving me gifts
as she wishes--
Kwannon

or

ask this Buddha
and ye shall
receive

Jesus in the New Testament (King James translation of the bible) which may be applicable here: "Ask, and ye shall receive."

Larry


ask this Buddha
and you shall
receive

"ask and it shall be given [un]to you"

Isabelle


as he likes
giving me treasures
Buddha

sakuo


if I ask
this buddha answers
my prayers

bob




summer dreams -
ask this Buddha and
you shall receive



summer dreams -
this Buddha gives all treasures
in abundance

Gabi


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. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 .



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Evening clouds

evening clouds - my valley vibrates in colors

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... Clouds in my Haiku Valley ...



Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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Beetle visitor

ghost stories - a silhouette and then a peeking face ..........................................

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In Summer in Japan it is custom to tell stories about Ghosts and gruesome events, so people will get a chill from it to keep cool.

My Ghost Stories from 2005



Wenn du Zen erfassen möchtest,
musst du dich mit fragenden Zweifel nach innen wenden
und es mit aller Eindringlichkeit erforschen.
Ist dein fragender Zweifel tief genug,
so erscheint die transzendente Weisheit.

Foyan




autumn deepens
and I wonder,
what is my neighbour doing?


. Autumn deepens .


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Typhoon Usagi

tpyhoon usagi - a wild rabbit leaves its wet footprints

Rainclouds over Japan
© Photo: YAHOO 台風情報


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台風5号
My Japanese LINK with more photos !


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BBC UK NEWS
Last Updated: Friday, 3 August 2007

Typhoon Usagi hits southern Japan

Eighteen people were injured and thousands sought shelter as Typhoon Usagi struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu.
The typhoon made landfall late on Thursday, bringing winds of up to 180 km/h (110mph).

It cut power to thousands of homes and felled trees. Bullet trains from the main island, Honshu, were suspended.

Usagi is moving northwards, but it has weakened and meteorologists have now downgraded it to a tropical storm.

Television footage showed uprooted trees and flooded rivers. A number of flights were cancelled.

Among the injured was an 81-year-old woman in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima who was blown over and broke her thigh, a local official said.
A postman was injured after wind overturned his van, another official said. Two people were reportedly hurt in falls from roofs.

In the hardest-hit areas, families and the elderly took refuge in municipal shelters.

Usagi, which means rabbit in Japanese, is the second major storm to hit Japan this season.
In July, Typhoon Man-yi left three people dead when it struck Kyushu and neighbouring island Shikoku.

　© news.bbc.co.uk

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TYPHOON, a kigo for haiku


Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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legless beetle

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I wonder why ?
this beetle with
a missing leg


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Moonshine

almost full the moon hangs on a cloud in the pines

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red leaves in July

red leaves by the little lake already autumn ?

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Click on the PHOTO to see some more.



Autumn Leaves (momiji) yellow leaves, colored leaves



Read my Haiku Archives 2007


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