Cool Announcement: The Bluebird’s Cry by Christine L. Villa

So grateful because of Chen-ou Liu's "Cool Announcement" helped boost my sales in January.

If you want to read more poems from my book, The Bluebird's Cry, here is the link.

http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.ca/2017/01/cool-announcement-bluebirds-cry-by.html#comment-form

One Man's Maple Moon: Ring Tanka

      Just what I need to jump-start my enthusiasm for the new year! NeverEnding Story has published today my "ring tanka" from my poetry book, The Bluebird's Cry, with Chen-ou Liu's Chinese translation. Reading the comment from my old-time favorite poet has lifted my spirits up.

by the fountain
with a ring encircling
my finger . . . 
all I knew then
was the word forever

See translation here.

Chen-ou Liu's comment:

Structurally and thematically speaking, the tanka is effectively framed by these emotionally significant and symbolically rich phrases, "by the fountain" and " the word forever." And the contrasts (presence vs absence, past vs present, happiest moment vs poignant remembrance, ...) between the two parts of the poem are heartwrenching.

Old Guitar Tanka on NeverEnding Story

     What a special treat! I thought I only have one big news to share today, but just a few minutes ago, I received an email from Chen-ou Liu. He informed me that my old guitar tanka, the poem that won 2nd place at the Diogen Winter Haiku Contest 2012, is up today. 


winter moonlight
on his old guitar ...
once again 
I hear him sing
our favorite song

     Chen-ou's comment:

    The upper verse sets the thematic context while the tonal shift in the lower verse, combined with the effective use of "once again," enhances the emotionally suggestive power of the poem.

     To see Chen-ou's two Chinese translations under the section One Man's Maple Moon, click here. 

Evening Drizzle on NeverEnding Story

evening drizzle

notes from his guitar 

perfume the air

Haigaonline 12:2, December 2011

     Yesterday Chen-ou Liu published the above haiku on his new blog NeverEnding Story, particularly in the Butterfly Dream section, with two Chinese translations and his comment. 
     This haiku was also reprinted in four e-papers. 
     Poetry and Poetry Lovers, edited by Sweepy (A D Joyce)
     The Poetry Daily, edited by Govind Joshi
     The Poetry Daily, edited by My Blogworld
     The Poetry and Me Daily, edited by Poetry and Me
      

      If you want to submit your best published haiku or new work to Chen-ou, go to this link. 

Shadow

     My haiku noir which was a flop at the 8th International Kuaki, November 2012.

a shadow

falls from the building

heavy traffic

Prompt: shadow

     The truth is, I was inspired by Chen-ou's haiku noir below. Mine pales in comparison, of course. 

the shadow

divided into two

sirens wail

Synesthesia

     Do you know the definition of synesthesia? I've heard this question twice ever since it was announced that the prompt for the Svetlana Marisova Memorial Kukai was synesthesia in oneness of all things. I guess not everybody has heard about it. To answer the question of a dear friend of mine, I cited a haiku that I wrote last year.  

floating on water

the scent of magnolia

summer breeze

 

     According to Chen-ou Liu, this is an effective use of synesthesia. Honestly, it came as a surprise to me as I wasn't even aware that I was using a certain technique or device in my haiku writing. I had to look it up in the internet so I could comprehend what he was talking about.

     For the second person, who posted her inquiry on Free Haiga, I took the liberty of researching for her. Here was the article that I found -  Thoughts on Juxtaposition . Ed Bremson also jumped in to help her by giving this site - Sensing Tanka: Perceiving Life Beyond the Ordinary

     If you want to read more about synesthesia, here are some interesting articles.

1) Synesthesia 
2) Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses
3) Pseudo-synesthete-Authors 

4) Examples of Synesthesia in Language and Literature   


Related posts:
* Svetlana Marisova Memorial Kukai - 3rd place
* Semifinalist for August 2011

Favorite Haiku of the Month

     If you'd ask me who's my number one contemporary poet, I'd quickly say it's the multi-awarded Chen-ou Liu of Ontario, Canada. It's remarkable that English isn't his first language and yet he has managed to be a great prolific English writer. He's not only excellent in writing haiku, but also in writing other forms of Japanese poetry like tanka and haibun.

     I discovered his haiku in 2010, when I shared the same issue with him in Berry Blue Haiku. I was a frustrated newbie that year, managing to write only one decent publishable haiku, but at the same time I was an eager reader, full of admiration for Chen-ou's remarkable talent.

    These two captivating haiku below were among the June 2010 Haiku Picks of Berry Blue Haiku.

butterflies

wing over cherry petals—  

shadows embracing

on maple leaves

glittering raindrops gather—  

floating worlds

    Since I had resumed writing haiku in the second half of 2011, I've been coming across Chen-ou's works. I have so many favorites, but I'm sharing some of the ones which have garnered him high praises and awards.

spicy chicken...

this impulse to ask

if she's married

                                  Editor's Choice Senryu (Modern Haiku, 43:1 February 2012)

a deceased friend

taps me on my shoulder--

plum blossoms falling

                                  Grand Prize Poem of the Year 2011 ( Heron's Nest)

attic window--                                                    

a few moonlit shadows                                       

come and go 

                               2nd Prize (The Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest 2011)      

                

moonlit branches . . .

glazed with autumn rain

droplets of me 

                              Commendation (The Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest 2011)

her face

in my whisky

the moon floats

                             Grand Prix (The Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest 2010)

             

cherry petals

falling on cherry petals...

I dust your photo

                             Sakura Award (Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2010)

    Included in my list of favorites is this unforgettable haiku sequence published in Frogpond 34:1, 2011.

     A Life in Four Seasons

I write her

one poem every day

spring dewdrops

a butterfly

tattoed on her buttock

summer heat

autumn dawn

before the mirror I count

gray hairs

snow on snow

thoughts of her emerge

one at a time

     Most of his published haiku are highly evocative. As Neal Whitman has said, he has "the gift of tugging at our hearts." If you like to read more of his haiku, go to Poetry in the Moment. You'll be able to see where to purchase his books. One of them is Following the Moon to the Maple Land, the first prize winner of the Spring Haiku Pix Chapbook 2011. On the cover of his chapbook is a photo that I had taken. Can you imagine how thrilled I was when the editor of Haiku Pix requested my photo for Chen-ou's chapbook?

     For some unexplainable reason, I don't have a free copy of this, but thanks to Chen-ou because pretty soon I'll be getting my own copy. I'll be reading on my couch, following the moon to the maple land. 

Sketchbook "Precious Stones" Haiku Thread

empty wallet

counting diamonds

on a watered cactus

Sketchbook Haiku Thread

       January/February 29, 2012: Vol. 7, No. 1

                              
     Chen-ou Liu's comment:
     Evocative imagery infused with emotion. I like it.