HAIKUsutradhar : 15th November 2024

A FRIDAY FEATURE

Host: Gauri Dixit

Prompter for November : Neena Singh

OUR MISSION

1. To provide a new poetry workshop each Friday, along with a prompt.

2. To select haiku, senryu, and haiga each month for the journal, haikuKATHA. Each issue will select poems that were posted in this forum from the 3rd of the previous month to the 2nd of the current month.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Post a maximum of two verses per week, from Friday to Friday, numbered 1 & 2. Post only one haiku in a day, in 24 hours.

2. Only post unpublished verses --- nothing that has appeared in peer-reviewed or edited journals, anthologies, your webpage, social media, etc.

3. Only post original verses.

4. For each poem you post, comment on one other person’s poem.

5. Give feedback only to those poets who have requested it.

6. Do not post a variety of drafts, along with a request for readers to choose which they like most. Only one poem is to appear in each original post.

7. Post each revision, if you have any, above the original. The top version will be your submission to haikuKATHA. Do not delete the original post.

8. Do not submit found poetry or split sequences.

9. Do not post photos, except for haiga.

10. haikuKATHA will only consider haiga that showcase original artwork or photos. Post details re: the source of the visual image. If you team up with an artist or photographer, make sure that it’s their original work and that they are not restricted by other publications to share it. We won't be responsible for any copyright issues.

11. Put your name, followed by your country, below each poem, even after revisions.

Poems that do not follow the guidelines may be deleted.

Founder/Managing Editor of haikuKATHA Monthly Journal: Kala Ramesh

Associate Editors: Ashish Narain Firdaus Parvez Priti Aisola Sanjuktaa Asopa Shalini Pattabiraman Suraja Menon Roychowdhury Vandana Parashar Vidya Shankar

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PROMPT:

15th November

Neena Singh

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Exploring the moods of Raga through Haiku

INTRODUCTION

For the next three weeks, we will embark on a creative journey inspired by the beauty and depth of Indian classical music—specifically, ragas. A raga is not just a musical scale; it’s a rich and expressive melodic framework that evokes distinct emotions, moods, and times of day or seasons. Each raga carries with it a unique essence, offering fertile ground for inspiration as we craft haiku. In Indian tradition, ragas are known to stir particular feelings—whether it's the serene calm of dawn, the exuberance of midday, or the fleeting mystery of twilight. 

As we immerse ourselves in this exploration, let’s focus on how the moods of these ragas can guide our words and imagery, much like the changing seasons in haiku. Each prompt will be accompanied by a brief description of the raga’s mood, and I encourage you to reflect its nuances in your poetry. Just as in music, where notes float between sound and silence, let your haiku move fluidly between image and emotion, capturing the essence of these beautiful ragas. 

Week 3

This week we bring you the melodious Raga Yaman, often played at dusk. Raga Yaman evokes a sense of calm and spiritual beauty. The notes unfold with grace, weaving a delicate balance between serenity and subtle intensity. The pure, ascending notes draw the listener into a tranquil, meditative state, reminiscent of twilight merging into night. This raga offers a perfect prompt to capture transitions—whether of time, mood, or seasons—inviting reflection on fleeting moments of stillness.

Basho's haiku captures the serene transition of dusk, much like Yaman’s graceful unfolding: 

a field of cotton— 

as if the moon 

     had flowered

Basho

Translated by Robert Hass

Evening wind:

water laps

the heron's legs

Buson 

Translated by Robert Hass

This haiku echoes the calm, meditative beauty of twilight, drawing the mind into quiet reflection, much like the raga. The poem's fleeting glimpse of a moonlit cotton field captures this sentiment, reminding us of the impermanence of beauty while also celebrating its transformative power. 

For your haiku, you can focus on the sense of transition like the delicate balance between light and shadow as day surrenders to evening.  

For further inspiration, listen to this beautiful rendition of the Raga Yamam

Raga Yaman- Evening Raga

https://youtu.be/ed4SIvGjqNI?si=gloiOeXW9Kpv866e

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Looking forward to reading your haiku.

Write on! Gauri