HAIKUsutradhar : 8th 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 Only post unpublished verses --- nothing that has appeared in peer-reviewed or edited journals, anthologies, your webpage, social media, etc.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

<> <> <>

PROMPT:

8th November

Neena Singh

<>

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 2

This week we bring you Raga Bhimpalasi which belongs to the afternoon. 

Its warm and melancholic tones evoke a deep sense of longing or wistfulness. The raga's soulful, descending notes create a mood of unfulfilled desire, with each phrase building like the heat of the day. It’s a perfect backdrop for exploring themes of separation, yearning, or the bittersweet quality of memory in haiku, where simplicity can hold the weight of complex emotions. 

Issa’s haiku on yearning and the bittersweet quality of memory aligns with the emotional depth of Bhimpalasi: 

the distant mountains 

reflected in the eye 

of a dragonfly

Issa

Translated by Robert Hass

Here, the distant mountains evoke a sense of separation, the reflection symbolizing a longing that cannot be fulfilled, much like the descending phrases of Bhimpalasi. 

This week, we look forward to reading your haiku that delve into life's deeper emotions of longing and melancholy. 

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

Raga Bhimpalasi - Afternoon Raga

https://youtu.be/4UovDhFblEs?si=syYfHX_ZSbhfb9nFRaga

<>

Looking forward to reading your haiku.

Write on! Gauri