naviarhaiku201 – In the calm stillness

In the calm stillness

after the rainstorm

flies

haiku201

For this week’s challenge, I chose a poem written by one of my favorite haiku writers: Taneda Santōka.

“Santoka is considered a unique proponent of “free-style” haiku poetry, a mode that abandoned much of the customary form and subject matter of traditional haiku in favor of a direct and unadorned depiction of human experience. A wandering poet and ascetic Zen priest for the last fifteen years of his life, Santoka emphasized many of the essential qualities of Zen Buddhism in his verse, including mujo (impermanence), the necessity of sabi (solitude), the importance of simplicity in life, and the pervasive sadness that accompanies all human affairs. Many of his poems point toward the Zen goal of overcoming this ubiquitous melancholy by achieving spiritual enlightenment and serenity. To this view, Santoka added his concern with what James Abrams called “the vital necessity of movement and the partial release it brings to the anguish of the soul.” (continue reading at https://terebess.hu/english/haiku/taneda.html)

 

Poem by Taneda Santōka https://terebess.hu/english/haiku/taneda.html

Picture by Micah Hallahan https://unsplash.com/@micah_hallahan

This haiku poem is part of the Naviar haiku music challenge, where artists are invited to make music in response to a weekly assigned haiku poem. Participation is free and there are no limitations in the songs’ length or genre.

You have seven days from the posting of this haiku to submit your track. For information on how to make a submission, visit the Naviar Haiku Music Challenge page.

Submission deadline: 15th November 2017