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 Only post unpublished verses --- nothing that has appeared in peer-reviewed or edited journals, anthologies, your webpage, social media, etc.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:
1st November
Neena Singh
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Exploring the moods of Raga through Haiku by Neena Singh
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 1
Our first raga is a Morning Raga—Bhairav
Its mood is meditative, and serene. Raga Bhairav is traditionally performed in the early hours of the morning, at dawn. It evokes a sense of solemnity and reverence, blending the peaceful quiet of the morning with a hint of wonder. It is deeply reflective, making it perfect for contemplative haiku that explore tranquility and the quiet serenity of the early morning.
Basho’s haiku captures the quiet reverence and natural grace of dawn, aligning with Raga Bhairav’s serene mood:
the morning glory
also turns its gaze
toward the sun
Bashō
Translated by Robert Hass
The cool of morning —
Separating from the bell,
The voice of the bell.
Buson
Translated by Donald Keene
This week we look forward to reading your haiku that explore the meditative tranquility and wonder of Nature in the morning.
For further inspiration, a beautiful rendition of the Raga Bhairav
Raga Bhairav- Morning Raga
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Looking forward to reading your haiku.
Write on! Gauri
Mike Gallagher
#2 9/11/2024
that sunday
the brown river flowing by
the garden
Mike Gallagher, Ireland
#2 , 11/08/2024
south wind at dawn high tide
feedback appreciated
#1, 7/11/24
sun's curve
an earthworm stretches
awake
Baisali Chatterjee Dutt
Kolkata, India
Feedback always welcome 🌸
#1 off prompt
barely holding it together ash moon
susan burch, USA
Comments welcome