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triveni spotlight: 23rd July 2023

Writer's picture: Kala RameshKala Ramesh

triveni spotlight A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY! hosts: Kala Ramesh and Vidya Shankar GUEST EDITOR: Nandita Jain Mahajan, July 2023



this autumn evening

I feel even more lonely

than last year


Yosa Buson

https://www.upaya.org/uploads/pdfs/ThirteenHaikubyYosaBuson.pdf



falling blossom…

the breath between what was

and what will be


Kala Ramesh Presence Haiku Journal: Issue # 49, Fall 2014

Best of Issue Award – Issue # 50



Thank you for giving me an opportunity to present my selection. Though the task of selecting haiku for Triveni Spotlight was very difficult, I found it very rewarding. I spent several hours going through poems available in the public domain and those from books in my personal collection. I read and re-read, shortlisted again and again paring down the list till I could do no more. It was a sheer joy to read such fantastic works - my heart is full ... so happy.

I tried to keep the poems different from what other guest editors had selected earlier. However, there is bound to be some repetition. I found myself leaning towards old Japanese masters like Basho, Issa, Shiki, and Ryokan but equally drawn to women poets like Chiyo-ni and Rengetsu. The simplicity, charm, and timeless quality is what pull me to their haiku. What a picture they paint! And, the space between what is said and what is unsaid. So many different interpretations which helped me connect to these poems.

Amongst the contemporary poets, I found myself opting for those that tugged at my heart. The poems span longing, sadness, hopelessness, hope, love, and gentleness. These are those that I could read over and over again, especially at dusk, when my mind is quiet and at peace. And then, something interesting happened. I realised that I could pair the masters with the contemporary - similar thoughts and subjects but different treatment. I hope you enjoy this selection. Nandita Jain Mahajan


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What a unique and refreshing way of handling this month's triveni spotlight selections! Watch out for this space, every alternate day, dear readers, you are in for a real treat! Thank you, Nandita. We are waiting to see the month unfold. _()_

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7 Σχόλια


Mallika Chari
Mallika Chari
27 Ιουλ 2023

Pairing future , present and past !

kala’s haiku is so resonating ! On seeing falling blossoms, this haiku comes to mind...!

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Linda Papanicolaou
23 Ιουλ 2023

Another beautifully linked pairing.

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Kala Ramesh
Kala Ramesh
23 Ιουλ 2023

Thanks a lot for including my poem in this unique series, Nandita. Grateful to you.


Buson talks about loneliness and yes, my haiku talks about that split-second sea of change that happens between living and death. That sudden feeling of loneliness can never be described in words.

Excellent pairing again.

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Nandita Jain Mahajan
Nandita Jain Mahajan
23 Ιουλ 2023
Απάντηση σε

Your ku has been a favourite for many years. The breath between what was and what will be is the ‘breath’ that is taken away. Absolutely brilliant.

so happy to include this in the selection

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Kanjini Devi
Kanjini Devi
22 Ιουλ 2023

The tanka falling blossom… is absolutely stunning!


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Kala Ramesh
Kala Ramesh
23 Ιουλ 2023
Απάντηση σε

Thank you, Kanji. _()_ It won the BNest of the Issue award in 2014 and that was a huge gift for me. Happy you like it.

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mona bedi
mona bedi
22 Ιουλ 2023

Lovely emotional poems. Very relatable.

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