Happy Haiga Day!

Yesterday was the beginning of the Lunar New Year, which this year is the Year of the Rat. Below is a postcard that I created for both the calendar and lunar New Year's celebrations. It also marks the 11th year I've created a postcard for the Nengajo, a tradition in Japan where people send special postcards friends and family to arrive on January 1. I sent this postcard to the participants in a postacrd exchange arranged by Jone MacCulloch--I apologize for missing both the calendar and lunar New Year dates!

Next year will be the Year of the Ox and will complete the twelve-year cycle of Chinese Zodiac animals.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

first morning
tiny footprints through
the glitter

Poetry Friday--Nengajo

This past Monday, New Year's Day, post office workers in Japan scurried to deliver billions (yes, that is correct, billions) of postcards with the greeting, Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Happy New Year.

I've been participating in a haiku postcard exchange, nengajo, since 2010 (click here for past years' posts). Nengajo is basically a New Year's card. Back in 2010, I belonged to a group of haiku poets who agreed to send postcards, with a haiku, to each other. Some of my postcards went halfway around the world. Sadly, the people who organized the exchange could not continue. I wanted to make it through the 12 years of the zodiac, so I've recently sent postcards out rather randomly to relatives and friends to keep going. I've got three more years to complete the cycle!

Last year and this, Jone Rush MacCulloch, also a haiku poet, invited Poetry Friday participants to exchange New Year's postcards. This exchange does not require a haiku, but I've continued in the nengajo spirit. What with the weather (extreme cold and some snow), I've been slow in sending out all my cards. I ask the exchange folks to forgive the delay.

2018 will be the Year of the Dog. And, it is also the elemental year associated with Earth (the others elements are Gold, Wood, Water, and Fire). So, this is the Year of the Earth Dog. (I've also seen it designated as the Year of the Brown Earth Dog.) The Earth Dog is communicative, serious, and a responsible worker.

Here is my postcard for 2018:

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Image CC BY 4.0, Wellcome Collection.

Text:

first walk...
following the dog into
the new year

Note: if I had been sending my postcard to an audience primarily made up of haiku poets, I probably would not have used the above poem. It leans heavily toward the figurative. For a haiku poet, a dog can lead down the road, or through a puddle, but not into a year. A dog is a dog, not a metaphor!

I might have used this:

first walk...
following the dog into
the deep woods

The reader can read his or her own meaning into "the deep woods." A chase? A fear-inducing situation? Contentment? Natural wonder? All of these are dependent on one's own experiences with a deep woods. My use of "first" is a kigo, short-hand for "new year." In the haiku below, I use "first morning walk," which to a regular haiku reader would trigger the idea that the setting is New Year's Day.

I wanted to have two postcards to send, but the image resolution on the card below is too low to reproduce well in print. It reproduces fine on a screen. (I used it as a Happy Haiga Day! post on November 26, so you may have seen it before.)

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Gracie, my granddog, is the star!

Text:

first morning walk
the expectation of
meeting a cat

If you would like a 2018 postcard, please send me your address at d(dot)mayr(at)comcast(dot)net. I'll send postcards as long as my supply of cards (I bought extra this year) and stamps lasts.

Catherine will be rounding out the Round-Ups for 2017 at Reading to the Core. Have a great 2018!

Poetry Friday--Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu = Happy New Year! This is the eighth year I'm participating in a New Year's postcard exchange (Nengajo). Before this year, the exchange was arranged through a international group of haiku poets. Sadly, that group is no longer a group (at least not currently). Jone MacCulloch, has stepped in to organize an exchange of poems from Poetry Friday participants. Thanks Jone! By now, everyone should have received their postcard from me.

I am continuing with my New Year's haiku and I'm using the Chinese zodiac animal for 2017--the rooster. The rooster of 2017 is also known as the "fire rooster." Learn more here.

My haiku includes a reference to the rooster, also fire, and, it mentions "first dawn." "First" implies the New Year without coming right out and saying it. These type of seasonal shortcut words are known as kigo. Other examples of kigo: daffodils = spring, barbecue = summer, pumpkins = fall, snow = winter.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

The background image is taken from a painting by Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900), titled "Yawning Apprentice." The teapot is contemporary. I added the rainbow coloring to make it appear dawn-like. The red of the lettering is for good luck (although red tends to bleed, so it probably wasn't a wise decision to use it).

The Nengajo is a big deal in Japan, here's a site that explains more.

This was posted on New Year's Day, in an article on Japanese New Year's traditions, published in The Mainichi:

And in the Tokyo district of Nihonbashi, known as the birthplace of Japan's postal system, a ceremony was held Sunday morning to mark the start of the delivery of New Year's greeting cards. About 40 mail carriers departed the branch to deliver New Year's cards.

Have a good year, everyone! Start it off right with poetry being gathered by Linda at Teacher Dance.

I have plenty of postcards to spare, so if you'd like one, let me know.

Poetry Friday--Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Happy New Year!

It's the first of the year which means it's time for the Nengajo--New Year's haiku postcard exchange. (To learn more about the Nengajo, click on the label on the right hand side of the page.) We're entering the Year of the Monkey. The Monkey, as Wikipedia states,

...possesses such character traits as curiosity, mischievousness, and cleverness. Forever playful, Monkeys are the masters of practical jokes. Even though their intentions are always good, this desire to be a prankster has a tendency to create ill will and hurt feelings.

Although they are inherently intellectual and creative, Monkeys at times have trouble exhibiting these qualities. When that happens, they appear to others to be confused. But nothing could be further from the truth as Monkeys thrive on being challenged. Monkeys prefer urban life to rural, and their favorite pastime is people-watching.

It took me a long time before starting on this year's postcard because I had no idea what I would write for a haiku. I had no direct experience with monkeys to draw from. However, the minute I found the illustration of the painter monkey I knew I had found my inspiration. The illustration is from a French picture book published in 1740 by Christophe Huet, Singeries, ou differentes actions de la vie humaine representées par des singes. Translation: Antics, or various human activities represented by monkeys.

I manipulated the illustration by adding a hint of color in the background and bright colors to the palette. (Have you seen the film Mr. Turner? This illustration reminds me of it. Turner painted and his father mixed colors for him. It was an interesting film--how's that for a wishy-washy assessment?)

The word "first" is symbolic of the new year. These symbolic words that stand in for a season are known as kigo. I imagined this little artist up at the crack of dawn on New Year's Day ready to paint his dreams for the coming year.

Participation in the Nengajo has fallen off in the past few years. This year only 16 signed up. In past years there have been dozens. So, if you would like one of my postcards, I'd be happy to send you one while supplies last. Email your name and address to me.

Mary Lee, keeper of the master Poetry Friday Round-Up schedule, is hosting the first Round-Up of 2016 at A Year of Reading!

I wish you peace, happiness, and a year of creativity!

Poetry Friday--Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu 2015

It's that time again--Happy New Year! As a haiku poet, I've been participating in an annual New Year's haiku postcard exchange, a Nengajo, for 6 years. I'm half-way through the zodiac!

I have to admit, this year's postcard was the hardest one yet to put together. I had a hard time wrapping my head around sheep as being an inspiration! I came up with a number of versions, all, except the one above, I rejected--mostly because the image was not high enough resolution to reproduce well in print. They reproduce fine online, so I'm able to share. (If I'm going to be honest, I really enjoyed the process of putting a ram's head on a human's body! I'm getting a bit better at doing things like that! I also admit, the ram-man is a little creepy!)

A few explanatory notes: "first" is a word (kigo) used to imply a new year without coming right out and saying it. Wool, yarn, knitting could be considered in the same way--as implying sheep without saying it. I didn't mention sheep or wool in the postcard above, so, I used a ram's head in the design, and the calm and dependable characteristics of a sheep are referenced in the haiku.

Here are a few of the "rejects." The first two use the knitting theme. This one would have been rejected on the basis of the sickly green coloration, even if it had been suitable for print! The photo is from a 1918 book the Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet. Somewhere along the line, I tinted it green. What was I thinking?

A variation on the green-lady haiku is used here:

This next one is completely different and implies a sheep that is willing to go against the accepted order of things. Not very sheep-like, but overall, not a bad haiga.

For prior years' Nengajo postings, click on the Nengajo label on the right-hand side of the page.

Nengajo postcards went on sale in Japan on October 30. Nengajo is a big deal in Japan. Here's a link to some free downloadable 2015 designs that are available online in case you want to initiate an online Nengajo with your friends.

I have postcards left over, if you'd like one sent to you, please email me privately with your address dDOTmayrATcomcastDOTnet. I'll send them while supply lasts.

Next year, 2016, is the year of the monkey--that should be fun. I hope to get my design ready a whole lot earlier than I did this time around--I didn't order my postcards until November 29! I wish I had taken more time with the printed version. The colors in the printed version didn't come out as I thought they would. I think the postcard looks better here on the blog. Ah, well...

Wishing everyone a poetry-filled 2015. Start off by visiting The Miss Rumphius Effect for the Round-Up.

Come back next Friday when I pick up on the Ku-dos to Emily project once again. (Click on the Ku-dos label on the right if you want some background on the project.)

Poetry Friday--Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! (Happy New Year!)

Happy New Year! This is the fifth year I'm partaking in a New Year's postcard exchange, known as a Nengayjou. It's also the fifth time I'm writing about it. To see prior years' posts, and to learn more about the Nengayjou, click here, here, here, and here.

There are only 23 poets who signed up this year. I don't know if it's because of the economy, general busy-ness, or if people have simply lost interest. Whatever the reason, there still are two poets participating in Canada, one in Ireland, one in the U.K., and the rest who come from a dozen states, and, if I count myself, the single entry from New Hampshire, it makes a baker's dozen, plus Washington, DC. I received my first postcard, from CA, on December 20, and they continue to arrive daily!

The year 2014 is the Year of the Horse. This is the card I put together, and sent to the participants:

Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. The star map illustration is by Johannes Hevelius from 1690, and is courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Here's the haiku, in case it is not readable on your screen:

first wish...
without even thinking
she whispers "a pony"

I had some difficulty putting together a design I liked, and, more importantly, would reproduce well in print. Here are a few rejected designs:

OMG! Too bright! I couldn't even finish this one.

This spot illustration from the 1800s is a little too blah.

I really like the goat cart, but holy cow, the color's all wrong.

I was pleased with this one, but the resolution is too poor to print. The illustration, which I altered a bit, is from A Horse Book by Mary Tourtel (1901).

There were a few other attempts, too horrible to share. You can see I was undecided about the postcard size, too. Nothing seemed to click for me this year.

Maybe next year will be better, but, 2015 is the Year of the Sheep, and for some reason, I don't find sheep to be particularly inspiring. Except maybe these dapper guys from the Big E in 2012:

Since I have a few left over (postcards, not sheep), if you'd like one sent to you, please email me privately with your address dDOTmayrATcomcastDOTnet. I'll send them while supply lasts.

The first Round-Up of the New Year is being held at at I Think in Poems. Have fun and have a great year!

Poetry Friday--2013 Nengajyou

Happy New Year! Once again I'm participating in a New Year's haiku postcard exchange, a nengajyou in Japan where the custom originated. (See past posts here, here, and here.)

I've already received about a dozen New Year's greetings and I expect more will be trickling in over the next few weeks. This year I sent about three dozen cards to 16 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, India, Ireland, the Sultanate of Oman, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United Kingdom.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
The year 2013 is the year of the snake, so I've included a photo with not one, but two snakes! The photo is from 1927 and comes courtesy of Library of Congress. To learn about the characteristics of the zodiac symbol, the snake, click here.

The text on the postcard did not reproduce well on the blog, so if you're having trouble reading it, here is the haiku:

first show and tell--
"I told Santa I love
surprises!"

"First" is a kigo, that is, a word that is used to imply a season or time, in this case, the new year, without coming right out and saying it! For example, if I wrote "pumpkin," you would automatically know it was fall. "Snow" = winter. "Robin" = spring. "Fireworks" = summer (for the 4th of July in the U.S., in another country, fireworks might imply something else).

The last Poetry Friday Round-Up of 2012 is being held at Carol's Corner. Have a safe and happy New Year!

Poetry Friday--Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

This is my third year participating in a nengajyou, a Japanese style New Year's card exchange. I wrote about my first two experiences here and here. This year I sent cards to multiple recipients in 12 states, D.C., India, Romania, United Kingdom, Ireland, Trinidad & Tobago, and Canada!

The past two years I have used photos of my cat and my son's rabbit* to illustrate the card. The animals were in keeping with the symbols of the zodiac, in Japanese known as Juni Shi: 2010 was the year of the Tiger, 2011 was the year of the Rabbit. As 2012 will be the year of the Dragon, it wasn't possible to find a dragon around the house! I went to the Library of Congress for my illustration, a star map created in 1825, which shows the Dragon constellation, Draco, and Ursa Minor.

The haiku uses a kigo, that is, a seasonal word that provides an imagistic shortcut to the reader. A haiku poet uses a kigo as a way of saving words, which is important in a poem that is typically about 11 or 12 syllables long. [For those wishing to learn more about kigo, please visit the World Kigo Database. It is not easy to navigate if you're looking for something specific, it is better to browse.]

"First" indicates the New Year, as in "first dawn" or "first bath." "First wish" serves not only as the first wish (on a star) of the year, but also as a wish for the entire year ahead. I probably could have left out the word "winter," but, it is an indication that for us in the northern hemisphere that New Year's comes in the winter. This would have been important if any of my cards were sent, say, to Australia or South Africa.

2013 will be the year of the Snake. I found a delightful old photo on the Library of Congress site, so come back next year at this time. For now, you should head on over to The Drift Record, where Julie will round out 2011's great poetry offerings!

Here's wishing everyone a year of health and happiness--and the world a year of justice and peace. Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu (Happy New Year)!


*Sad news, Miles the rabbit, passed away, so I guess 2011 wasn't his luckiest year!

Poetry Friday--Akemishite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

Akemishite Omedetou Gozaimasu is roughly equivalent to "Happy New Year" in Japanese. This is the second year I've participated in a nengajyou, that is, a New Year's card exchange, with haiku poets. Participants from all over the world send holiday greetings to fellow haiku enthusiasts. I sent the above card to the United States, Canada, and six other countries. (I could have sent to more, but I ran out of cards!)

I wrote about the nengajyou (I've also seen it spelled nengajo) last year, so, if you're interested in learning more, click here. Here's a blog posting from Kimono Reincarnate that has some samples of typical nengajyou cards.

2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. I have a grandbunny named Miles, who lives with my son and his wife. I took the photo of Miles in January in anticipation of participating in the nengajyo again this year.

In case you can't read it, here's the haiku that appears on the card:

new year's day
the scent of christmas tree
still on the rabbit's breath

Miles loves chewing on the Christmas tree, and it sure does give him piney-fresh breath!

2012 will be the Year of the Dragon. I don't have any dragons in my family, so I'll have to come up with something besides a photo for next year! (Don't suggest a dragon costume for one of my two cats--I could end up as cat food if I tried to put something on either one's head!)

Poetry, poetry, and more poetry should be one resolution on everyone's list for 2011. Head over to Carol's Corner to get a head start!

Celebrate responsibly! See you next year!

Poetry Friday--Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Happy New Year! This year I'm participating in an exchange of New Year's haiku with writers from all over the U.S. and the world. Here is the greeting I mailed to participants:

©Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

It seems that in Japan, on New Year's day, people typically exchange greetings with friends and loved ones. This exchange is called a nengajyou.

Participants in our haiku group exchange were given instructions, they were:

A card or postcard should include the jyunishi (zodiac sign) for 2010, the Year of The Tiger.

Somewhere on the card should appear the words, Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu (Happy New Year).

An original haiku with a New Year's theme should be included.

Each person on the list should be mailed a card so that it will arrive by New Year's day.

I took a little liberty with my jyunishi--I have a "tiger" living in my house and I included her picture.

I've received many, many greetings thus far. All are wonderful! All are greatly appreciated!

Mary Lee is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-Up at A Year of Reading.

Have a poetry-filled 2010!