courtesy of Walsingham | National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham
Spring continues to emerge, Haijin! The growing warmth of the season has melted all but the most stubborn patches of snow. Here’s to those of you that joined in the spirit of transformation of this season by sharing in last week’s challenge, Triduum. You’ll forgive my own indulgance. I called my own number and shared the tanaga-prose that I composed for dVerse and Real Toads this week past.
Speaking of which, last week marked six months of the #Haikai Challenge. You go, Haijin!
Haikai Challenge Participants
| 1. Ken Gierke / rivrvlogr 2. Jane Dougherty 3. Vivian Zems 4. Jules |
5. Xenia Tran 6. Linda Lee Lyberg 7. Revived Writer 8. lynn |
9. Janice (Ontheland) 10. Revived Writer (2) 11. Frank J. Tassone |
Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.
Now, to this week’s challenge.
Easter Sunday is tomorrow. The most important feast in Christianity, Easter celebrates the Ressurection of Jesus Christ. It also symbolizes transformation: The cracking open of the chrysalis, and the emergance of the butterfly! What a unique opportunity this holiday affords us to reflect on some of the most beautiful blossoms of the season!
This week, our kigo will be either the Easter Lily, or the Azalea(tsutsuji).
According to the Holiday Spot:
Lily
A popular symbol of the Easter festival, the white lily is held as the traditional Easter Flower and represents love and hope. The single flower stem originating from a bulb represents the resurrection of Christ three days after his apparent death by crucifixion. Legend has it that white lilies were grown at the place where drops of blood fell from Jesus Christ’s body. Some Catholic nations regard white lilies as the symbol of the purity and divinity of Jesus Christ and dedicate them to his mother, Virgin Mary. This is the reason why churches are decorated with white lilies during Easter.
Gifting white lilies to someone during this time indicates that you are very happy to be acquainted with the recipient. Giving yellow lilies to a person represents your request or advice to him/her to “live for the moment”.
Azalea
A beautiful spring flower, the azalea is famous for its elegant color and appearance and forms a symbol of different emotions like temperance and passion. Gifting it to someone on Easter indicates you want the recipient to take good care of himself/herself for your sake.
Write the Haikai poem of your choice that states or alludes to either the White Lily or the Azalea (tsutsuji).
As always:
Here’s how the challenge works:
1. write the haikai poem of your choice.
2. post the link of your post to Mister Linky.
3. pingback by posting the link to the challenge on your site.
4. read and comment on other contributors’ posts.
Happy Easter, Haijin! Happy Spring (again)! Happy April Fool’s Day, for those so inclined. And for the brave and the bold, have a great National Poetry Month/ #napowrimo!
Share the love. Spread the haikai:
Categories: haikai, haiku community
Frank J. Tassone 
Congratulations with six months of hosting your wonderful Haikai Challenge Frank and a very Happy Easter to you, Mira and Frankie! ☺💜🐥
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Xenia. Happy Easter to you, Pearl and Eivor! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Frank! ☺🙋♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
A huge congratulations on 6 months of your Hakai challenge. You challenge us to stretch our wings- thank you! Have a wonderful Easter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Linda! Happy to have you sharing so often!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Easter to you and your family. Since my mother died recently, we are laying low for Easter. No kids around anyway. Here in this neck of the south, azaleas don’t bloom until end of april – mid-May. I always gave my mother a new azalea for her to plant in her yard. At this house we bought about 20 years ago, the builders/owners loved them. I went around and counted 33 azaleas planted around the house and on the property – purest white to deepest red and all the colours in between. My husband started planting deciduous azaleas about 10 years ago – in the most startling colours of gold, yellow, orange!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Toni! Happy Easter to you and your family, as well! My sympathy on the loss of your mother. I lost mine in May of 2016, and my father passed in December of 2011. All the best to you!
LikeLike
Oh yes….HAPPY SIX MONTHS ANNIVERSARY ON HAIKI CHALLENGE 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Toni! 🙂
LikeLike
Six months… I almost started at the beginning. 😉
I may get to those earlier prompts yet… (or not).
Thank you for being a gracious host.
Best to all.
I hope to add to this post soon. I already did my daily. And I haven’t a theme at all for next month…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful prompt, Frank. Busy the next couple of days, but may try for later in the week. Easter blessings coming your way.
Loved your explanation of the lilies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Victoria. Happy Easter to you and yours! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations on the six months of hosting your haikai challenge, Frank! And Happy Easter to you!
I didn’t get a chance to do the last one, but I’ll see what I can come up with for this one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Easter to you! https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/afloat/
LikeLiked by 1 person
The azalea has a dark history… I’m not sure when the positive change took place. Just don’t eat it or drink honey made from it!
See the links in my renga series : a unique shrub (no foolin’)
LikeLiked by 1 person