I haven't been spending much time in cyberspace lately. Something about this season brings out my need to connect with the sensible world of sights, scents, and touches.
Since embracing the idea of haiku-writing as a lifelong pursuit, I have posted almost 100 original haiku here on my blog, and have written a bunch more that are "not quite ready for prime time." I have also found some of the places here in cyberspace where other 'ku writers hang out, and, through my association with one of them I have joined up with over 60 other haiku aspirants to participate in a variation on the Japanese tradition of sending nengajou, or New Year's cards.
The picture above is of my cards "in production"... I had them printed with a photo (of me, by me) on one side, and my haiku on the other (thank you, WinkFlash!), and then added some high-touch details by hand with pens, stamps, and glitter glue. For me, the feeling of anticipation that preparing a piece of mail that I hope will brighten someone's day is a gift unto itself.
If you're visiting here at But Wait, There's More! as a result of receiving one of my nengajou cards, won't you please leave a comment? And thank you for your card.
And for those of you who are not plugged into the whole nengajou scene, here's the haiku I wrote to go with my cards:
one more year
and a snowflake on my scarf ~
melting away
(Now if we could just get the snow to go with it,
I'd really be a happy girl!)
and a snowflake on my scarf ~
melting away
(Now if we could just get the snow to go with it,
I'd really be a happy girl!)
14 comments:
I loved your card and now I see how you printed it up. Thanks for that link. If I do this again next year I can do the same since mine was an amateur production using my home printer and no ability to do anything but a four fold card.
Greetings from Latham! I loved your card too. I just sent mine out today. I hope they don't reach people too late.
thanks for telling us about winkflash! i went over there and ordered a couple things i've been wanting to try. i can't wait to see how they turn out.
and shout out, colleen, to the capital region (latham). hi!
A very nice treat to receive in the mail.
Well done!
a lovely ku although I can't help wishing you'd dropped the "and" on line 2 unless you really mean the whole year is also literally "on" the scarf and although I've done it myself cos it looks good the ~ tilde is a bad substitute grammatically for an m-dash, but I'm being a pedantic perfectionist - it is a great ku anyway. all the best for the new year.
Lovely haiku! Pefrect image for the way time melts away even as we are looking at it.
The nengajou sounds like a great project. If I hadn't just mailed over 30 thank you cards after doing all my Christmas cards... maybe some other year I'll join in. Thanks for sharing it with us in cyber space.
Hey, I got me one of them cards. Very nice!
i feel so blessed that i received one! it was a surprise. thank you. it came on a day when i really needed it. lost a friend in a silly fight yesterday. anyway -- i appreciate the card and it came out so nice! i rec'd word that my own winkflash order shipped yesterday, so i'm so excited to get it!
-carolee
I just received your Nengajou yesterday and I thought you wrote a wonderful haiku. Thanks for sending it.
I love it! Totally charming in every way. It really did brighten up a dull day...as I looked, marveled and tried to figure out who it was from (what can I say, I'm slow!) Took a minute but get it I did...and what fun!
Never heard of nengajou before but am very intrigued. Have a wonderful new year Shelley!
Dear Friends, thank you for your kind comments...
Colleen, bet you're shoveling now... we got out of Latham JUST before that snow started.
PDW, I was tempted to try to track you down in person, but was too cozy on my mother-in-law's couch... glad the card reached you.
Ackworth, I appreciate your gently constructive criticism... can't figure out how to type an m-dash, but will attempt to figure it out, and I meant for the and to help the melting away describe both the year and the snowflake... but such are the challenges of haiku-writing!
Stacy, your card for T made her day, so thank YOU.
Cloudscome, I meant to send you a hardcopy but couldn't figure out where I'd tucked your snailmail address... want to resend it?
Hi Jenn, hi Harvey! [waves)
And Nancy, what can I say... I'm glad that I'm "me-ish" enough that you can suss me out even when I forget to sign my own name!
I love the idea of this! I will have to look more into it. And winkflash. Sounds neat. I've been a non-blogger most of December, too. It is interesting that you are into haiku, I don't know if I knew that. Do you find it is very theraputic? I know I do. (ps: another Capital regione-er here!)
thanks for including me. i haven't written a poem since one was assigned, just about.
xox
'n
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu, Shelley-san!
Wow, thank you so much for the wonderful negajou! You really brightened my day! I was completely blown away.
I will gladly send you a heap of snow in repayment, I have too much. ;)
But to make things easier, I will send you a card instead!
Best wishes for your new year!
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