birthday bash . . .
a flurry of footsteps stirs
the summer moon
In recognition of my 50th post here, and because July is my birthday month (which is, astrologically speaking, ruled by the moon), and because I like to celebrate my birthday all month long, and, oh yes, because 42 years ago, a few folks did celebrate my actual birthday by walking on the moon, I’ve decided to give away a year’s subscription to Moonbathing–Pamela A. Babusci’s journal of women’s tanka–to one lucky U.S./Canadian reader (or, half a subscription if you live outside of North America). Really.
If you haven’t already discovered Moonbathing, you should. (Not that you asked for my opinion, but since it’s my birthday–well, almost–I feel entitled to give you an obviously unbiased one.) Pamela, a wonderful poet herself, generously provides a forum for women’s tanka through her biannual journal which comes out in January and June.
All you have to do to enter is post a comment (or a ku or a tanka) here between now and my birthday, July 20. After I’m through celebrating, I’ll compile a list and have my husband draw the lucky winner’s name out of my birthday hat. (Old-fashioned, I know, but I like to keep things uncomplicated whenever possible.) And a few months later (perhaps sooner, if you prefer), after you’ve totally forgotten about winning anything and you’re reeling from holiday overload, a copy of Moonbathing will, somehow, magically appear in your mailbox. So? What are you waiting for? Let’s party!
Haiku-doodle 
Wow, that’s so cool! Great idea, Margaret 🙂
Since you wrote about Moonbathing in an earlier post, I connected up with Pamela via Facebook and we’ve been having a lovely email conversation. What a genuinely caring and supportive woman. I will definitely submit to Moonbathing next time round.
winter birthday –
curly hair keeps
my ears warm
(Last year I was bald courtesy of chemotherapy – great to have it back at a decent length this winter!)
Thanks, Kirsten. Consider yourself “entered”! I signed up for your book giveaway as well. I’m glad you made the connection with Pamela. Also glad you left a birthday ku! And that your hair is doing its job to keep your ears warm! I also hope you’ll print some (or all) of your Presence tanka on your site so I can read it! Best, Margaret
Cool, thanks! Re my tanka: I’m thinking of having a tanka month in August or September and putting up my published tanka for a month. But either way will post my Presence tanka at some point on Swimming in Lines of Haiku after the July small stone month. Happy summer days to you! 🙂
Great! I’ll look forward to it. And happy winter days to you!
Cool, Margaret! I’ve been thinking of checking out Moonbathing for a while now, so I’d love to be entered in the drawing. I’ve only tried my hand at one tanka to date– haibun is my latest amusement. And I also share a birthday month with you and Kirsten– my bday is July 23. 🙂
July birthday
we fire up
the BBQ grill
Excellent, Cara! You’re entered! Love the birthday ku, too!
I haven’t tried haibun yet, but keep meaning to . . . but I do have two haiga (my latest amusement) coming out in the September issue of Notes from the Gean.
Cool about your haiga, Margaret. I’ve got one in NFTG too; my first time submitting there and my first time submitting haiga! Look forward to seeing yours 🙂
Great, Kirsten! It’s my first time submitting haiga as well, so I’m very excited to see them “in print.” Can’t wait to see yours as well.
Nice, Margaret. I look forward to reading them! I have my first haibun, and also a haiku, that will appear in the same issue. 🙂
Great! Congratulations, Cara.
Great haiku, Cara!
Thanks, Kirsten. 🙂
At the risk of losing my cherished tee time and of receiving sideway glances from my golf buddies, I will enter the contest for Moonbathing. But to keep my balance and image, I needed to compose a slightly more “dark” haiku. Here goes:
candles burn
birthday bashes making new ruins
And on another interesting note, I will join the others on this blog with the prospects of being published in the September issue of the Notes from the Gean. That should be exciting for all of us.
Sully
LOL, Sully! Real men do go moonbathing! Thanks for the birthday ku. You’re entered!
Congratulations on NFTG . . . .
One last thought on Moonbathing. Should I be lucky enough to win, it would be good if it came wrapped in plain brown paper – probably a first for a women’s poetry journal.
Sully
Plain paper bag–check! I might even decorate it with a few hearts and flowers . . .
Margaret, I am very glad you subscribed to my blog but I got it wrong in the previous comment. That was my test version. My blog is haikutales.wordpress.com .
I am still working out the kinks on my blog. Hopefully this comment has it right.
Sully
Got it! Thanks, Sully.
bwahahahaha – what a cool birthday celebration event, Margaret. and way cool on your haiga submissions being published.
see. i knew i was missing out by not getting around to the blogs these days. blah.
that was a terrific ku you left in your comment earlier on my blog btw.
so… let’s see… a birthday ku… (because i’ll go with your thought that guys do MoonBathing too…)
birthday candle wish
have fun blowing them out
or go kiss a balloon
wow. 17 syllables. yikes. altho it doesnt feel very ku-ish quite. hmmmm…
birthday candle wish
every day of the year
the fun of balloons
hmmm… better. still 17 syllables tho. sheesh. heck. just have fun. aloha.
Thanks, Wrick! I like the second one best, too, although . . . I could go kiss a balloon! Anyway, thanks, as always, for stopping by. Glad you liked my ku. Can’t wait for you to see my haiga!
Hi Margaret, glad to have discovered your blog::-)
Please don’t enter me for the contest as i’m not a US/Canada resident…but i’m going to be a regular visitor here from now on! Have a great birthday…!
Sanjuktaa, are you sure you don’t want to be entered? If you won, you could request the issue your tanka appeared in . . .
Yay for birthdays! Happy early birthday to everyone who shares July as his/her birthday month (not me unfortunately). 🙂
Here’s a haiku from me:
flickering
at the edge of iced flowers
monarch butterfly
Kathy, thanks for the birthday wishes and haiku–I love it!
Of course I don’t mind that you included me on your blogroll. I’ll return the favor . . . just let me know which one–the river of stones blog or your other blog–you’d like me to include? I read some of your tanka on your site . . . beautiful . . . I know you have some tanka in the summer issue of Atlas Poetica alongside mine, and I can’t wait to be able to read more of your work. I’ve just been writing tanka since last December, but I love it!
Thank you for stopping by here . . . I’ve entered your name in the hat!
Best, Margaret
P.S. I hope you don’t mind but I’m adding you to my Blogroll as I love all forms of Japanese poetry. 🙂 And yes, pick me, pick me (for the drawing)! 😉
Happy soon-to-be-birthday Margaret…really enjoy your haiku on NaHaiWriMo…
Regards,
Mark E.
Thanks, Mark, for stopping by. I appreciate your kind words. I feel like I have such a long way to go with my haiku . . . , but I’m glad to be traveling the path with poets like you. Consider yourself “entered”!
I’ll bend the constellations to spangle your skies on yur birthday!!! If I could that is, but I can with words, right? Happy birthday, mi hermana de alma! It’s great knowing you, being proud of you.
And for my tanka (attempt), here is an old post at jornales (April 16), one of my favorites that I hope you’ll like:
deep in a pool
a school of wriggling tadpoles
inveigles my thoughts
of a summer evening
to fall in love with a frog
It’s strange how thoughts take on an unintended form or lines that simply write themselves out as if they ooze out of fingertips like this reflection. The image emerged from a ginko walk at the Chinese Buddhist Temple in Richmond that we, of the Vancouver Haiku Group, had in March. The ‘pool’ is the bonsai pool but no tadpoles; in stead a school of gold fish darted through moss covered stones–so why the frog? I had thought of Basho and the frog, then, out of nowhere, or perhaps with the stillness water always brings on in me, as in that morning while gazing at the depth on the pool, invited the frog to my lines…how strange and unexpected thought processes can be sometimes.
Mil gracias, mi hermana! What a wonderul thought–to bend the constellations . . . and such a fun tanka! . . . One of my greatest birthday gifts is getting to know you and your work . . . By the way, you’re “entered.”
sisters share
garden delights
bookworms and luna moths
amd so much more! Happy birthday, lovely Sister!
Sara
Thanks, sister! How lucky I am to share so much with you.