Monday, September 16, 2013

What of A Hawthorn Hedge!

                                                                                     Attribution: Trish Steel
Image: A Hawthorn Hedge
A hedge apparently considered a symbol of death as its wood was used for funeral pyres
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

One is to write a haiku distilled from another poem. The poem by Genji is in italics.
It told a story of a lady who died purely as a result of hatred by another woman 
jealous of her

The evening sky itself
becomes something to cherish
when I gaze at it,
seeing in one of the clouds
the smoke from her funeral pyre  -  poem by Genji

Untimely demise
Not through any fault of hers
Killed by pure hatred

Tears like beads falling
Feelings of regret unmasked
For someone so dear

Written for Chev's Carpe Diem's Distillation #2,
Shared with Kerry's hosting at Real Toad's  Open Link Monday

17 comments:

  1. what's frightening is how common such pure hatred nowadays is.

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  2. Killed by pure hatred
    that was very sad line..
    I really liked the distilled Haiku.. original was great too

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  3. What a sad story and I like both poems--yours and the original. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  4. Great poem. It's so sad to think someone might die from another person's hatred.

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  5. A treat Hank what a gorgeous distillation of haiku from the poem by Genji. Well done.

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  6. Killed in such a way, sad indeed such a thing goes that far at any bay

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  7. the feeling of the beeds...
    killed by pure hatred says enough, for sure...

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  8. I particularly like your second one, Hank.

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  9. Superb writing. Quite masterful, the new versions.

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  10. That is really well done. Hatred ruins so many things.

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  11. This is a very interesting premise for a poem.

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  12. Hank, I liked your take on the Genji poem. And hatred doesn't only kill others - it kills the one who holds it, bit by bit. When one rejects love for hatred, it's going to end up badly for the person... Peace, Amy

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  13. Fascinating take on the prompt-loved the line,"Feelings of regret unmasked"-makes one hopeful that the hater's heart underwent a change for the better:-)

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  14. i did not know about the pyre wood - thanks!
    tears falling like beads...love this line as your distillation offering. great!

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