Haiku Writing - Moon Viewing 2025

(from the Splish Me Again! department)

Hi everyone,

Dana, Rose and I attended the Seattle Japanese Garden Moon Viewing on Saturday, September 6th, 2025.  

(Original announcement here: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2025/9/6/moon-viewing)

I took some great photos!

We also took part in the Haiku writing contest.  I wrote two haiku:

smoke filled sky - 

a blood orange moon

watches with a baleful eye

summer sun fades -

moonrise across the pond

our lanterns guide the way

You may notice that these haiku do not follow the 5 - 7 - 5 rule.  Modern haiku are less formal in English.

This year - I came in Second Place on Saturday!!!  It was the "smoke filled sky" haiku.

Full contest results are here: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/2025/9/18/moon-viewing-haiku

Dana, Rose and I had a great time.  Looking forward to next year!

Cheers,

Paul

Haiku Writing - Moon Viewing 2024

(from the Just Splish! department)

Hi everyone,

This year, Rose & I attended the Seattle Japanese Garden Moon Viewing on Thursday, Sept. 12th, 2024, at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle.

The event was a little more low-key than in previous years.  Also - the tea ceremony was only available for Friday's event, so this was even more low-key. Still - it was nice to get out of the house, stroll around the grounds - and watch the moon go behind the trees the minute we got there!  (At least there was a moon visible this year - previous years have been pretty cloudy!!)

(Original announcement here:  https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2024/9/12/moon-viewing)

About the only event carried over from last year was the Haiku Contest.  Rose wrote one haiku - I managed to get two completed.  My second Haiku got an honorable mention!

Here's the Haiku:

Rose:

An angler fish rests in the sky

as he bites the moon

I feel light on my skin

Paul:

wind blows softly

gently pushing the clouds - 

moon sails above

Paul (honorable mention winner!):

viewer's footsteps - 

bundled against autumn chill

warmed by moonglow

(You might notice that the haikus don't necessarily follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern.  Modern haiku are less formal.)

Full contest results are here: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/moon-viewing-2024-haiku-0912

Rose & I had a great time.  Looking forward to the viewing next year!

Cheers,
Paul

Haiku Writing - Moon Viewing 2023

(from the Splish, Splish, Splish! department)

Hi everyone,

Dana, Rose & I attended the Seattle Japanese Garden Moon Viewing on Friday, Sept. 1st, 2023, at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. 

This is a nice evening event where you can stroll around the Japanese Garden, see luminaria and lanterns, hear traditional Japanese music played on flute and Koto, and attend a real Japanese tea ceremony.

(More info here: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2023/9/1/moon-viewing)

This year, all three of us participated in the tea ceremony.  Simply amazing!  Then - we got to make a wish and launch a small boat with a candle.  (Well - a battery powered candle - no fires for us!)

Because of the length of the tea ceremony, Dana & Rose missed the Haiku Contest this year.  I barely made it in time - I only had five minutes to create a Haiku masterpiece!  Needless to say - that didn't happen - but I did get an honorable mention!!  (1 of 12 they handed out this year.)

Here's the haiku I wrote:

Paul:

Tea ceremony -

Small round cake

Calls to the moon

Not bad for 5 minutes!

(You might notice that the haikus don't necessarily follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern.  Modern haiku are less formal.)

And the moon?  It did show up later that evening, after the moon viewing was over.  Gorgeous moon tonight after all!

Cheers,
Paul

Haiku Writing - Moon Viewing 2021

 (from the Splish, Splish! department)

Hi everyone,

Dana, Rose & I attended the Seattle Japanese Garden Moon Viewing on Friday, Sept. 10th, 2021 at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle.  This is the first time they've held the event since the pandemic started.

As stated in my previous blog entry, this is a "nice evening event where you can stroll around the Japanese Garden, see traditional Japanese music and dance being performed live, enjoy a Bento Box dinner, and see the moon in all of its glory."

(More info here: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2021/9/10/moon-viewing-01 )

This year, they scaled back a little - no Bento Box dinner sadly - but it was still wonderful.  The only slight disappointment was the lack of actual moon to view, due to clouds - similar to the last time.

As is our tradition, Dana, Rose & I took part in the Haiku writing contest.  This year, we were limited to one haiku each - so we made it count!

Here's the haiku we wrote:

Paul: 

The air is still -

Suddenly three birds launch

Searching for the moon

Dana:

We gather to see

Lady Luna hides her face

The clouds make her shy

Rose:

Oh, my muse and moon

Will thee return my friend?

I'll wait below stars

You might notice that the haikus don't necessarily follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern.  Modern haiku are less formal. 

As it turns out - we did even better this year than last year!  Dana got an honorable mention, and I came in 2nd place!!

We had a lot of fun Friday night - and writing haiku is always a highlight of our evening!

Cheers,
Paul

Haiku Writing - Moon Viewing 2019

(from the Splish! department)

Hi everyone,

Dana, Rose & I attended the Seattle Japanese Garden Moon Viewing on Friday, Sept. 13th, 2019 at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle.

If you aren't familiar, it's a nice evening event where you can stroll around the Japanese Garden, see traditional Japanese music and dance being performed live, enjoy a Bento Box dinner, and see the moon in all of its glory.

(More info here: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2019/9/13/moon-viewing-2019 )

We were really looking forward to this, since a full moon was expected!  Unfortunately - Washington weather conspired against us - the night of the moon viewing, the moon was completely obscured by clouds.

Still - we did have a good time - and even participated in the Haiku writing contest.  You could submit a maximum of two.

Here's the haiku we wrote that evening:

Paul:

Friday the thirteenth

Full moon hidden by clouds - splish

Now I swim with koi

Grey skies -

The promise of the Moon

Waiting to be uncovered

Dana: 

Moonbeams remind me

Of sharing summer secrets 

Whispered by sisters

Moon milk 

Cool the leaves' fire -

Warms my path

Rose:

Dear moon my friend

I shall see you again

When the flowers open and day ends 

Note - modern English haiku do not necessarily have to follow the 5 - 7 - 5 syllable rule, according to the rules of the contest.

As it turns out - Rose and I did pretty well this year!  We each got one of our haikus read out loud as an honorable mention!  Rose in the youth haiku category - and my "Grey skies" haiku as an adult!  

Sadly - my "Friday the thirteenth" did not make the humor category. 

Cheers,

Paul