Sakura Hanami Photos - April & May 2020


Photos of cherry blossoms submitted by members. Enjoy!
Click the photos to open in full screen. Mouse over the left or right end of the bottom photo list to see more!

Sakura Hanami Haiku - April & May 2020

Haiku submitted by members, enjoy!
Peace of Spring
 
Silent spring, surreal times
Crescent moon, a bright night sky
Cherry blossoms.  Hope
 
by Patricia Dehnel, April 2020
 
Oh! Oh! is all I can say
For the cherries that grow
On Mount Yoshino

by Yasuhara Teishitsu  (1610-73, early Edo period), from John Armstrong
​
Bloom in market sky
Sakura flakes in Spring air
All in planning dream


Petals in Spring air
Bloom over Cottonwood Falls
We will plant more trees this Spring

Credit to Berdine Jonker, from Jim Sawada
​
散る桜　残る桜も　散る桜


(Chiru Sakura, Nokoru Sakura mo, Chiru Sakura)


Blossoms in bloom are also 
Falling blossoms

This is the last haiku of Ryōkan, a zen monk from Niigata, Japan, who died in 1831. submitted by Yuri Ishikawa Kutschera

raining down sadness
blossoms ache to become freed
late warmth, pink rises
                                           
by Curt Kutschera

Warm spring sun glow
Cherry blossom petals fall
On our family

by Keiko Fitz-Earle
​
Secluded house
a hot bath
and a raven in the pines
 
by Maggie Tchir 2020, inspired by Issa

The old gate greets us
Beauty in time of crisis
Blossoms bloom again


Sakura blooming
Reach upward to the spring sky
Welcome warmer days


Bumble bees busy
Feeding on cherry blossoms
Fight me for the space

by Grace Devaux
​
Blossoms reflected
Egret patiently perches
Swimmers secluded.

 
by Sandra England

In all the ditches
drifts of pale cherry petals
for just these few days.
 
 
As the air darkens
they become more bright - half moon
and cherry blossoms.


by Edith Shiffert, a Canadian woman who lived in Kyoto from 1963 until her death there in 2017 at the age of 101, submitted by Stuart Cook
​
Trees and flowers bloom
Each brave one promises spring
Reminders of life


The trees welcome us 
Pink blossoms dance in the breeze 
Joy touches our hearts 

 
by Margot Zimmer 

Social distancing
When will I see you again?
Your voice pains my heart


Nature has no bounds
We hide away from others
Cherry blossoms bloom

 
by Grace Nakano

This is beautiful
As beautiful as Cherry
Blooms in the Springtime


by Nicole Purvis,
​
A cloud of cherry blossoms
The temple bell
Is it Ueno, is it Asakusa?

 
by Basho, around 1677, from Jim Sawada
​
Who is he,
A straw mat over him,
This flowery spring?
 
by Basho, from Diana Cole 

Comments

Beautiful 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Thanks and Cheers to you all.  Your efforts are appreciated by so many. Especially in these trying times. All the Best!

-Mac McHenry
Happy Sakura Hanami to all 
-Margot Zimmer 

Here are a few Sakura photographs I took in Kyoto last year. Many thanks
again for all you do to help make these kinds of experiences possible.
-Elizabeth Cunningham



Thanks for all your work on this. Those pictures and haiku are great. Wonderful idea!
-Yuri Ishikawa Kutschera
Thanks for the inspiring and uplifting emails.
In health and peace in blooming springtime,

-Mary Whitlock

Hello All from Scotland.
Sending a couple of photos of spring in Inverness. It is still early spring days, but seems like cherry trees thrive well here both in parks and in people's yards.  It is wonderful to see the world turn green and colorful. With the current lockdown, we are unable to travel far, but walks locally are lovely. 
Cheers,
- Robin and Geoff