Naviar Haiku 488

in dream world
was I laughing at a turtle?
winter seclusion

Among the four great masters of Japanese haiku, Kobayashi Issa was the most prolific: during his lifetime he wrote over 20,000 haiku, hundreds of tanka, and several haibun. If you want to find out more about this prolific author I suggest you check out this database of his haiku.

From the Haiku Guy website:

“Perhaps Issa’s dream is symbolic. Like a turtle, he is hunkered inside his shell (hut), waiting out the harsh winter weather. Or, William Nicholas offers a different interpretation, noting that the turtle is linked with good luck and longevity in Japan. In 1812 Issa was still a bachelor; he married two years later. At this point in his life he longed for the good luck of marriage and family life, hence the dream turtle’s teasing laughter?”

Turtle Shell

Turtle Shell (NaviarHaiku488)

I'm a composer, working from a 3' x 5' studio (some may call it a dinette) in a 5th wheel camper, while traveling the United States. I've been on the road for six years, so most of my recent work will have come from a different state (of mind and location) during my travels.

Music makes me feel better about everything. I don't know that I'm ever happier than when I am creating. I sometimes wonder if creativity isn't one of the primary keys to happiness. Do you ever feel better than when you say, "Look what I did."? This phrase magically conjures the purest sense of childlike joy.

Music works for every part of our lives. We all have music for when we are sad, happy, celebrating, meeting others, when we are alone, and even when we are lonely. Did a song come to mind as you read each of those situations? I remember the first song I ever heard on the radio, on my first bus ride to kindergarten. One of my favorite musical memories is playing in a band for steel beach on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

I love telling stories with music. Everybody loves John Coffey in the Green Mile, but Mr. Jingles should have a song commemorating his reaching and joining the circus at Mouseville. If you agree, join me for this and similar journeys. The music here is synthetic, but as real as you would choose to have it.

My music most often lands on Soundcloud first and is inspired by one of my favorite communities, Naviar Haiku:
https://www.naviarrecords.com/about/naviar-haiku
I find writing to a Haiku prompt sufficiently limiting and exquisitely inspiring.

Turtle Shell (NaviarHaiku488)

Raymond Stull