The Renku Sessions: Barely Time – Week 10
Hello again. This is John Stevenson and I will be facilitating a twelve verse renku, in the Jûnichô style. Over the coming weeks we will add one new verse each week, selected from your offers.
Thirty-one poets contributed a total of 181 verses this week.
I am pleased to see some new, to me, names among contributors in recent weeks. I realize, however, that it is time for me to repeat some general instructions; in particular, the instruction that the verses should have no grammatical breaks. A renku is not a haiku sequence. The only verse that should function in the manner of haiku is the first verse – the “hokku.” That verse is required to have a two-part structure and, because of it, has the potential to be read as a stand-alone poem. Thereafter, and throughout the remainder of the renku, the poetic spark should occur through the interplay of verses rather than within the individual verses. Most poets who come to English-language renku come to it via their experience with English-language haiku. But the soul of renku is collaborative art. So, we don’t attempt to write a complete poem with our verse offers. We make something by riffing on the verse before ours.
Here are some of the verses that struck me as candidates for verse nine:
grandfather tells me
how it feels to choose
your own headstone
John Hawkhead
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
urnes and
reliques adorn
a door
Richard Straw
the kitchen
renovated
after the fire
Debbie Feller
the relevant pauses
in the closing
argument
Patrick Sweeney
lichen creeps
across the slab
without a word
Keith Evetts
a chiseler a cheat
but first and foremost
a liar
Michael Henry Lee
the bow
moving gracefully
across a violin
andrew shimield
a new war
gives the globe
another shake
Keith Evetts
“I see a red door
and I want to
paint it black”
Chris Patchel
unknown species
in the ordovician
fossil strata
Polona Oblak
the lilting strains
of an oboist
across the way
Betty Shropshire
the mortar and pestle
passed down another
generation
Debbie Scheving
after dinner
thoughts fold
like linen napkins
Ariel Lambert
Some of the above must be released because the poet already has a verse in the renku and some because of some kind of fairly notable link to a prior verse or a grammatical break, though all are attractive in many ways. One thing that attracted me, in several instances, was a prominent sound image. Remember that for the next verse.
OUR NINTH VERSE
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
Our Renku, So Far
BARELY TIME
short night
barely time
to count the stars
Keith Evetts
9/11 still fresh
in our memories
Lorin Ford
somehow forgetting
the baby
in the back seat
Tracy Davidson
a racehorse
named Tortuga
Dan Campbell
the fog
has borrowed its scent
from the pines
Polona Oblak
he licks the apple juice
on her chin
Nancy Brady
walking barefoot
we take each other
prisoner
Jonathan Alderfer
snow moon
rests on granite
Susan Grant
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
THIS WEEK
Please offer candidates for a tenth verse, using these guidelines:
- Two lines
- Non-seasonal: avoiding any kigo from our list: http://www.2hweb.net/haikai/renku/500ESWd.html
- Linking with the ninth verse only (no obvious linking to any of the first eight verses)
- Without an internal grammatical break or pause
Please enter your offers in the comments section, below. Offers should be made by midnight, eastern US time, on Monday, August 22. On Thursday, August 25 I will post a selection of the offers, with my comments, and select the tenth verse for “Barely Time.”
Looking forward to your offers,
John
P.S. We will have completed this renku in a month. I would very much appreciate it if an experienced renku leader would volunteer to run another session, starting in September. Otherwise, there will have to be another gap in the feature before I can take it up again.
The Haiku Foundation reminds you that participation in our offerings assumes respectful and appropriate behavior from all parties. Please see our Code of Conduct policy: https://thehaikufoundation.org/about-thf/policies/#code-of-conduct
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scissors
cuts
paper
-Betty Shropshire
Congrats to you!
XXXX
papyrus reeds cast shadows
over a swathed falcon
gliding fingers over
Great-Grandma’s library
twine tying
a story together
faux peppermint
in the paste
Shark fin
perusing it’s options
wolf jumps ahead of
the elk’s escape
his latest sorry
burning with the pine logs
mending grandpa’s mug
with veins of gold
favorite games played
over and over
*
learning to whittle
with a new knife
*
gossip and laughter
at the quilting bee
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
.
loud whacks
of the master’s cane
for orphan boys
.
loud whacks
of the headmaster’s cane
at the orphanage
scissors
cuts
paper
— Betty Shropshire
*
hitting bone changes
a chainsaw’s tune
****
a rattle stopping
hikers in their tracks
****
the ransom note
read out loud
08. 22. 2022 by wendy © bialek
a ransom note may be too close to prisoner:
a party invitation
read out loud
08. 22. 2022 by wendy © bialek
reading the ransom
note out loud
08. 22. 2022 by wendy © bialek
wrapping a parcel
of skewered heart
toenails
love letters
scissors
cuts
paper
——Betty Shropshire
.
father’s voice
never recorded
.
mewing gulls
argue over scraps of fish
.
no one heard
my whispered confession
the smart strike
of a triangle
08. 21. 2022 by wendy © bialek
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
auntie’s doilies
squeaky clean
rat tails
in the compost clippings
lockdown ends
on the floor of Keeley’s salon
the screech
of violins in the shower
snow moon
rests on granite – Susan Grant
.
scissors
cuts
paper – Betty Shropshire
.
shadow puppets tuned
to the gamelan
making fortunes
for fortune cookies
08. 21. 2022 by wendy © bialek
even the game
of life is unaffordable
08. 21. 2022 by wendy © bialek
edit to this…to aviod the capital “l” in life
even the game
about life is unaffordable
08. 21. 2022 by wendy © bialek
got sent to jail
playing board games
*****
bought eight hotels
playing board games
*****
my wife cheats
playing board games
*****
bankruptcy even hurts
playing board games
****
foreclosed six trump hotels
playing board games
****
praying on each dice roll
playing board games
****
always choose the battleship
playing board games
and bonus tracks
of live performances
and bonus tracks
of alternate versions
(an alternate ‘blooper’ edit below)
I should have said alternative rather than alternate.
scissors
cuts
paper
——Betty Shropshire
.
rashomon confetti
tells a different story
.
can’t we all
just get along?
.
blue blue eyes
eyes a slice of life
.
perfect time for
a vasectomy
scissors
cuts
paper
*
that same singsong voice
while mending the fences
– Betty Shropshire
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
when it was about how
you played the game
*
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
newsprint stains
a thing of the past
*
reading the news from the stains
on his white pants
*
the day’s news hitting
with a wallop
*
jumping at the wallop
of the day’s news
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
wrapping up another episode
of the cliffhanger
*
dance of the marionettes
in the shadow theatre
*
crows getting a kick
out of the coke can
*
one more death poem
thunks into the bin
the poems it takes
to stop a tank
headphones unable
to cancel a shriek
a gift-wrapped drum kit
for the stepbrother’s son
a chance encounter
with the laughing kookaburra
so glad they included
deleted scenes
so glad they included
a blooper reel
or:
bonus features include
a blooper reel
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
1) pencil edge
her wall’s scribble
**
2) hard labor
missing numbers
*****
3) new clothes her faith
of first dip before worn
******
4) keys rotating
unopened doors
*****
5) biting post cover
Kind of opening
**
6) fresh matchsticks
all not igniting
**
7) his first day
late to college
*******
8) her speeches
fumbling always
*****
Lovely minimal verse, Betty, congrats!
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
*
fresh cedar shreds
for the guinea pig
*
peeking under
the barbie doll dress
*
saturday morning
asking what’s up doc
losing marks
in the exam
the program schedule
excludes dance forms
the movie script
doesn’t resound
tango
of two governments
scissors
cuts
paper
— Betty Shropshire
****
hammers
pound nails
***
hounds
hunt foxes
****
pawns
protect kings
****
knives
slit wrists
scissors
cuts
paper
*
the town crier’s
hear ye hear ye
– Betty Shropshire
growing wild beards
at the haiku retreat
few chief executives
in the dole queue
many trains missing
in union action
a lottery win
just by being alive
missing keys
of the piano
paper boat
rumbling away
banyan roots
spilling secrets
tears rolling
in complete silence
the tanker
dropping a bomb
tinkling bangles
breaking off her hand
crumps of sand
shaping a sculpture
patterns thrown
by kaleidoscope
silent
communication
an exhibition of
collage installations
Congratulations Betty, so succinct, brings a smile!
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
*
turning up the music
shortens the conversation
*
barbershop choir
makes the shortlist
aunty making patterns
gown
old newspaper
become a victim
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
finger therapy
for mum
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
children
make a fake bird
***
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
your letter
safe
the children
make a fake bird
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
your letter
still safe
scissors
cuts
paper
-Betty Shropshire
foreshadowing a fissure
in the hegira of wings
leaky faucet drowning
out the falling tears
*****
red rover red rover
ready or not here I come
*****
metronome thermometer
calipers compasses
her parrots
calling me pendejo
****
two monks ringing
the temple bell
****
answering a barking dog
in the night
My offers:-
who still sends a fax
in this digital age??
the hand drawn poster
invites us to a banguet
(yes, the artist meant to spell banquet)
do it like band aid,
one motion, right off!
Missing an article lol :-
do it like a band aid,
one motion, right off!
Not sure if I need Jerry Seinfeld’s permission to use that line. If so, please ignore my third verse _()_
Brilliant verse, Betty! Loved it as soon as I read it… Thank you John, it’s great to be back _()_
padlocked documents
in the hotel basement
unshredded
and still classified
boxes of documents
padlocked in the basement
top secret
bottoms out
always begins with
a recap montage
snipping fabric
into fashion
rag rugs for sale
in the small ads
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
adding new trim
to the library curtains
*
origami swans
with all the trimmings
*
an aviary
in origami
*
at 87 years old
her tongue sharper than ever
Nice, Betty!
scissors
cuts
paper
a filigree of icing sugar
for the birthday cake
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
*
shaving above the ear
to leave strands going as they wish
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
parsing the archives
of cold cases
*
fading ink in the archives
of cold cases
*
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
devising an algorithm
for crumbling cookies
*
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
drastically rationing the river’s
dying waters
*
the bare broken bones the river
leaves behind
*
dogwood sawfly
swarming
*
a palm oil leaf
in the dodo’s beak
scissors
cuts
paper
*
hackers on the dark web
parroting nonsense
– Betty Shropshire
a trail of blood
to the woodshed
a trail of blood
through the gallery
finding an umbilicus
coiled on the altar
all our promises
written on water
Congrats Betty!
My amateur attempts:
mincing words
in a fine queue
dicing peppers –
a squashed face
mellowing…
old age takes over
billowing across
taking turns
in the casino
ka-ching
ripping apart
my sore limbs
cracker burst
where noone seen
she keeps her coupons
with her sig sauer
piecing together
what led him to this
the ransom demand
breaks off on a scream
tearing strips
off the vuvuzela player
scissors
cuts
paper
-Betty Shropshire
*
an unsuccessful meeting
with his editor
*
the teenage girl
masks pain with pain
*
applause as the director
shouts ‘that’s a wrap’
*
a snippet of intelligence
on enemy drones
a snip for the top spot
in the rap festival
the sword-swallower’s hiccups
convulse the audience
groaning at the prospect
of Dad’s wartime clippings
the headless poltergeist
blamed for the fart
ten thousand paper cranes
won’t make it come true
banning any library
still offering books
counterfeit twenties
of the highest quality
posing for pictures
with the cardboard Elvis
clearing the air at
the black bean festival
A stunning set, Michael! I particularly enjoyed the cranes, the library, but above all the black beans which appeals to a haikai sense of humor. Clearly a “scent link.”…
the noiseless crank
of a chain stitch machine
07. 18. 2022 by wendy © bialek
the silent click
of online shopping carts
08. 18. 2022 by wendy © bialek
the newsboy whistles
a hopeful tune
luck of the draw
as the all clear sounds
yesterday’s news
flaps round a lamp post
the whistle of a missile
slices through the silence
a blade of grass
between cupped thumbs
comb and tissue
for a cheap kazoo
sabres clash
in the dawn duel
a clever knight gains entry
to the dragon’s lair
everyone joins
the gospel chorus
the rippling
effect on books
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
the no-no’s of that
ephemera collection
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
scissors
cuts
paper
*
thud of a mic drop
at the poetry slam
– Betty Shropshire
Delighted to my verse chosen! Thank you, John and everyone!
😊 Betty
Sheesh…☺ Delighted to have had my verse chosen!!
shallow flight of a bird
with clipped wings
trafficked Amazons
flying free
crane leaving
a barren lake
the next ban
on staple guns
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
scissors
cuts
paper
-Betty Shropshire
a sawbuck
for your fortune
part of me hoped
the spoon would bend
rooting for the bloody
underdog again
edit line
in verse
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
my gasp
at disposable razors
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
clip of hair
for donation
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
snow moon
rests on granite – Susan Grant
.
scissors
cuts
paper – Betty Shropshire
.
barbers’
apprentices flaunting
the new beard
.
or:
the new beard
flaunted by barbers’
apprentices
growing hair
for donation
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
Congratulations Betty!
scissors
cuts
paper
——Betty Shropshire
.
a whale sifts the sea
for companions
.
only a slight stumble
over his brocade of lies
.
deep in the forest
we almost get lost
.
a shark slices
through the harbor
Congratulations, Betty. . . nice link from the nature scene with granite to the children’s game ‘Rock, Scissors, Paper’.
snow moon
rests on granite – Susan Grant
.
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
Brilliant Betty! And many thanks John !
emergency room wait
proves pointless
*
saving all pieces
of left over fabric
*
green clipboard
holds it all together
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
the cat’s exquisite diligence
in shredding the wicker
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
*
wings slicing
across the sky
*
over stones
and rocks
*
looking down on
walkers walking
*
the misogynist’s string
of headless dolls
*
the unkindnesses
for the unreliable
*
a cold break
with the past
great job, betty! congrats for writing a concise link for our renku. thanks john, for all the reminders! (hope you find the new sabaki that you trust)
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
the shriek and leap
off a green bidet
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
the golden flush
of consealed documents
08.18.2022 by wendy © bialek
scissors
cuts
paper
*
a silent toast
to the outspoken writer
*
scissors
cuts
paper
*
a fresh dressing
on the stab wound
*
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
taking another stab
at freedom of speech
*
whoops–
might be too close to “taking each other prisoner”
revise to:
answering the attack
with a stab at censorship
*
Great contribution, Betty! Lots of ways to go with it.
Thanks, John, for another great week of this.
**
scissors
cuts
paper
*
Betty Shropshire
*
rearranging the pieces
of the shredded message
*
the random collection
of abridged classics
*
cataloging the collection
of abridged classics
*
Congratulations Betty and thank you John
***
a banjo busker’s ballad
bouncing in the breeze
****
wind symphony
on the baobab leaves
****
echos of chants
from the monastery
****
jackhammer jabbering
at six in the morning
Congrats, Betty. Great choice. When you first posted it, it made me smile, thinking it was short, sweet, and a perfect verse.
scissors
cuts
paper
–Betty Shropshire
should i throw away or recycle
the pizza box
Congratulations, Betty, well done.
Thank you, John. Congratulations, Betty!
scissors
cuts
paper
Betty Shropshire
—
the barbershop quartet
sings dum diddy dum
a hymn of praise
for the safety razor
gunfire salutes
whichever president
a groan as he gets
to clean the oven
crimean vacations
may go with a bang
just when you’re on the loo
the doorbell rings