The Renku Sessions: New Calendar 2
Welcome to The Haiku Foundation’s Fifth Renku Session: New Calendar. I am John Stevenson, leading my second Kasen (36 verse) renku on this site. We will be trying something a little different this time. Instead of making all of the selections myself, new verses will be selected by the poet who wrote the preceding verse. This will be on a voluntary basis and I remain ready to preform this task for anyone who prefers to pass up the opportunity.
What a good start to a new year and a new renku! We had 82 verses offered, by 31 poets. Here is my short list, in the order in which they were posted:
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
Peter Newton
blank spaces
in the first enso
Maria Tomczak
the diary’s first entry
mentions cloudless sky
Polona Oblak
each photo inspires
another resolution
Marilyn Potter
his hair the wrong colour
to go first footing
Sandra Simpson
comparing resolutions
as they prepare to set off
Marion Clarke
Each of these has a strong and clear New Year reference, each is written without a break, and each one might have made a good second verse, sometimes with some very minor tweaks. Here is the verse I have selected and to which you must now link:
a clownfish offers
the first greeting–Peter Newton
First greeting is the New Year kigo in this verse. It is possible that some poets missed my first “reply,” in which I explained that the second verse is usually written by the host of the renku party and, while we don’t have an individual host, each of us might take on that role for this purpose. (In the future, I will do my best to put all of my suggestions in the original post.) When this verse is written by the host, it often has a kind of gently self-deprecating humor. In this case, the host can be identified with “a clownfish.” It is as if Peter Newton is saying, “I offer the first greeting of the year like a clownfish!” Clownfish, also known as anemonefish, are often seen nestled within and peeking out of anemones, with whom they have a symbiotic relationship.
I picture this fish in an aquarium (though, of course, it might be encountered by a diver or it might actually be pictured on the calendar mentioned in the opening verse). Perhaps it’s the first in the aquarium to notice that the “food source” is approaching the tank and this greeting consists of excited attention and, seemingly, eager gulps.
The ideas that we are all colorful natural wonders of the world and that we are all in this together create a great place to start a renku.
Peter Newton will be offered the opportunity to select the next verse. Peter, please contact me, either in a reply below or by e-mail (ithacan@earthlink.net) to let me know whether you accept this offer. If you do, I will ask you to choose the next verse in accordance with the requirements listed below and to write a paragraph or two about your selection and send it to me on Wednesday morning (January 18) so that I can incorporate it in the next posting, which appears on the following day. If you would rather not make the selection, I will do so, but I would prefer to know that I’ll be doing that as early as possible.
Verse three (the daisan) is the launching verse. It must link to the second verse (and only the second verse) but it also must very clearly shift away from it in terms of scene and subject matter. Since it seems that the first two verses are indoors, the third verse should be outdoors. It is still part of the opening section of the renku (the jo, or the first six verses), so it is to be somewhat formal in tone and not dealing in strong emotions or controversial subjects (e.g. politics, religion, illness, warfare, current events). It will be written in three lines, without a break, and must include a spring image (kigo). You will have until Tuesday night to make your offers.
With best wishes to all,
John
New Calendar to Date
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
–John Stevenson
a clownfish offers
the first greeting–Peter Newton
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a clownfish offers
the first greeting
~ Peter Newton
—-
kite from the attic
almost ready
for a flight
***
under a cloudless sky
cotton candy seller
opens the business
from the reappearing beach
specks of placer gold
on sandy fingers
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
—
two pirate ships
lay claim to the puddle
under the swing
—
= Lorin
❤ this one, Lorin. 😊
the beach
at snow’s end almost
ready for a picnic
at last the koi
pond thaws and reveals
its green pads
daylight savings
allows hanging out the wash
somewhat later
at last the koi
pond thawed and revealed
it’s green pads
after the thaw
a walk in the woods
with chickadees
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
.
–—
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
.
–Peter Newton
.
’tis no joke
rolling the Stilton
to the finish line
.
– Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
.
–—
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
.
–Peter Newton
.
taking a fistful
of freshly tilled earth
to my cheek
.
– Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
.
–—
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
.
–Peter Newton
.
a round
of picking tea leaves
to warm the day up
.
– Shrikaanth krishnamurthy
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
.
–—
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
.
–Peter Newton
.
taking a bite
of the bunny’s ears
in chocolate
– Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
.
——-
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
.
-Peter Newton
.
——-
.
the heat rising up
with each additional clue
of the treasure hunt
.
-Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
before the rain
a sprinkling
of grass seeds
a clownfish
offers the first greeting
.
.
a red felt hat
floating downstream
beyond reach
.
.
a red felt hat
floating downstream
and out of view
this birthday
she lets 1-2-3 balloons
float out of sight
Monday morning
class and the clock not reset
for daylight savings
reset the town clock
for return of daylight
savings time
a pink balloon
caught high in branches
of the old oak
I’ve actually got a photo of that, Judt! Only difference, it was a plane tree (I think), and a whole bunch of pink balloons! 🙂
I have a photo, too…It is two pink balloons in a huge old oak in Wright Park in Tacoma, WA. 😄
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
—
virtuous
in any language
nettle soup
—
– Lorin
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
.
~ Peter Newton
.
light rain trickles
off the shoulders
of latecomers
I see that some of you have offered verses that feature either flowers or flowering trees or shrubs. There are specific verses within the renku that are designated as “blossom” verses. They are verses 17 and 35 in a Kasen renku.
the sky now fills
with fire dragon, tiger
and phoenix kites
the dogwood’s
creamy blossoms
slowly unfurl
A wonderful verse, Peter.
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
.
.
just past the lilacs
baby clothes waving
in the wind
Ok, if we need to take flowers out of our verses, then I’ll change this one to be:
in the sunshine
baby clothes waving
in the wind
.
.
just past noon
baby clothes waving
in the wind
Hmmmm, the first one repeats “in the” twice…sorry. Let me amend it.
.
.
full of sunshine
baby clothes waving
in the wind
.
.
just past noon
baby clothes waving
in the wind
.
.
(I’ll proofread better from now on.)
reset the inner Clock
for return of daylight
savings time
warming trend and
glistening trails lead to
a primrose breakfast
with great clumsiness
a wildflower
peeks above the last corn snow
onlookers clap
as we skip and weave
around the maypole
as the party commences
cranking up
the bubble machine
composing
a saijiki beneath
the dogwood tree
or
composing a saijiki
beneath
the red bud tree
spring break
in the employ
of our community garden
or
between semesters
planting the seeds
of independence
guppies
being born
in the pond
cane taps punctuate
the morning as he nods
in return to daffodils
That is more like chapter than verse.
This is shorter, at least:
.
taps of a cane
as he and the daffodils
slightly nod
.
.
sky and forget-me-nots
as if vying
for the blue ribbon
.
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
—
maybe:
—
waving their pinwheels
the princesses
go puddle-jumping
—
– Lorin
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
—
waving their pinwheels
the fairies
go puddle-jumping
—
– Lorin
Just want everyone to know that Peter has accepted the opportunity to make the next selection!
Yaaaay! 😀
new calendar
a year of
“Natural Wonders”
–John Stevenson
.
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
.
***
.
unspooling the string
to let the kite
soar higher
Nice. I like the kigo and the unspooling.
thank you, Mary.
the clownfish offers
the first greeting
*
weed whackers hum
on all sides
of the garden wall
the clownfish offers
the first greeting
weed whackers hum
on all sides
of the garden wall
the clownfish offers
the first greeting
weed whackers hum
on all sides
of the garden wall
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
*
–Peter Newton
*
in the round-a-bout
lavender plants waver
in the breeze
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
–Peter Newton
in the round-a-bout
lavender plants waver
in the breeze
a clownfish offers
the first greeting
~ Peter Newton
…
light breeze
as we shake out
the sails
~ Betty
***
Lovely start and wakiku!
windy cliff
daffodils go
back and forth
a clownfish
offers the first greeting
.
a fairground opens
with its hall of mirrors
sparkling clean
Great verse choice, John!
.
I’m probably not the first to point out the ‘clowfish’ mis-spelling.
Thanks, Marietta. I’ve fixed that.
ops- 3 lines
dew drops
in the morning grass
surround a ring of daffodils
dew drops in the morning grass surround a ring of daffodils
a handful of swallows
zigzag, zigzag
through the willows
An absolutely delightful verse, Peter. An excellent choice, John. Thank you for all your guidance.
*
soap bubbles
floating on a breeze
outside my window