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The Renku Sessions: Rendezvous – Week 11

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The Renku Sessions continue on The Haiku Foundation. I am Patricia Machmiller and I am honored to be your guide for an eighteen-verse renku, in which we will compose one verse per week until completion.

Hello, everyone. Another week of sequestering. Congratulations to Australia and New Zealand. Because of the wise leadership of both countries, I read you had minimal impact from the virus and are about to begin to unsequester. What wonderful news! Meanwhile I try to keep a positive attitude. The other day my husband and I drove down the Pacific coast as a diversion from the day to day, and as we sat in the car eating our lunch, there we saw a California condor soaring over the cliff above us. Just like that, we had a glimpse of one of nature’s wonders. I’m sure you know that the condors were almost extinct when some dedicated biologists hatched a plan with the US government in 1987 to capture the last living 27 condors and breed them in captivity. They have since been successfully reintroduced to the wild. Another bird that’s endangered along our coast is the snowy plover, a tiny bird about 6 inches long. Volunteers from a conservation group come to our beach every spring about this time and rope off sections where these little birds might lay their eggs to keep horses and people from trampling on their nesting areas. The ropes went up at the end of March and will stay until August. I hope that this strange moment that we are experiencing is giving you some different opportunities and new perspectives that feed your imagination and creative endeavors. Like writing renku.

I enjoyed reading your work this week. And have chosen some verses which I thought had some potential to be our tenth verse. Here they are:

 

seeing one another now
through reading glasses darkly

*

time traveling through
a faded wedding album

Autumn Noel Hall

 

she asks what his friends would think
seeing him in her clothes

*

back from assertive class
she tells him she’s leaving

Robert Kingston

 

she’s the first I let borrow
my first edition Ulysses

Patrick Sweeney

 

she helps him cut
his mother’s apron strings

*

parting ways
on the crest of her career

*

her passion for him
renewed on borrowed time
*
leaping into the field
of all possibilities

*

a boomerang
when skillfully thrown returns

Kanjini Devi

 

spin doctors talk up
the lucky country

Lorin Ford

 

coming away with a profound
uncertainty

*

strangely attracted to rhyme
for naming their twins

*

at the mercy of mutations
in what they cannot see

*

believing there’s a third time
for everything

Laurie Greer

 

he still remembers the
BITCH FROM HELL tattoo on her butt

*

her gravitational waves
can shatter your heart

*

stale tacos
taste like loneliness

*

watching her still makes
him trip on curbs

Dan Campbell

 

applying glue
on her broken bracelet

Mark Powderhill

 

the quiet gush
of h2o

*

prickly pear jam
licked from his beard

Wendy C. Bialek

 

anxiety throbs
when she draws a song bird

Radhamani sarma

 

I reveal an allure
for cryptid get-ups

*

heads you win
tails I lose

Carol Jones

 

the overwatered orchid
drops its last blossom

Clysta Seney

 

time after time they begin
with the smallest kisses

*

together they dream
of never being lonely

Steve Tabb

 

a lockdown lesson
in long division

Andrew Shimield

 

a last kiss lingers
on cold lips

Debbie Scheving

 

her bit on the side
as yet undiscovered

Judt Shrode

 

she kisses him
to shut him up

Nancy Liddle

 

now it’s dead
in the water

Pauline O’Carolan

 

oh! oh! oh! oooohhh god!
particle

Princess K

 

pease porridge hot
pease porridge cold

*

the zoom anniversary
that no one could see

*

until a world cruise
takes a virtual turn

Michael Henry Lee

 

kids say the irresistible force
married the immovable object

Liz Ann Winkler

 

hand in hand
waiting for godot

Angiola Inglese

 

From the above verses I selected these for final consideration:

seeing one another now
through reading glasses darkly

Autumn Noel Hall

The phrase “glasses darkly” does two things—it links very obliquely to “dark matter” and the quarks in Clysta’s verse. It also alludes to the phrase “through a glass darkly” which has been used many times in the West as titles of a famous Bergman film, of numerous novels, books of poetry, poems, musical compositions, and even episodes in different TV series. The phrase comes the King James version of the Bible: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12). This verse is part of a beautiful passage on faith, hope, and love that ends with “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). (Now I’m quoting from the New International Version.) Autumn’s verse would bring all this to the renku. My hesitation is the word “now” which repeats the word in Wendy’s verse four verses earlier and “one another” which patterns “one wolf to another” in the second verse.

a boomerang
when skillfully thrown returns

Kanjini Devi

Kanjini’s verse brings in a wonderful new object, the boomerang, the motion of which glances off the notion of “give and take” in the previous verse.

spin doctors talk up
the lucky country

Lorin Ford

Lorin has cleverly used “spin” to link to the quarks which have spin, but her verse gives the word a totally different meaning. The phrase “lucky country” referring to Australia might be a bit too close to India three verses away.

strangely attracted to rhyme
for naming their twins

Laurie Greer

A strange quark and a charm quark make a pair so Laurie’s use of the word “strangely” makes a subtle link to the previous verse while advancing the relationship to parenthood.

stale tacos
taste like loneliness

Dan Campbell

Very poignant verse, Dan, but you already have a verse.

oh! oh! oh! oooohhh god!
particle

Princess K

This is in the category of “I’ll have what she’s having” from the movie When Harry Met Sally. This is so good and so clever, Princess K, I’m very tempted to pick this. My hesitation is that the god particle, even though you’ve tweaked it, is still too close to the quarks.

pease porridge hot
pease porridge cold

Michael Henry Lee

I love using a nursery rhyme to advance the relationship—it implies that the couple has had a child and they are playing a clapping game to this song. The hot/cold reference links to “give and take.” I also like bringing in the sing-song of a nursery rhyme to change-up the rhetoric. But are the peas to close to sesame seeds which are only three verses away. I reluctantly think yes.

 

So am choosing Kanjini’s boomerang verse as our tenth verse.

 

Our renku up to now is:

rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna                              Sally Biggar

an antiphonal greeting
of one wolf to the others                  Mary Kendall

the jury still out
on gray
vs grey                                               Laurie Greer

a little half-
and-half in my tea                              M. R. Defibaugh

scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners                                              Dan Campbell

at the autumn gates
who can hear me now                        Wendy C. Bialek

an opened sesame
seed packet
from India                                          Betty Shropshire

and as if by magic
they fall in love                                   Marion Clarke

like charmed quarks
their relationship
thrives on give and take                       Clysta Seney

a boomerang
when skillfully thrown returns             Kanjini Devi

 

And now instructions and considerations for our eleventh verse. This verse is a nonseasonal verse. . It should link to the tenth verse, but have no connection to the ninth verse. The requirements for this verse are:

  • a three-line poem of seventeen syllables or less
  • this verse has no seasonal reference. Note that we should avoid the mention of celestial occurrences or building structures like gates, fences, houses, doors, etc. for two verses. Avoid proper names and seed-like things for three verses; avoid the names of countries for a long while. Avoid references to the occult for four verses, references to science subjects for five verses, and tools or small flying objects for six.
  • a single syntactical structure flowing over three lines.

 

Please enter your verses in the comments box, below. I will be reviewing these offers until midnight on Tuesday, May 5 (California time zone). On Thursday, May 7, there will be a new posting containing my selection for the eleventh verse, some discussion of other appreciated verses, and instructions for composing the twelfth verse.

Again, I hope you stay safe and healthy. Do take all precautions. And I hope you are enjoying the renku writing process. Keep up the good writing. The more you write the better the final renku will be. I encourage you to be whimsical, be daring, let your imagination loose. Let’s see what happens. I look forward to seeing your work.

And thank you, John, for your help in posting this.

With gratitude to all who have contributed,

Patricia

 

This Post Has 331 Comments

  1. a last ditch attempt
    on the box cars
    rolling in
    .
    his last pitch
    on the box cars
    rolling in
    .
    his last dollar
    on the box cars
    rolling in

    1. ooopsy! “one” goes to the wakiku

      if i were a rich man
      i would pay everybody
      to shelter in

  2. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    *
    Kanji Devi
    *
    you can lead
    an oligarch to wisdom
    but you can’t make him think
    *
    🤑😉😂
    ~Autumn

    1. Well, Wendy, now I have to go get out my Unabridged Dictionary and start paging through sci-shu. Can’t wait to see what leaps off the page at me!
      *
      ~Autumn

  3. watch out
    the blind
    corners

    *
    a message
    hidden
    20 years ago

    *
    congrats, Kanjini, smashing… and thanks to all poets – I look forward to your verses every week.

  4. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    *
    Kanjini Devi
    *
    leave it to nature
    to come up with a cure
    for humanity
    *
    ~Autumn

    1. good luck…autumn…..you have a great bunch here
      maybe one will get picked for this renku verse.

      1. Thank you, Wendy. But nice as it is to be recognized, it’s not abut being “picked” for me; it’s about participating and just being present in an international room full of talented poets who challenge, encourage, inform and uplift me. That’s the real prize for playing the renku game.
        *
        ~Autumn

  5. I’ve been on a writer’s block induced renku hiatus for a week or so, hypnotized by the magic of charmed quarks. I hope everyone has been managing to stay healthy for themselves and their loved ones! I encourage everyone to stay at home whenever they can, to wear masks, and to keep practicing as much social distancing as possible even as some areas are rushing to reopen.
    ***
    her pyrography
    portrait drawn
    in beechwood
    ***
    her name etched
    along the edges
    in cursive
    ***
    empty-handed hunting
    for the receipt
    showing toilet paper
    ***
    the librarian
    risks her life
    stocking shelves
    ***
    I even miss
    lap after lap
    for 500 miles
    ***
    another country
    laps us
    in COVID testing
    ***
    …and a lighthearted jab at an earlier discussion, being a novice myself lol
    *
    the renku
    novice revels
    in redundancy

    1. matt
      thank you for all that great advice!!!!!!

      all great!!!!! matt….this is my favourite:

      another country
      laps us
      in COVID testing

      1. Thanks, Wendy! We are definitely somewhere between science and shut up, but not as close to science as we would like…lol

  6. just one more:
    *
    we’d never get back
    to normal if we knew
    what was good for us…
    *
    ~Autumn

  7. Thank you so much, Patricia, for giving my verse such a prominent mention AND for elaborating so beautifully on ALL the symbolic connections therein. I was especially pleased that you picked up on my oblique dark matter ref! I also appreciate the reminder that we need to look backwards for grammar as well as subjects/objects. I completely spaced the “now” connection to Wendy’s verse, which was the more obvious of the two (and which, were we composing in person, I would have dropped in a heartbeat–especially since I’d only included it to indicate time passage; I realize now–ha ha–that the reading glasses alone would have accomplished that); I might not have made the connection between my “one another” and “one to another,” had you not pointed it out. I realize the words are the same, but their grammatical usage is different. And you are so often reminding us, “not for 6 verses, not for a good long while” etc., so I thought we were far enough away from the hokku that it might be okay. Again, I would have reworded to accommodate had we been sitting across from one another in my living room drinking orange blossom oolong!
    *
    There were SO MANY great verses this round, I do NOT envy your having to choose. But I like the many possibilities opened by Kanjini’s boomerang a lot!
    *
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    *
    Kanjini Devi
    *
    inheriting
    my father’s service saber
    a double-edged sword
    *
    Taking page out of Chris Patchel’s book here and dropping “was” in L3. If it feels as though that creates too much of a break, by all means, put it back in!
    *
    inheriting
    my father’s service saber
    was a double-edged sword
    *
    autocorrect’s
    objection to typing
    “back atcha”
    *
    the merciful
    forgiveness of
    a roundabout
    *
    realizing
    my sourdough starter
    might just outlive me
    *
    a spike in cases
    as the stay-at-home orders
    are lifted
    *
    using
    reply all
    judiciously
    *
    Happy Cinco de Mayo, Everyone! (and yes, I know, the day commemorates a specific military event which is primarily relevant only to Mexicans and therefore it is not something we are meant to wish willy nilly to everyone–but HEY, any reason for a Fiesta these dystopic days, sí ?!)
    *
    ~Autumn

    1. yes, autumn,

      Happy Cinco de Mayo, Everyone!
      .

      chopped tomatoes
      waiting for quadruple priced
      avocados

    2. autumn,
      love all your new verses !!!!!!

      this one speaks to me…..big time!!!!!!!!
      *
      a spike in cases
      as the stay-at-home orders
      are lifted
      *

      1. Many thanks, Wendy. Funny how our poetry becomes a safe holding vessel for our worst fears…
        *
        Stay well!
        *
        ~Autumn

    3. Awesome response, Autumn! I especially like the forgiving roundabout and the longevity of sourdough starters 🙂

      1. Thank you so much, Kanjini! The miracle of sourdough bread making is one of the things I am most grateful to have come out of this epidemic for me. How cool to feed a living thing that feeds me in return! Namaste, Sourdough–I see the Divine in You!!
        *
        ~Autumn

  8. Christmas crackers
    hold silly gifts
    like psychic fish
    .
    believe it or not
    a psychic fish jumps
    from a Christmas cracker
    .
    and for his next trick
    the psychic fish swims
    round the table

    1. These are all so whimsical and amusing, Robert! I’ve never had anything half so interesting leap out of my Christmas Crackers. Just plastic combs and paper hats, mostly. I’m guessing you acquire your crackers at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Number 93 Diagon Alley…? ; )
      *
      ~Autumn

      1. What? No jokes, combs, nail clippers or puzzles? one year we even had a mini whoopee cushion circling the table. :-))
        .
        Loved the HP lines.if you see a Ron Weasley key ring on your travels, I’d love one in next years cracker. 😉
        .
        And if you’ve never had a plastic fish at the table and enjoy a barrel of laughs, I’d spend the dollar fifty for next thanks giving.
        Best
        Rob 😉

    2. more pills to swallow
      for coronievirus spreading
      longer than we were told

      1. too many pills…….oooooops!

        .
        swallowing more pills
        for coronievirus
        older than they said

  9. Sorry I’m a little late to the renku party this week. My intentions on my day off yesterday fizzled. The virus rules seem to be adding a layer of fatigue to everything. Congrats Kanjini on a fun verse. And I enjoyed hearing about your condor sighting, Patricia. I heard about them on the news years ago but admit to losing track of their status.
    *
    Playgrounds seem to be on my mind this week. I will be glad when the caution tape is removed at last.
    *
    the creak of swings
    in unison
    on the playground
    *
    the youngest children
    learn to play
    tag you’re it
    *
    teammates cheer
    when a third baseman
    tags the runner out
    *
    at the water’s edge
    they wade and splash
    each other

    1. debbie,

      these are wonderful glimpses of life before Covid-19.
      ******************

    2. Hi Debbie
      Quite a stir in your last three offerings when read in conjunction with your opening lines on the virus, not helped by my having tuned in from having read some of the THF book of the week “dystopian dreamscapes”. I particularly like verses two and four.

      1. Thank you Robert, Dan, Kanjini, and Wendy. And I enjoy the variety in the THF books of the week. Will check out this week’s soon!

    3. I enjoyed reading these Debbie, they made me remember favorite playgrounds and cheering teammates!

  10. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns    —       Kanjini Devi
    .
    don’t ask for applause
    until the very last note
    fades into silence
    .
    how leapfrog players
    end their plays
    is not in the rules
    .
    the casino man’s
    favorite game
    is the coin toss
    .

  11. I meant to ask this earlier on 🙂

    Can someone kindly explain to me (a novice renku participant) :-

    Why does the renku flow from winter (hokku), with no spring/summer references, to autumn verses?

    1. Hi Kanjini
      Renku generally start in the season you are in. Some leaders / perhaps all have the prerogative to change this. Then depending on the name / how many versus (there are many variants) determines when seasons and other key verses are introduced. I was advised a few weeks ago to purchase John Carley’s ( the renku reckoner) which apparently is one of if not the best guides to renku.
      Hope this is of help!
      Best
      Rob

    2. on page 58 of john carley’s book, renku reckoner…there is a chart called a schemas…..we are doing a form of renku now called demikasen.
      the sabaki….patricia in this case has picked this form to use.
      on the chart it lists various scenarios for beginnings——thru—–endings for this 18 verse renku. it appears to me patricia has chosen the last column on this chart.
      more to come…..

      1. all seasons will be represented…not always in order….and broken up by non-seasonal verses.
        kanjini…..you will get many a chance to offer verses in these other seasons later in this renku. don’t fret! LOL!!!

      2. let me rephrase this for kanjini:

        all seasons will be represented…not always in order….and broken up by non-seasonal verses.
        we all will be able to offer verses in these other seasons later in this renku.

    3. Thank you for your replies, Rob & Wendy. I will look into said book 🙂

    4. Hi, Kanjini–this was one of the first puzzlements I had when first coming to renku. I’ve now come to understand that a renku is not a narrative and, although it is always going forward in time like a river, it strives to leap and surge and surprise, and as it forges ahead, seasons come and go, but when a season is missed it’s not that it’s left out–it was leapt over. When it returns, perhaps years have passed. It is one of many strategies used to keep the poem full of unexpected turns.

      1. Wonderful, Patricia, I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying renku! Seasons come and go, this too shall pass… Once again, thank you for your guidance here 🙂

      2. so poetically said, patricia!
        i am touched with tears in your explanation.

        *
        i was just thinking about how fun the journey is
        when i don’t look at a chart…..
        *
        what good is a journey
        if i know what’s coming
        ’round the bend

  12. good ideas
    done to death
    in endless sequels
    *
    the march
    of roman numerals
    after the name
    *

    1. May the Forth be with you Laurie. Your range of qualified offerings blows my mind.

    2. Love your second verse Laurie, especially the kisses. Be it love or death and the two fingers salutes.
      🙂

  13. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    Kanjini Devi
    .
    an open palm
    loaded with the calluses
    from the sharpest blade

  14. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    Kanjini Devi
    .
    out of the dust
    an old watch wrapped
    in a news clipping
    .
    in clippings
    an old watch
    on what went where

    1. judt, do you mean?

      the prodigy
      strides on stage
      in tiny tails

      then i like this very much.

      1. child pianist
        programed to perform
        trips over tails

        *
        child pianist
        wired to perform
        trips over tails

        1. judt,
          if feels/reads more like a clear verse to me…and less like haiku

    1. Wow–this is just BEAUTIFUL, Judt!! Are you familiar with Grandmother Spider as creator of the Universe in some Native American traditions? This reminds me of Her weaving each and every one of us into the pattern.
      *
      This image will stay with me for a long time–thank you!
      *
      ~Autumn

      1. Why, thank you, Autumn! Yes, I began with, and wanted to use Grandmother Spider. But those pesky proper nouns!

  15. to get through lockdown
    I listen to all
    my Dylan LPs

    *
    I know this includes a proper name, but I presume Nobel prize winning geniuses are exempt!

    1. dylan’s one of my favourites, too andrew! i love best his early lps!
      a wonderful poet….i used to play this song over and over again…because i began an oil painting with it….and for some reason my brush stroke style would change and i needed it to stay with the mood of the piece. it is not the one i like best of his…..but i think the words are applicable to this pandemic time:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtituHRD2vI

    2. speaking about awards:
      &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

      kudos andrew for your mention in last month’s kukai !!!!!!
      &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
      *
      i was not a contestant, but i did vote!

  16. feeling
    the smoothness
    of a river rock

    ***

    no need
    for a worry stone
    right now

    1. I like both of these Susan.
      Both ad a cool, soothing feel to the mix.

  17. through furrows
    she goes to weed
    singing
    *
    the dog continues
    to jump in and out
    of the wave
    *
    the fruit basket
    gives back
    with a dessert

  18. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    Kanjini Devi
    *
    scattered hair
    at the base
    of the barbers chair

    clippings
    litter
    the barbers floor
    .
    slithers of light
    about the demon
    barbers chair
    .

    1. scattered hair
      at the base
      of the barbers chair
      .
      clippings
      litter
      the barbers floor

      1. One of my all-time FAVORITE musicals, Robert. I can think of a few oligarchs I’d like to have end up in one of Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies about now, too…
        *
        ~Autumn

        1. Not seen it on the stage Autumn, though I do recall seeing a black and white version on the television when young. I thought Depp also made a good appearance in Tim Burton’s adaptation in 2008.
          Sadly those oligarchs are like eels, you will need newspapers to hold them still in order to make your mince. 🙂

          1. Ha! Slippery eelagarchs! Must be all the oil… ; )
            *
            I’ve never gotten to see Sweden Todd live either, Robert. Just the Johnny Depp version you mention and the recording of the stage production that starred Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett (which my high school music teacher had us watch in theory class). It made a deliciously macabre impression nonetheless!
            *
            ~Autumn

    2. Robert, the third verse makes a good party verse in my opinion, a hint of mystery.

      1. Thanks Debbie.
        The mystery it appears still exists.
        Interesting learning that he supposedly originated from the same part of London where Jack the Ripper carried out his evil deeds.

  19. .
    the young prodigy’s attack
    lifting his bum off the bench
    .
    .
    ‘attack’ as a musical term
    .

    1. do you have a line 3 for this intriguing verse? judt?
      i’d love to see it!!!

        1. I had in my guitar tuner one time when our dog’s flatulence registered a D flat!

          1. he blames
            his fart
            on the dog
            *
            our dogs are sneaky
            they don’t do
            “audible” farts
            *
            i was surprised to learn…..that only certain breed dogs have “audible” farts.
            *
            i used to believe
            it was my husband’s
            the dog’s inaudible fart

      1. 😂😂😂 Yes! Right on cue! Speaking of bums, I’m laughing mine off.

        1. glad you got off on this, judt!
          would you have thought letting go)))))))) renku could be this fun????????

  20. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    Kanjini Devi

    the cat
    a tad pensive
    in it’s bed

    1. yes, our pets are also going through this…with us, too! rob!
      *
      “its”=possessive ( bed)

      “it’s=it is…contraction.

      *
      in lock down
      the dogs drag all the toys
      to sleep together

      1. Thanks Wendy.
        Posted with my mobile I did not pick it up.
        .
        the cat
        a tad pensive
        in its bed

      2. the arresting
        double speak
        of the grammar police
        *
        🤔😜😂

        1. speaking of doubling, how about if I get rid of the the 😂
          *
          the arresting
          double speak
          of grammar police

  21. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns – Kanjini Devi
    .
    under the rainbow
    screeching
    rainbow lorikeets

  22. Congratulations on the boomerang verse, Kanjini. I’m always fascinated to see where our minds go. An interesting one to link to too.

    Verse 1:

    nothing
    is more certain
    than the tides

    Verse 2:

    “only locals allowed
    on our beach
    so go home!”

    Verse 3:

    everyone is worried
    about a second wave
    of virus

    Verse 4:

    after the performance
    his empty hat
    was still empty

    Verse 5:

    no planes
    fly
    into the blue

    Verse 6:

    cows enjoy the lush green grass
    growing
    out of the ashes

    Verse 7:

    will the new normal
    be anything like
    the old normal?

    1. very relatable array of verses pauline.
      .
      re: verse 3
      pauline,
      where you live….have they been able to determine with science….that the first wave is over?

      1. re: v.4 if line1 became line 3…then it can avoid the pausing break.

      2. Wendy, it’s determined by science in the sense that statistical analysis is considered a science.
        .
        “Statistics is a mathematical body of science that pertains to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data, ….”
        .
        The graphs here do get updated, and you can check when last updated:
        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-26/coronavirus-covid19-global-spread-data-explained/12089028?nw=0
        .
        Things are easing out of lockdown at present, differently in the various different States and territories. Scroll down here to the title, “So will we see a second wave of coronavirus?”
        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-02/will-coronavirus-hit-us-worse-in-winter/12204530
        .
        (The answer to that question is almost certainly to be “yes”, and then a third, etc. )
        .

        1. Lorin,
          thank you for the links….i am currently studying and comparing the curves.
          my original question is…..rephrased…..what scientifically constitutes a completion of the FIRST wave?
          *
          between each
          haircut
          i sweep up all the hair

          1. That’s easy, Wendy–completion of the first wave correlates directly with Wallstreet Shareholders’ maximum level of existential angst. Also with VP Pence’s refusal to wear a mask while visiting Covid19 patients at the Mayo clinic. Also the distinct escalation in volume of a collective chorus of, “I want my MTVeeeeeeee…” by the entitled masses.
            *
            Just sayin’
            *
            😉

          2. that is a given, autumn…..but i was asking for the

            completed above…….

    2. Thank you, Pauline. You have some lovely verses here. Yes, it’s a wonderfully fascinating process for me too 🙂

  23. edited:

    busy creating
    i bump into
    the glass

    *glass= glass store window

    *
    forgive me
    for knowing myself
    this will happen again

  24. novice teacher
    struggling with ’cause and effect’
    ‘skip it’ I say

  25. edited:

    *

    combining two of dan’s absolutely, fantastic verses into one:

    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

    those steeples sketched
    in air become oils
    of grandpa’s arks


    *oils= oil paintings

      1. glad you it! dan
        *
        done!
        *
        when i was little, we were very poor, i loved playing with paper dolls and cutting out the doll clothes….they cost .25 cents a book….my mother would give me the expired sears catalogues and i would cut my own from the models and their clothes….and cut out adding my own tabs to the clothes.
        in high school, i remember, the budget was low for school supplies, my art teacher found a way to teach us art with collage, all the parents donated their older magazines and i had a ball, cutting threw them to compose my art work.
        in my early college years, i had the wonderful opportunity to attend a metal sculpture class in found objects. we went to a new place each week to find things and inspirations to construct our art pieces. the first week, we went to a junk yard….rummaging through piles of broken, rusted metal.
        all we could carry….was ours for free….i was in heaven….i still carry this bliss with me today….in everything i do.
        *
        can’t help believing
        every poem
        is found art

        1. junkyard art, that is fascinating, they do have a kind of sad and haunting at,osphere.

  26. I have a question, addressed to anyone who can set me straight.
    I have been, and it appears to me that quite a few of us have been linking to ‘returns’ in Kanjini’s verse. But I realized that, as I now read it, ‘returns’ is the link to ‘give and take.’ So if we link to that, isn’t it a backlink?
    If I were the only one doing it, I’d be sure I was on the wrong track. But since several others are (as it appears to me) also doing it, I’m confused.
    Could anyone help clear it up for me?
    .
    Thanks,
    Judt

    1. yes, judt, i have noticed this overlapping, too….that can and does lead to a backlinking, as well! i am sure that i am guilty in many of my verses posted here.
      this shows to me that you have a keen awareness of the dynamics of structure, meaning, and sensitivity to rules of renku.
      thank you for bringing up your astute observation!

      1. Thanks for your comment, Wendy. I just don’t want to spend time writing verses that are disqualified from the get-go 🙃.

        1. judt….i understand your concerns…
          .
          and please keep in mind…i never stop learning…..i am not immune to straying, i am in a constant state of exploring in this never ending adventure with you….my ultimate goal is not to win….it is to live and enjoy the journeys ….and i can never be disappointed.

        2. judt,
          i don’t think this can be controlled all that much!
          i find that much of the way learning comes about IS by making mistakes….truly, even being surrounded by books, can not prevent….it. (i am NOT, discouraging reading everything you can get your hands on) but slips will happen.
          for example: Patricia states that this is a three line verse….it is right there….you read it…..yet you write a two-line verse, today. we are human….not machines.
          we get distracted…..maybe you saw kanjini’s verse….and it made you think we were doing two-liners…for me….it could be the dog jumping on my thighs when i’m typing and i loose my thoughts….etc. etc.
          books are great….but they can’t make me be in the present, they can’t make me focus on everything….only i can do that…..books can’t make me feel…or make me creative…..only doing it does.

      2. No room below, Wendy…yes, thanks! Of course the wakiku! I should have included that point. But after that, is it not important to avoid linking to the hokku?

        1. For fun, absolutely! For me, the rules add to the fun. Reminds me…Robert Frost said something to the effect that writing poetry without rhyme is like playing tennis without a net. 🙂

        2. judt……
          i am wondering:
          that you are confident of knowing these “cardinal” rules so very well…then how is it you say that you were confused? and then….how could you allow yourself not to follow them?

          as for me….i am still…..very, very, new to renku…..though in my head….i know these rules….
          (and respect them !!!!)

          busy creating
          i bump into
          the glass store window

          *
          forgive me
          for knowing myself
          this will happen again

        3. 1.
          the sabaki will have the judgement to decide what goes into the renku….and what does not.
          2.
          i will link to the hokku to create the second verse, wakiku
          3.
          if i create an offering, that backlinks, in whole or in part, to any verse, i would not expect it to be accepted into renku.

          1. Wendy, I so regret that this has become a misunderstanding. I was saying that as a complete beginner, it was my understanding about these rules. Like you, I am here to learn and enjoy. My comment had nothing to do with negative judgment about others’ verses…that is the furthest thing from my mind! I’ve noticed that you have kindly brought to some others’ attention that something in their verse would disqualify it. I realized that probably none of my verses would qualify, and it seemed as if some others were going down the same path. Yes, I was confused, and asked for help. Lorin referred me to a link to John Carley’s discussion of renku. Wonderful, exactly what I need, and I’ll be going back to it many times and will get his book.
            Please know that I am in no way trying to take over as sabaki! Actually, the thought of that is quite funny to me. What a royal cluster that would be!
            I have the most cordial feelings toward you and everyone who’s participating. I think we get to know each other a bit through our verses. I love it.

          2. oh judt…..the misunderstanding that i am aware of….is that my stating what the sabaki’s job is……was just that.
            in john’s book…..he explains about this.
            i never felt you were trying to do that job.
            (i want to do this someday….and i believe i could do it well….i am confident in my ability to create the sculpture)
            .
            but….i do have questions about inconsistencies i read in your posts…which i have addressed in another post. to you.
            *
            no big deal, judt…..i am glad you will be getting his book….wish it came in an ebook….it is very large and flappy for me to hold….as i have a frozen shoulder and it is painful for me to read it in bed….where i like to read.

      1. thank you Judt. this is my first renga so your point is helpful for me to try to get a grasp on the nuances. so much to remember….

          1. correction:

            *
            2. in renku, (unlike rengay) there is no single theme.

        1. Yes, it’s true there is a lot to remember. But when I first began participating in renku, it was my understanding that two cardinal rules are do not link to the hokku, and do not link to the verse before the one chosen.

          1. Judt,

            i would need to link to the hokku in order to build a renku at all while creating the second verse….the wakiku.

            *
            just wanted to make this clear….and not confuse others.

    2. Interesting snag that you and Wendy address, Judt.
      It made me want to try again. I appreciate all the dialogue. Thx!

      Extracted from an Australian children’s song . . .

      A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
      To see what he could
      see, see, see

    3. Judt, re:
      “as I now read it, ‘returns’ is the link to ‘give and take.’ So if we link to that, isn’t it a backlink?”
      .

      By “if we link to that”, do you mean if we link to the word “returns” ? If so, then no, I don’t think that would be a ‘backlink’. ‘Returns’ is in the verse we are appropriately linking to, and not in the uchikoshi.
      .
      Certainly, if you mean would it be ‘backlink’ if we linked to “give & take” (in the uchikoshi/ last but one, Clysta’s verse) the linking would be inappropriate because it would breach the ever-forward momentum of a renku.
      .
      But there are issues about the concept of “backlink”.
      .
      I think it’d be useful if you scrolled down this piece by John Carley – https://poetrysociety.org.nz/affiliates/haiku-nz/haiku-poems-articles/archived-articles/renku-a-snippet-of-snails/
      .

      to the header: ‘ Backlink 13″, which begins:
      .
      “There is a lot of misunderstanding about repetition in renku. In English the term most frequently seen is ‘backlink’. This term is unfortunate in two important regards. . . . ” & etc.
      .

      1. Thank you, Lorin! I will indeed read it. That’s what I was hoping for, some guidance.

      2. Thank you for the link Lorin. Quite a read. Will need to be read again to be fully appreciated. Is the book you feature in “the little-book of yotsumono “ still in print?
        Best wishes

          1. Thank you Lorin.
            One for the list
            Working my way through John Carley’s renku reckonr and Hansha and Clayton’s book at the moment.
            Take care.

      3. Thanks so much, Lorin. I wish I had read his work a couple of years ago!!
        After reading it, I feel certain that my verses do backlink. They have been fundamentally about movement ‘out and back.’ The throw and return are out and back; and give and take are out and back.
        If I understood it correctly, Carley said that a verse should have no connection whatever to the last but one verse, except for maybe the season. So I am mentally withdrawing the previous ones and will start over.
        This has been a really good learning experience for me! Thanks again.

        1. Thanks Wendy.
          Posted with my mobile I did not pick it up.
          .
          the cat
          a tad pensive
          in its bed

      4. Thanks for this informative link, Lorin. I especially appreciate being pointed towards scholarship, rather than being left to founder in the back-and-forth of more speculative debate. I’ve bookmarked the page, so that I can return to it when I have a bit more time!
        *
        ~Autumn
        *

  27. besides guiding notes,
    conductors also sketch
    steeples in the air
    #########
    grief and
    butterflies both have
    a cocoon stage

    1. combining two of dan’s absolutly, fantastic verses into one:

      those steeples sketched
      in air become oils
      of grandpa’s arks

  28. .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns     —      Kanjini Devi
    .
    before applause
    we wait until the last note
    fully fades away
    .

    1. Clysta, this is beautiful. Reminded me of how much I miss live concerts and dance performances.

  29. trying again
    with cures
    that failed
    *
    repurposing remedies
    that missed
    the mark
    *

  30. catching
    the smirk
    behind the mask
    *
    finding themselves
    at cross purposes
    again
    *
    too often
    at cross
    purposes
    *

  31. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    Kanjini Devi
    .
    losing heads
    the thorns
    bite back
    .
    bowls full
    of wheat mixed
    with harvester smiles

    1. .
      Dang!!! This was written as a reply to Lorin’s comment on my post. I thought sure that’s what I did. Guess not 🥴
      .

  32. renku heart beats
    by a simultaneous release
    & restriction of freedoms

    1. whoops….too many syls.:
      *
      renku heart beats
      by the careful release
      of freedoms

        1. thanks, clysta….glad that you may be relating to this experience, too!
          *
          lately, i have been experiencing strong parallels….between being in lockdown, and participation with renku.
          certainly…when some behaviors can no longer take place, it helps me to focus on what i can still do…to bring satisfaction to life. in many ways, this can increase inventiveness. the same process….is repeated in renku….one fence goes up….and another one is lifted.
          *
          the sport of renku
          is a challenging maze
          for my mind

        1. never
          ending
          dreams

          *

          to pick just one
          from the infinite
          verses of renku

  33. bring an umbrella
    when the shaman
    rain dances
    #######
    durning heavy
    rains grandpa’s barn
    resembles an ark
    #######
    driving back home
    counting tree shadows
    on empty streets
    #######

  34. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns — Kanjini Devi

    .
    more witnesses
    at the UFO festival
    every year
    .

  35. wow! i made the longer short list – thanks 😀

    one of the perks
    of life –
    splinters
    *
    a certain smell
    of ocean in the desert –
    or my imagination?
    *
    the child cottons on
    and hops away
    to inspect flowers
    *
    I would give this hand
    again to have
    yours in mine

  36. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns — Kanjini Devi
    .

    more witnesses
    turn up every year
    at Roswell

    1. … or is Roswell out, considering India? While it’s not the name of a country, it is the name of a place.
      .

  37. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    • Kanjini Devi

    the shakuhachi
    refrain vibrating
    through me

      1. Wendy – exquisite shakuhachi music, deep bow!

        Clysta and to others . . . I feel like I have jumped into the deep end.

    1. Alison thank you for the haiku and Wendy thank you for the sounds. New to me.

      1. Alison, i should say thank you for the verse. I have read Joan Z’s excellent overview several times, but my brain doesn’t integrate well these days…

  38. tensing up
    when he hears
    the “ok, boo…”
    *
    waiting for the day
    it all goes
    bust
    *

  39. directions
    mean nothing
    to the wind

    *

    breathing in
    the blue sky fills my lungs
    all day long

    *

    outside
    a bronze bell
    green with ghosts

    1. love these all !!!!! jonathan

      *
      would love to know the process of linking you used in creating these wonderful verses…..if you care to share.

  40. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    *
    the refuse sorted
    ready for collection
    paper plastic glass
    *
    the ‘missing’ poster
    of a much loved cat
    tied to a lamppost
    *
    the rescue centre
    releases a hedgehog
    into the wild

    1. kudos andrew for your mention in last month’s kukai!!!!!!
      *
      i was not a contestant, but i did vote!

    1. love your first one! mikels…and welcome!
      the others….are nice verses, too…..but marion’s verse contains the word “love”…..so this could disqualify…verse 2 and verse 3.
      thanks for sharing…..want to hear more of your offerings.

  41. there goes
    another
    of his nine lives
    *
    coming from
    a family
    of master fletchers
    *
    coming from
    a long line of accomplished
    archers
    *

    1. If too close to arrows–maybe this:
      *
      coming from a family
      of prodigious
      anglers
      *

  42. ducks leaving
    chevrons as they paddle
    downstream
    *
    he offers his arm
    as he promises
    to escort her
    *
    always
    looking
    for an angle
    *
    Or
    always looking
    for
    another angle
    *

  43. Congrats Kanjini
    ****************
    used to be
    there was safety
    in numbers
    ***************
    with an eye
    to the sky and an
    ear to the ground
    ***************
    a sorted chess game
    between hunter and
    the hunted

  44. .
    Congratulations, Kanjini!
    I too enjoyed the spareness of your verse. I especially like your use of ‘when skillfully.’ It suggests taking personal responsibility for outcomes…also, the patience and effort that goes into developing real skill. Nicely done!
    .
    Judt

  45. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns

    ~~

    in lockdown days
    meticulous endeavours
    deserve our applause

    ~

    inside the chook pen
    a hungry dingo creates
    all hell

    ~

    glazing perfection
    distinguishes
    this young potter

    ~

    1. Love your use of “chook pen,” Barbara. Coupled with dingo, it really creates a strong, specific visual setting in which the frenzied action plays out. This memorable verse is the embodiment of skillful.
      *
      ~Autumn

  46. Dear john Stevenson, thanks for this link, my thanks to Patricia for including mine in the potential list . very encouraging indeed.
    with regards
    S.Radhamani

    1. out from the shadows
      my thoughts
      on leadership
      .
      When you read the current press, you realise how the two worlds operate.
      At these times I tend to turn the volume up on Pink Floyd’s, The fletcher memorial,

      1. thanks for sharing your thoughts, rob…. and i enjoyed the floyd video/and the posts below it on youtube

  47. he left
    a legacy of footprints
    in the sand
    ####$
    dry wishing
    wells have shriveled
    echos
    ######
    surely someone
    whispers abracadabra
    in cocoons

      1. many thanks Wendy, these were helpful especially the baymoon link, have a nice weekend.

  48. sad puppets
    are the ones that see
    the strings
    #######
    fallen
    angels pawn their
    halos

  49. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns – Kanjini Devi
    .

    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns – Kanjini Devi
    .
    the bush nurse
    on stand-by to stitch
    head wounds

    .

    1. This made me laugh out loud, Lorin. And then clap my hands over my mouth, as it is probably not something I should find humorous. It just reminded me of the mom in A Christmas Story telling her son he couldn’t have a bee bee gun because he’d shoot his eye out. My daughters like to call me a You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out mom. And I’ve joked many a time myself that if I were a Superhero, I’d be Worse Case Scenario Woman.
      *
      Anyway, all that to explain why I found your verse not only apt, but funny. Head wounds are definitely one of the worst case boomerang scenarios…
      *
      ~Autumn

  50. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns Kanjini Devi
    .
    the statue
    of that sea captain always
    white with gull poop
    .

    1. On 2nd thought, that “always” could go.
      .
      the statue
      of that famous sea captain
      white with gull poop
      .

    1. oh sorry….. the mayo and the “pence” are proper nouns.

      *
      health clinic rules
      & how the vice president
      thinks they’re chopped liver

  51. timing it so she’s
    there just as the tide
    begins to rise
    *
    her pen is always ready
    for when ideas
    just come
    *

  52. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns Kanjini Devi
    .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns Kanjini Devi
    .

    above the graffiti
    ochre handprints
    fading

    .

    1. a boomerang
      when skillfully thrown returns
      *
      Kanjini Devi

      snruter nworht ylluflliks nehw
      gnaremoob a
      *
      iveD inijnaK

        1. thanks! funny-skillful- clysta and dan, thanks………i spell better…..backwards….LOL!!!!

          1. Reminds me of Dylan Thomas. Spelling an adopted welsh fishing town backwards.
            Llareggub
            Well done Wendy.

        1. dan, thanks………i spell better…..backwards….LOL!!!!
          *

          this is not a new technique by any means…..but it matters when/where/how/and /how long/ it is used. It is my judgement that it was meaningfully employed here.

      1. oooops! iveD inijnaK is a nuon reporp!!!!!
        *

        a boomerang
        when skillfully thrown returns
        *
        Kanjini Devi

        *

        snruter nworht
        ylluflliks nehw
        gnaremoob a
        *

        1. thanks, kanjini, yes it is so much fun to see all the ways
          we respond to your renku verse…..but please…..still contribute more of your wonderful words for me to read!!!!

          *
          back atcha
          are the comforting words
          if a pillow talked

          1. You’re so sweet, Wendy. Some verses came to me in the night , so I shall put pen to paper, and see what happens 🙂

  53. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
    .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    .
    Kanjini Devi

    *

    all the smiles
    & frowns
    in the onion cuttings

  54. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns – Kanjini Devi
    .

    during lockdown
    dinner plates sometimes
    become missiles

    1. I wonder if dinner plates count as “small flying objects”?
      .
      hmmm… probably, if they become missiles. Duh!

      1. lorin,
        .
        doesn’t that go under the category of:
        .
        ufa
        .
        unidentified flying anger?????

        LOL!!!!

        1. 1st hr lockdown
          some of her bone china goes
          missing in action

          *
          “best” backlinks to dan’s moon verse.

  55. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns – Kanjini Devi
    .
    our jackaroo
    points to the scar above
    his left eyebrow
    .

  56. prodigal
    sons come in through
    the back door
    ######
    hometown
    canaries never change
    their tune
    ########

    1. I really like your prodigal sons verse, Dan–an unexpected take on “returns.” I also find the reference to The Prodigal Son strikingly relevant right now, although I’d have a hard time putting into words why exactly…something about welcoming that which appears as though it should be unwelcome. I guess I’m seeing the gift in this virus…weird as that may sound. Lowered carbon output, renewed family bonds, the proverbial sound of silence, etc.
      *
      ~Autumn

  57. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
    .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    .
    Kanjini Devi

    *

    can we trust
    the testing strategies
    to flatten the curve

    *

    locked down & wondering
    where the dog’s toys are
    in the power outage

    *
    turning around
    refugees’ blood
    rich with antibodies

  58. patricia…..you never cease to keep me in wonderful, suspense, as you unfurl your choices, surprise me and guide me with your picks, and show me your wide appreciation and acceptance of liberal thinking and topics. kudos to you for doing a consistently, creative method of “show” teaching.

      1. thanks clysta….glad to see you recognize & appreciate patricia’s talents, also….as i do, too!

  59. Congratulations, Kanjini. 🙂 Nice connection with the previous verse, from physics to aerodynamics. ( It’s all about the spin.) Cheers from across the ditch.

  60. .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns           Kanjini Devi
    .
    a shy albatross
    watches as a UFO
    veers somewhere else
    .
    the lyrebird keeps
    its song and dance
    down to earth
    .
    the kookaburra
    cracks up at
    its own echo
    .

  61. yeah! kanjini…..a perfect verse for turning the topic in our rendezvous renku, eager to see what comes back from this one!
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
    .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    .
    Kanjini Devi

    can we trust
    the testing strategies
    to flatten the curve

  62. old people wish
    pleasure was stored in their bodies
    just like fat
    ######
    bluegrass and even
    rap sounds better at
    thirty thousand feet

    1. re: your first verse, dan:

      old people wish
      pleasure was stored in their bodies
      just like fat

      *
      BM or cellular memory is not limited to elderly or any age of people( and all living things), and also not limited to negative/painful or/traumatic experiences….for those who believe….as i do…. these storage cells can hold (and be triggered off from) wonderful/happy/blissful experiences and the whole range of life history as well as, prior to birth, and prior lives.
      *
      as far as this renku….the subject may backlink to betty’s and marion’s verse… and the science in clysta’s verse…molecular possibility.

  63. Kanjini, Congratulations, I look forward to more of your haiku. I enjoyed the give and take in the conversation about other throwing/returning tools. All together now. Patricia your comments continue to enlighten.

    1. Thank you Clysta, your charmed quarks was very inspiring! I’m still stoked, so sitting on the sidelines for now 🙂

  64. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    Kanjini Devi
    .
    somewhere
    in the earths orbit
    a mask wearing rock
    .
    home late the dog
    licks my plate
    around the floor
    .
    his raised eyebrow
    suggests
    a new beginning
    .

    1. her throw down
      takes its own form
      on the potters wheel
      .
      hooked on
      the eels
      slippery notes
      .

  65. the croupier waits
    on my answer
    to stick or twist

    ~~~

    his stupid joke
    backfires
    on him

    1. Your second verse has a nice bite to it, Mark. I like that you are playing on “skillfully” by presenting its opposite–and skillfully!
      *
      ~Autumn

  66. I like the preciseness of your words, Kanjini.
    .
    a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns
    .
    Kanjini Devi
    .
    schools closed
    yet basketball hoops
    in use at parks

  67. I would like to enter a verse for consideration.

    the base on lockdown
    he skypes home each afternoon
    until his discharge

    Thank you.

  68. Thank you for choosing my boomerang verse, Patricia ! We’re in level 3 lockdown in NZ at the moment, which basically is level 4 with takeaways for us. Have a great week 🙂

    1. Patricia,

      Apologies – I should not have used the word “return”. Please consider this revision:

      open to good fortune
      they arrive with
      what was freely given

  69. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns Kanjini Devi

    *
    is life one long
    game
    of catch up?

    1. a boomerang
      when skillfully thrown returns
      Kanjini Devi

      He’s a big fighter
      who even plays sea war
      in the hot bath tub

      .

  70. Congrats Kanjini, boomerangs are awesome and thank you Patricia for encouraging us to be whimsical, daring, and to let our imagination loose!

  71. Congrats Kanjini! And thanks Patricia for your kind words about my verse, which by the way, was inspired as a humorous response to Autumn Noelle Hall’s cheeky:
    .
    have you seen the size
    of his Hadron Collider?!
    *
    Autumn
    .
    oh! oh! oh! oooohhh god!
    particle
    .
    princess k

    1. I don’t think I got a chance to tell you how outstandingly funny your oh! oh! oh! response was, princess k–so glad it made Patricia’s list of Top Pics!!
      *
      Congrats and thanks for seeing the wit and raising it! To laughter!!
      *
      Autumn

  72. Congratulations Kanjini well done.
    .
    Thanks for the mention of my verses Patricia, appreciated.

  73. a boomerang
    when skillfully thrown returns Kanjini Devi

    *
    three cheer for this one! Congratulations, Kanjini.
    And thanks to Patricia and all who continue making this the highlight of my days.
    *
    jumping back
    from the puddle
    just in time
    *
    sick once
    is no guarantee
    of not getting it again
    *
    too slow
    to follow
    her quick comebacks
    *
    her comeback
    too fast
    to follow
    *

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