Renku Sessions

The Renku Sessions: Rendezvous – Week 2

 

renku_300

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—What a great week with so many wonderful verses. I have to confess that I had a difficult time choosing our starting verse.

First of all, I would like to say a few things about some of the verses which I didn’t consider. Verses with blossoms and verses with the moon have designated and honored places in the renku. Sometimes the moon can appear in the first verse if the renku is starting in the autumn. And sometimes blossoms can appear in the opening verse in the spring. However, our opening is in winter or summer so I was not able to choose any verses with snowdrops or daffodils or the moon. although there were some lovely verse using those topics.

Second, to the wonderful Australian writers, I want to say how much I appreciated your verses on the situations you are currently enduring—fires, smoke, and floods are a heart-breaking reality. I will confess that I have never seen a renku in which the opening verse is one depicting a traumatic event such as these. I believe such an opening would be highly unconventional. It is for this reason that verses on these topics were not considered. But there will be a place for these topics in the renku. Please consider submitting poems on wildfires for verse 12 and on flooding for verse 16.

Here are some of the verses I did consider for the hokku:

icy walkway
candlelight reflections
warm the way

Gary Evans

late to the party
snowballs
all round

Robert Kingston

at the beach cafe
a delicious fusion…
sun and sea breeze

Fern

breathless
it’s all aboard
the long toboggan

Chris Patchel

The green reflections
of straw-colored wine
scent of acacia

Ingrid Reuper

boots off by the fire
shadow puppets dance
to a show of hands

Betty Shropshire

what chinook winds know
the call of the loon
loon loon

Princess K

frost in the white oak
sipping
sparkling wine

Laura Greer

Conch sunset
The blower brings
Extra blankets

Paula Fisher

off the carriageway
and into the woods…
winter wonderland

Carol Jones

at the front door
she stomps the snow
from her boots

Debbie Scheving

fireplaces –
flickers and sparks
of conversation

Dan Campbell

last to arrive
the first to taste
the fugu

Wendy C. Bialek

a dinner blessing:
the sound of snow
melting into gutters

M. R. Defibaugh

shimmering heat–
once-drowsy cows
push through the dairy door

Pauline O’Carolan

trailhead
a lost mitten beckons
this way . . .

Autumn Noelle Hall

yearly gathering
a comic and a grouch
shake snow off their coats

Carmen Sterba

in the cloak room
our dog has a hay day
sniffing goulashes

Michael Henry Lee

winter path . . .
I walk through the shapeless
sound of my breath

Veronika Zora Novak

ready for slalom,
the young skiers waiting
for the signal

Vasil Moldovan

dawn arrives
in paler colors . . .
first snow

Elaine Andre

fresh snow
fox tracks lead
up the mountain

Kristen Lindquist

cold evening . . .
two guitar riffs mingle
on a terrace

Kanchan Chatterjee

 

My final choices came down to three verse, these two:

wintry night . . .
drawn to the tavern
with winking candles

Marion Clarke

winter light—
so much flutter & chatter
around the feeder

Mary Kendall

and this one, which will be our first verse:

rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna

Sally  Biggar

And the title of our renku will be “Rendezvous.”

Please submit verses for the second verse (wakiku). Imagine that you are the host of the party receiving the arriving guests and you want them to feel welcome. Here are the requirements:

  • a two-line poem of fourteen syllables or less
  • an image that suggests winter
  • a single syntactical structure flowing over two lines

Please enter your verses in the comments box, below. I will be reviewing these offers until midnight on Tuesday, March 3 (California time zone). On Thursday, March 5, there will be a new posting containing my selection for the second verse, some discussion of other appreciated verses, and instructions for composing the third verse.

I look forward to seeing your offers! And again, thank you, John, for your help in making this whole thing work.

Patricia

This Post Has 208 Comments

  1. edited and do over:
    .
    pot……….after pot
    …….hole……………..hole
    pulled over for driving
    .
    (*this is only a two line poem….
    this should be read with spaces where the periods are)

    if not…..then regular:

    .

    pot hole after pot hole
    pulled over for driving
    .

  2. pot after pot
    hole hole
    they pull him over for driving

    (*this is only a two line poem….
    don’t know how line 1 will post)

    1. take the colour test above! see if you can see all the colours of the rainbow.
      .
      i took the test and my score was 7 of 7!
      .
      i feel privileged!

  6. I realize I’m using ‘another’ in many of these verses, but I hope it’s clear why.
    .
    rendezvous –
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna (Sally)
    .
    .
    coyotes and owls
    break the chilled silence
    .
    one wolf answers another
    in antiphonal greeting
    .
    an antiphonal greeting
    of one wolf to the others
    .
    a long curl of smoke
    followed by another
    .
    one brave icy splash
    and then another

    1. I will make a brave, icy splash and admit I don’t.

      With other submissions I have kept quiet about not knowing and when other comments made something clear was SO glad I didn’t ask for clarification.

      I know I read/heard somewhere with haiku (I know this isn’t haiku as such) there is a pause to invite the listener to enter into a collaboration with the writer? I really enjoy the critiques that are given on the chosen verses. And I do like trying to puzzle them out with my limited, but growing knowledge. I already have an underlying feeling of melancholy at leaving this stage of the wonder and excitement of discovery.

      Oh! Oh! Is it following? one thing following another? the first thing is drawing the other along in its wake? the action of the first encourages the action of the second? and so moving forward?

      a long curl of smoke
      followed by another

      is beautiful. a vivid image to me

      1. Yes responding, following.

        I just looked up the definition of antiphonal for which I had assumed a different meaning.
        .
        Definition of antiphon
        1 : a psalm, anthem, or verse sung responsively
        2 : a verse usually from Scripture said or sung before and after a canticle, psalm, or psalm verse as part of the liturgy

        1. Hi Fern,
          Don’t be shy about asking if you aren’t sure of what a poet intended with a phrase or word. I love the words ‘antiphony’ and its adjective form, ‘antiphonal.’ It does indeed mean what your dictionary says it does, but it also can simply allude to a simple call and response in nature such as with songbirds. The richness and complexity of antiphonal music go back to Gregorian chant. That history can give a simple poetic line an extra layer of sound imagery. Thanks for asking.
          .
          Mary

    1. Actually our wedding was in El Salvador but rice mixed with pupusas didn’t sound right.

    1. Variations:
      *
      cracked lips
      taking a drag of menthol
      ***
      chapped lips grasping
      a menthol cigarette

  11. bare birch trees –
    the silence of the wind
    +++++++++++++++++++++
    something white-
    the bare trunk of the birch
    +++++++++++++++++++++
    cold gravel-
    in the flavor of salt the tangerines

    1. Sorry 2 lines form will be:

      Polar plunge challenge
      following others thermal shock

  20. re-posting for clarity:

    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar

    *
    an owl’s reflection
    i mistake for mine

  21. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar

    an owl’s reflection
    i mistake for mine

  22. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar
    .
    a face on the window
    losing its composure
    .
    roadside crows
    tuck into salted game
    ..
    tyres draped in chains
    on a slippery slope

    .

  23. How nice to have one of my verses make it to the final three. Many thanks, Patricia.
    .
    I love Sally’s “rendezvous” for the opening/hokku for our Renku. Congratulations, Sally! This verse is really perfect.
    .
    .
    rendezvous –
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    (Sally Biggar)
    .
    .
    I’ve already read several verses this week that I think should be chosen, but I’ll go ahead and submit mine. It’s fun joining in the fun no matter what. Here we go:
    .
    the gløgg gives up
    its scented spices
    .
    this gløgg seduces
    with scented spices
    .
    a tad more aquavit
    slips into the gløgg
    .
    .
    .
    flitting colours flicker
    above the iced-in lake
    .
    a dazzle of northern lights
    over the iced-in lake
    .
    barred owls hoot up a storm
    to welcome northern nights

    1. edit

      along the path to the lake
      we collect fallen leaves with our feet

      I meant to use ‘fallen leaves’ as the winter season word.
      And (to me), ‘along the path to the lake’ suggests moving forward from outside the sauna to the lake better than ‘along the lake path’ which could a path around the lake.

      I’ve been told I think too much, but I’m still thinking about that. ; )

      1. along the path to the lake
        our feet collect fallen leaves

        plastered with fallen leaves
        she wades into lake

  25. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar
    *
    the Selkie’s fur coat
    well-secreted
    *
    or
    *
    the Selkie’s fur coat
    well-hidden
    *
    or
    *
    secreting away
    the Selkie’s fur coat
    *
    slush balls at the ready-
    aim-fire
    *
    a mallet on the upswing
    at the mochi pounding
    *
    scrying our future
    in mugs of mulled wine
    *
    the heady rub
    of wintergreen
    *
    the creme-brulee crack
    of bubbled ice
    *
    the laid-back-do-nothingness
    of blizzard-bound bliss
    *
    sorry…lot’s of “of” above…; )
    *
    ~Autumn

      1. Thanks so much, Robert. Something about scents, huh? Despite being vegan for three years now, my mouth watered when I read your smokey salmon verse…I could literally smell the fish cooking!
        *
        So fun to be out here trading verses with you!
        *
        ~Autumn

  26. hailstones tap dancing on windshields,
    rush hour ensemble
    ####
    hailstones on car roofs
    sound off key, rush hour blues

  27. polar bear cubs’ wobbly
    first foray into the light
    – Betty Shropshire

    •
    (I read they emerge from their den in late Feb to mid March)

    1. or if ‘first’ is problematic:
      •
      polar bear cubs’ wobbly
      foray into the light

  28. I’m new to this. Is it ok to rhyme?

    Enter covered head to toe
    Leave with a naked soul

    1. the last renku, tawny jacket with john….included a verse that rhymed with the linked verse…if i remember….but i would think patricia would have the last word here on this renku, nick.

    2. Rhyming can be used if it serves the verse. It depends on the tone of the verse how effective it is. Most of the time off-rhymes work better.

  29. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    black ice to thank
    for the last-minute gate crasher
    *

  30. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    pooling their ideas
    for next winter’s ice sculptures
    *

  32. the icicles vanished
    in her embrace
    ***
    the frost made even
    the barest branches beautiful

    1. the bare branches
      covered in frost
      ***
      the frost made
      every branch beautiful
      ***
      crushing the ice
      for a drink

    1. Nice one, which made me think about there maybe being a more drastic outcome for the icicles after an even less vigorous exercise:
      *
      the icicles vanished
      after a morning jog

  36. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar
    .

    negative thoughts
    evaporate in plein air

  37. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    the smell of salmon
    on an open fire
    .
    early rising crocus stems
    pierce the wilderness
    .
    extra dollops of porridge
    in the child’s dish

  38. Verse 4:
    …
    the cold wind does blow
    and we drink hot chocolate
    …
    Verse 5:
    …
    light glitters on icicles
    streaming down the glass
    …
    Verse 6:
    …
    rosy-cheeked and laughing
    we race in from the cold

  41. five kinds of meat
    stew in the bigos
    *
    *
    bigos, which I attempted to italicize above, is a traditional winter Polish hunter’s stew that takes 3 days to make and is typically eaten after a hearty day of activities or special winter occasions

  44. old humpback whales slapping
    their tails on the water
    – Betty Shropshire

  45. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar
    *
    receiving a face mask
    entering the air lock
    *
    Don Miller

  46. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar
    .
    at the edge of silence
    fast parking the freezer contents
    .
    the buzz from the freezer
    keeping the rrr ush alive
    .
    bright lights scoring
    a hit on the ice

    1. I really like this one, Marion—wonderful image and use of language (“last rash of ice” in particular.
      *
      Your verse puts me in mind of the final hexagram in the I Ching, #64, which Steven Karcher calls “Not yet Fording” and Hillary Barrett calls “Not yet Across.” The image is that of a young fox which is nearly across a frozen river when he breaks through the ice and gets his tail wet.
      *
      Your contribution is a very interesting, unexpected way of creating momentum in the
      Renku!
      *
      🦊
      ~Autumn

      1. Thank you, that’s so kind of you to say, Autumn!
        .
        I remembered I had a crow that side-stepped a “rash of ice” in a haiku a few years ago; I don’t remember if it was ever published. I came up with ‘rash of ice’ to describe those slithers of crackly ice you get in the shadows until everything finally thaws.
        .
        Thanks again.
        .
        marion

  48. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    song from the chickadees
    busy at the feeder
    *
    the hiss of steam from water
    poured onto hot coals

  50. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    – Sally Biggar
    .
    cold hands gripping
    hot Irish whiskey
    .

  52. .
    .
    cool and clear
    the wind carries the conversation
    .
    a bouquet of sugar plum fairies
    from a crystal flute
    .
    questioning the need for wool
    and the color gray
    .
    why is it always jesus
    in the new year’s toast?
    .
    patchouli smolders in the corner
    of a sheepish grin
    .
    .

  55. the face of a man
    is chiseled from the ice
    ***
    warming our feet
    by the fireplace
    ***
    a simplified version of last week’s Bialek inspired piece:
    *
    the fugu soup
    makes us stronger
    ***
    another edit from last week:
    *
    trees downed with bourbon
    in an ice storm
    ***
    grilling what was caught
    from the bob-house

    1. A few variations:
      ***
      a familiar face
      is chiseled from the ice
      ***
      bourbon downed
      during an ice storm
      ***
      whisky served neat
      in icy weather
      ***
      grilling what was caught
      in the bob-house
      ***
      Or to be a little silly:
      *
      grilling what was kaught
      in the bob-house

  56. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .

    Sally Biggar
    .
    twelve flags hoisted
    across Antarctica
    .

    2. Good one, Lorin—I love the image of colorful flags waving against the stark white of Antarctic ice. I also like the international feel of your verse, in light of this international gathering of poets. For me, the word “hoist” is more powerful here, in that it implies weight and work. From the documentary footage I’ve seen and the articles I’ve read, Antarctica seems like a place of heavy lifting! “Hoisted” conveys some of that hardship.
      *
      ~Autumn

  58. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar
    *
    the open-door policy
    of a gingerbread house
    *
    ~Autumn

    1. Hahahaha Love the open-door policy of Hansel and Gretel’s witch!
      .
      marion

  61. the host and his dog
    in matching sweaters
    *
    forgetting the cold miles
    with hugs all around
    *

    1. BIG grins for the matching sweaters, Laurie! You know how “they” say people and their dogs often look alike?!
      *
      My sweater is covered with Holly fluffle. Does that count?
      *
      Btw, thanks for reminding me that cats can also “walk a mile in our moccasins” via their sensitive sniffers!
      *
      ~Autumn

      1. Thanks, everyone–glad you all got a chuckle out of this one!
        And I write as a cat person–I like dogs but don’t quite know my way around them.

        1. I also love the matching jumpers verse, Laurie.
          .
          A few years ago, my friend was putting a little jumper on her chihuahua, but it wriggled away and ran off snorting. Her husband chided her, saying the dog must have been embarrassed — it was very brightly coloured! Although you don’t say it, I imagined similar, brightly-coloured Christmas sweaters on the dog and the host! 🙂
          .
          marion

    1. To clarify – there should be a gap between the comment and the wakiku:

      Lovely hokku!

      **

      winter skin blushes
      at the touch of birch twigs

  64. What a great image for the hokku, Sally!
    .
    Thanks for leading us, Patricia! This is going to be fun.
    .
    white hare tracks
    criss-cross the meadow
    .
    a rare sighting
    of bigfoot

  65. cheeks come alive
    in the steam of boiling tea
    ***
    the thrill of the wind
    melts into laughters
    ***
    impartial the house dog
    licks the frozen friends’ cheeks

  67. **
    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar

    **
    by the burning logs
    grandpa opens his palms
    .
    Kanchan Chatterjee

  68. salting the sidewalk
    and rim of each glass
    ********************
    warm conversation
    dispels all the cold
    *****************
    linking and shifting
    over toasted smores

  69. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar
    .
    a burning sensation
    from the cold bar
    .
    moving swiftly on
    from turner’s bell rock
    .
    a soulful sound
    from the crematorium door
    .
    griddled bacon sidling
    past the homeless gathering

  70. patricia…thank you for listing my poem…i am tickled with joy that you understand and appreciate my humour!

  72. Congrats Sally Biggar on the hokku. A fun image to start with, contrasting cold and warmth. Reminds me of a hot tub in the snow. And rendezvous is a wonderful title.
    *
    It was a pleasure to see my contribution on the short list. Thank you Patricia.
    *
    empty glasses sparkle
    in the candlelight

  74. I read galoshes too!

    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    – Sally Biggar
    *
    hot spiced apple cider
    by the fire beckoning
    *

  76. Eeeeeek! lol, that is a giant squeal at seeing one of mine mentioned. Many thanks for making my day!
    ****************
    Congratulations Sally! What a great choice, Patricia.
    *****************
    Slip-sliding across the floor
    in our woolly socks
    *****************
    at the kitchen counter
    backing up into his bum
    *****************
    goosebumps rise up
    as we dip our toes into the water

  77. Thank you, Sally, for a great start. Snow generally and snowshoes are so alien to most of us in Australia, especially as we are just ending our Black Summer. It’s very enjoyable to think of events in a pristine cold environment!
    …
    Thank you, Patricia, for mentioning my cows verse.
    …
    Verse 1:
    …
    oysters straight from the shell
    and buckets of champagne
    …
    Verse 2:
    …
    out of the cold
    we crowd the hearth
    …
    Verse 3:
    …
    the north wind
    pushes us inside

  79. she claps her mittens
    in a warm welcome
    *
    her smile with the welcome
    sign all lit up
    *
    inside the heat sizzles
    with greetings, gossip and jokes
    *
    lured inside with the promise
    of treats and a fire

  80. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    French doors ajar to let the dancers
    cool down
    *
    or:
    *
    overheated dancers swing
    the French doors wide open
    *

  84. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    this landscape carved
    by glaciers and giants

    1. Ah – that particular glacier didn’t represent winter because it happened during the last Ice Age!
      .
      this icy landscape carved
      by glaciers and giants

  86. Well done, Sally!
    •
    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    – Sally Biggar
    •
    a cold crow leaves one more
    piece of foil
    – Betty Shropshire

  88. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .

    Sally Biggar

    .
    a flask of whisky
    hidden under his towel
    .

  90. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    ice slowly withdrawing
    to the edges of the pond
    *
    between us naming all six
    of the winter circle stars
    *

  91. Some more options, since not using “snow” eliminates most of my previous ones:

    an unending game of hearts
    unfolds by the wood stove

    *

    losing our cable
    in the power outage

    *

    a pot of soup bubbling
    on top of the wood stove

  92. Snow storm, candles
    sharing light
    ###
    snow flurries, funeral procession
    running stoplights
    ###
    ten below zero –
    scarecrow’s still wearing a kilt

  95. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    working his magic
    with the milk-steaming wand
    *

  96. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    following the path
    of the unsinkable rabbit
    *

  98. Even frozen, my Salvadoran wife’s words
    have a beautiful accent
    ####
    She dances even more
    in the winter
    ####
    She still talks about seeing
    her first snowfall when she was twenty-five
    ####
    Icebergs are probably warmer
    than her feet

    1. Or to make it a syllable shorter …
      .
      listening to a radio play
      with hot whiskey and spice

  100. Excellent start all Congratulations Sally nicely written
    ********************************************
    mugs of Irish coffee
    around a roaring fire
    ******************
    frost on the windows
    belies the fervor inside
    ********************
    fresh flannel sheets
    for every guest room

  101. a circle of chairs
    around the pot-bellied stove
    .
    work demands my attention till the end of March. Catch up with you all later 🙂

  106. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .

    Sally Biggar
    .
    Congratulations, Sally. . . an excellent verse for a great start.
    .
    I imagine it would’ve been difficult to choose just the one verse. There were a few other verses that stood out for me, too, including Chris Patchel’s “long toboggan” and Marion Clarke’s “winking candles”.

    1. A lovely verse from Sally indeed, Lorin. For me, it conjured up breathless excitement at the onset of an unusual gathering.
      .
      Please you enjoyed mine too…many thanks.
      .
      marion

  108. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar
    .
    through the window
    a daffodil wears a white coat
    .
    prints in the snow
    circle a daffodil
    .
    ice crystals
    on the daffodils lips
    .
    an ongoing snow storm
    inside the oval container
    .
    not enough cells
    to settle the climate crisis
    .

    1. rendezvous —
      snowshoes piled high
      outside the sauna
      .
      Sally Biggar
      .
      out from the cold
      the man with the short finger

  109. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar

    *
    sneezes of school children
    caught in their sweaters

  110. Congratulations Sally Bigger for being chosen to start us off with your wonderful hokku –

    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    then rice wine and a warm bed
    to dream of the coming thaw

  112. an excellent hokku pick for the winter….patricia, and a well-done congratulations to sally for a warm opener!

    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar
    *

    two little girls playing
    chopsticks on the piano

    1. ooooops! forgot to include a winter kigo in my above verse

      rendezvous —
      snowshoes piled high
      outside the sauna
      .
      Sally Biggar

      *

      fingers warm up playing
      chopsticks on the piano

  113. Congrats Sally and thank you Patricia!
    #######
    Remember when the snow came cruising into town and how you clapped when it was announced that Dummer Academy, Goodenough College and Pothead Elementary would all be closed

  114. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    .
    Sally Biggar
    .
    cheesy socks
    dripping over hot coals

  115. A big congrats to Sally for starting us off with a toasty verse and an intriguing title!
    *
    I don’t envy your having to choose from such a strong selection, Patricia! Many thanks for including my lost mitten alongside some of my other favorites from this round! An especial “Skol!” to:
    *
    breathless
    it’s all aboard
    the long toboggan
    *
    Chris Patchel
    *
    frost in the white oak
    sipping
    sparkling wine
    *
    Laurie Greer
    *
    fresh snow
    fox tracks lead
    up the mountain
    *
    Kristen Lindquist
    *
    in the cloak room
    our dog has a hay day
    sniffing goulashes
    *
    Michael Henry Lee
    *
    [Just one quick comment here—the alternative (?) spelling put me in mind of the Hungarian paprika’d stew, verses the snow-resistant overshoe! I imagine the dog WOULD have a hay day in that case! 😀 ]
    *
    what chinook winds know
    the call of the loon
    loon loon
    *
    Princess K
    *
    *
    *
    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    *
    Sally Biggar
    *
    the smell of wet wool
    and wassail
    *
    the icy splash
    of a polar bear plunge
    *
    the stem-to-stern burn
    of snow-chilled vodka
    *
    shedding pretense
    along with our long johns
    *
    the nosey snowman
    gets an eyeful
    *
    cedar warming
    chapped cheeks
    *
    the psychedelic dance
    of the Northern Lights
    *
    ~Autumn

    1. One more popped into my head as soon as I hit submit:
      *
      the silent schuss
      of a snowy owl
      *
      ~Autumn

    2. Re:

      “in the cloak room
      our dog has a hay day
      sniffing goulashes
      *
      Michael Henry Lee
      *
      [Just one quick comment here—the alternative (?) spelling put me in mind of the Hungarian paprika’d stew, verses the snow-resistant overshoe! I imagine the dog WOULD have a hay day in that case! 😀 ] ”
      *

      Autumn, do you mean that you think Michael didn’t intend the traditional …and very tasty… dishes known as Hungarian goulashes but galoshes, a sort of overshoe?
      I just automatically imagined the food.

      1. The use of “cloak room”
        led me to suppose the image intention was the boot—galoshes. But the spelling is the one I am familiar with for the Hungarian stew. I realize that there are variants in spelling amongst an international group like ours, so I wondered which image was intended. It is certainly possible to smell goulash simmering in the kitchen while still in the cloak room. But equally possible to smell the fragrant boots! I suppose the fact that our puppy is obsessed with smelling the snowboots lined up in our doorway led me to that being the possible intention. Grins all around either way!:D
        *
        ~Autumn

        2. Hi, Autumn–
          Cats love sniffing boots (and shoes of all sorts), too; we bring home so many messages that we’re unaware of. I always feel like the cats are able to retrace everywhere I’ve been.
          Laurie

          love the updates of the puppy chronicles! The name is Holly, if I recall?

        1. Whew—glad to know it wasn’t
          just me! Great minds read alike🤓
          *
          Loved the Bigfoot sightings in your verse offerings—that cracked me up! Hilariously, our tiny mountain town was on Unsolved Mysteries in the eighties when they filmed a segment on Bigfoot.
          *
          Wonder if HE wears galoshes…or likes goulashes? 😂
          *
          ~Autumn

    3. *
      the icy splash
      of a polar bear plunge
      *
      the stem-to-stern burn
      of snow-chilled vodka
      *
      I love these two, Autumn! You always manage to get in details that really bring a scene to life.

      1. Thank you for your encouraging words, Laurie—some people live dangerously—I like to live viscerally! :D. Your French onion soup and Vivaldi are both pretty delicious verses, too!
        *
        ~Autumn

  116. Lovely hokku Sally.

    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    . . .
    a pack rat peers out
    of the wood pile

    . . .

    stragglers follow
    the scent of wood smoke

  117. *
    the birch boards emit
    a faint scent of eucalyptus
    *
    water sizzles and spits
    over the hot rocks

  118. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    the birch boards emit
    a faint scent of eucalyptus
    *

  119. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    an impromptu performance
    of Vivaldi’s “Winter”
    *
    their encore the largo
    of Vivaldi’s “Winter”
    *

  120. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    letting infectious laughter
    drive winter worries away
    *
    too dark for so early a place?

  121. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    no two snowflakes alike
    on the freshly poured lattes
    *
    sequins and Champagne
    at the winter soiree
    *

  123. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    Sally Biggar
    *
    shedding her fluffy white towel
    winter melts away

  124. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    Sally Biggar
    *
    masked in snowy steam
    her face looks younger

  125. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    white rabbit and fairy lights
    complete the winter tableau
    *

  126. we welcome every guest
    with a steaming tea

    *
    over the snowy tracks a guest
    rediscovers the slope

  127. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    not a single regret
    among the RSVPs
    *
    the speed of the rabbit’s light
    feet across the snow
    *

  129. looks like a great start! well done, Sally!
    .
    rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna
    – Sally

    .
    steaming mugs of mulled wine
    on the trolley
    .
    the kitchen smells of bread
    and hot cocoa

  130. What a delight to have my verse chosen for this new renku! I have not been able to participate in a renku for almost two years, so I was delighted to find one starting just last week, and I put my toe in to test the waters again. Lo-and-behold, Patricia chose Rendezvous! Thank you, Patricia.

    I am aware of the convention that in a renku of this size everyone will get a chance to have a verse chosen, so I will sit back and enjoy the ride, offering a verse once in a while just to get back into the groove.

    A thanks to everyone for your congratulations.

  131. rendezvous —
    snowshoes piled high
    outside the sauna

    Sally Biggar
    *
    stretching the last of the Gruyere
    for French onion soup
    *

  132. a lovely start, here my offering for the wakiku

    after a long skiing day
    chatter and laughter with a glass of wine

  133. Thank you for considering my contribution! I love the hokku you’ve chosen. Congratulations, Sally!

  134. Congratulations to Sally! I liked that verse very much when I first read it.
    We’re off to a wonderful start. I love the title!
    And many thanks, Patricia, for considering one of mine!

  135. deer tracks stepping through
    our snow angels

    *

    tracks of a moose
    filling with snow fleas

    *

    black eyes of the ermine
    watching from the woodpile

    *

    wing prints on the snow
    where the vole’s track ends

    1. Hello, All—Looking at the offers so far, I feel I should mention that anything in the hokku should not be repeated anywhere else in the renku. Although the second verse is a winter verse, one should avoid repeating the word “snow.”

      1. Thanks for this reminder, which I’d missed earlier somehow! I read “snowshoes” as one word and associated them with clothing/footwear. So it didn’t occur to me that “snow” (or snowy owls) would be eliminated. It’s interesting to see what CAN be repeated (syntax, articles, prepositions, etc.) alongside what cannot. This is a fantastic learning experience for those of us who are renku-bies!
        *
        ~Autumn

  136. The challenge I think was always going to big one Patricia. So many enjoyable readings.
    ..
    Congratulations ongratulations Sally Biggar.

  137. A marvellous choice, and title, Patricia. Thankyou for considering one of my verses, so happy.
    Congratulations and well done, Sally. a great place to meet and greet before we go headlong onto our winding road.
    .
    thinking cap on…

    .

    1. Carol, and all—while you are thinking, I’ll offer a little more about what I’m seeking. The second verse is a winter verse; it should occur in time later than the hokku. For example, if you were thinking about using “freeze” as your topic, you would not want to say “first freeze.” However, you could say “late freeze,” and your verse would have the forward movement in time that we’re looking for. The renku movement, like a river, keeps going forward.

        1. Not necessarily since the hokku depicts a scene outside the sauna, but we can easily imagine being inside –I think the second verse could go either way.

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