The Renku Sessions: Rendezvous – Week 2
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
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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
.
Naked sauna-guests
roll around the snow
A shot of the bottle
washes away the thurst
drops of sweat
and goosebumps
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)
it didn’t post correctly…..please delete and read edited verse
grabbing every colour
of the winter rainbow
*
https://www.buzzfeed.com/crystalro/rainbow-vision-quiz?bfsource=bfocompareon
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!
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
time to circle around
a warm kotatsu
.
green tea warming
on the hibachi
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
time to circle around
a warm kotatsu
.
green tea warming
on the hibachi
hibachi
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
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
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
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
Rice mixed with snow,
our wedding day
Actually our wedding was in El Salvador but rice mixed with pupusas didn’t sound right.
last hand sanitizer
in finger licked bag
shattered ice falls
off prayer gong
a menthol cigarette
between chapped lips
Variations:
*
cracked lips
taking a drag of menthol
***
chapped lips grasping
a menthol cigarette
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
mugs half empty
bellies full of laughter
icicles lengthen
to our game of dominoes
– Betty Shropshire
Polar Plunge challenge
following others
thermal shock
Sorry 2 lines form will be:
Polar plunge challenge
following others thermal shock
a silvery ting on crystal
to cut the ice
whose footprints can these be
leading up to the cabin
an extra dollop of cream
in our Irish coffees
a steaming bowl
of nonna’s spaghetti
the minty scent
of alpine wintergreen
re-posting for clarity:
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
*
Sally Biggar
*
an owl’s reflection
i mistake for mine
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
*
Sally Biggar
an owl’s reflection
i mistake for mine
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
.
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
along the lake path
we collect fall leaves with out feet
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. ; )
along the path to the lake
our feet collect fallen leaves
plastered with fallen leaves
she wades into lake
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
Love this one Autumn
.
the heady rub
of wintergreen
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
hailstones tap dancing on windshields,
rush hour ensemble
####
hailstones on car roofs
sound off key, rush hour blues
polar bear cubs’ wobbly
first foray into the light
– Betty Shropshire
•
(I read they emerge from their den in late Feb to mid March)
or if ‘first’ is problematic:
•
polar bear cubs’ wobbly
foray into the light
I’m new to this. Is it ok to rhyme?
Enter covered head to toe
Leave with a naked soul
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.
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.
so I take it if it serves the verse, you’re not adverse? sorry….. 🙂
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
black ice to thank
for the last-minute gate crasher
*
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
pooling their ideas
for next winter’s ice sculptures
*
after snow angels
the warmth of a tea kettle’s whistle
the icicles vanished
in her embrace
***
the frost made even
the barest branches beautiful
the bare branches
covered in frost
***
the frost made
every branch beautiful
***
crushing the ice
for a drink
our polar bear club takes
the plunge for charity
– Betty Shropshire
icicles drip
after hot yoga class
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
we push the door against the wind
to keep the snow outside
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
*
Sally Biggar
.
negative thoughts
evaporate in plein air
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
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
de-icing fluids for the runway,
arrivals feel different than landings
I keep forgetting the 14 syllable limit, my apologies
rendezvous
on the moon right
the last star
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
purple-skinned potatoes
and cabbage left for the stew
– Betty Shropshire
proud pine trees,
their evergreen spirit
####
son’s laughter,
a mobile furnace
surprise blizzard,
shepherds follow the goats home
old humpback whales slapping
their tails on the water
– Betty Shropshire
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
*
Sally Biggar
*
receiving a face mask
entering the air lock
*
Don Miller
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
a fox loses its footing
on the last rash of ice
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
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
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
Great hokku!
.
cold hands gripping
hot Irish whiskey
.
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
– Sally Biggar
.
cold hands gripping
hot Irish whiskey
.
handed a silent orange
at the end of the Ice Age
.
.
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
.
.
or less syllables :-
*
hot cider by the fire
beckons
*
bare limbs,
seeing the river sooner
#####
dreary day, finding joy
in alphabet soup
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
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
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
.
twelve flags hoisted
across Antarctica
.
or perhaps
.
twelve flags waving
across Antarctica
.
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
frosty tombstone,
buried in a borrowed suit
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
*
Sally Biggar
*
the open-door policy
of a gingerbread house
*
~Autumn
Hahahaha Love the open-door policy of Hansel and Gretel’s witch!
.
marion
breath plumes
the crows caw
how the tundra looms
as hawks spread their wings
– Betty Shropshire
the host and his dog
in matching sweaters
*
forgetting the cold miles
with hugs all around
*
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
In keeping with the host theme, love the sweaters!
🙂 “the host and his dog/ in matching sweaters”.
.
This is a beaut, Laurie, imo 🙂
‘the host and his dog in matching sweaters’ by Laurie is brilliant!
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.
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
Lovely hokku!
winter skin blushes
at the touch of birch twigs
To clarify – there should be a gap between the comment and the wakiku:
Lovely hokku!
**
winter skin blushes
at the touch of birch twigs
Haha! Bigfoot came to my mind too, Marion!
😀 😀 😀
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
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
curtains drawn the fire glows
and muffins are toasting
**
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
**
by the burning logs
grandpa opens his palms
.
Kanchan Chatterjee
salting the sidewalk
and rim of each glass
********************
warm conversation
dispels all the cold
*****************
linking and shifting
over toasted smores
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
patricia…thank you for listing my poem…i am tickled with joy that you understand and appreciate my humour!
goose bumps all round
the naked dash
goose bumps all round
the near naked dash from the plunge pool
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
a row of sparrows
in puffed feathers
I read galoshes too!
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
– Sally Biggar
*
hot spiced apple cider
by the fire beckoning
*
winter, like inlaws,
arrives early and stays late
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
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
speed dealing
a meat feast pizza
.
A speed dealing
a meat feast pizza
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
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
*
slow motion dreams –
hibernation
rumours of Bigfoot
around a crackling fire
rumours of Bigfoot
around the hearth
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
this landscape carved
by glaciers and giants
Ah – that particular glacier didn’t represent winter because it happened during the last Ice Age!
.
this icy landscape carved
by glaciers and giants
At the bird feeder
The squirrels are getting fat
Or
Abundant Joy
Squirrels at the bird feeder
Well done, Sally!
•
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
– Sally Biggar
•
a cold crow leaves one more
piece of foil
– Betty Shropshire
Wintry beauty, my ice
coated Not Welcome mat
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
.
a flask of whisky
hidden under his towel
.
*
melting an icicle
to refill the kettle
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
*
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
Snow storm, candles
sharing light
###
snow flurries, funeral procession
running stoplights
###
ten below zero –
scarecrow’s still wearing a kilt
musical chair-
their best wintry game upstairs
roof garden- couple
merry in wintry jacket
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
working his magic
with the milk-steaming wand
*
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
following the path
of the unsinkable rabbit
*
chocolate souffle
just out from the oven
***
a hug and vin brulé
for everyone
***
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
she listens to a radio play
with hot whiskey and spice
Or to make it a syllable shorter …
.
listening to a radio play
with hot whiskey and spice
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
a circle of chairs
around the pot-bellied stove
.
work demands my attention till the end of March. Catch up with you all later 🙂
Don’t work too hard Carol, don’t get to bogged down 😀
as the clouds clear
rainbows
wind chill temperature,
even the scarecrow shivers
Hoping they had a nice visit –
Crow and raccoon tracks in our snowy lawn
faux fur wraps
after a dip in the ice pool
sixty winters, the time
it takes to know a mountain
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”.
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
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
*
hunter holding up the sky
with a frozen shoulder
(* at the point where orion’s shoulder exists, the bright star…..
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/oddly-dimming-star-betelgeuse-wont-go-supernova-after-all/)
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
.
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
.
out from the cold
the man with the short finger
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
*
sneezes of school children
caught in their sweaters
V.good Wendy.
.
ty robert
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
In winter, winds learn to howl and ponds
moonlight as skating rinks
winter winds howl,
ponds moonlight as skating rinks
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
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
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
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
.
Sally Biggar
.
cheesy socks
dripping over hot coals
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
One more popped into my head as soon as I hit submit:
*
the silent schuss
of a snowy owl
*
~Autumn
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.
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
Let the mystery remain
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?
I automatically read galoshes! 😮
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
*
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.
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
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
Love the first one Carole!
Thanks Robert.
*
the birch boards emit
a faint scent of eucalyptus
*
water sizzles and spits
over the hot rocks
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
the birch boards emit
a faint scent of eucalyptus
*
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
an impromptu performance
of Vivaldi’s “Winter”
*
their encore the largo
of Vivaldi’s “Winter”
*
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
letting infectious laughter
drive winter worries away
*
too dark for so early a place?
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
*
hot rum toddies
to keep the cold at bay
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
shedding her fluffy white towel
winter melts away
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
masked in snowy steam
her face looks younger
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
white rabbit and fairy lights
complete the winter tableau
*
we welcome every guest
with a steaming tea
*
over the snowy tracks a guest
rediscovers the slope
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
*
Revise:
*
the speed of the rabbit’s light feet
across the drifts
*
scraping wood pieces
rat trap in cosy winter
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
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.
Ah…. I really liked your verse, Sally; you’ve gotten us off to a great start. Thank you.
Great you could join us, Sally —and thanks for kicking off our rendezvous! 😉
marion
Congratulations Sally!
rendezvous —
snowshoes piled high
outside the sauna
Sally Biggar
*
stretching the last of the Gruyere
for French onion soup
*
good one, laurie……and i love french onion soup, too!
a lovely start, here my offering for the wakiku
after a long skiing day
chatter and laughter with a glass of wine
Thank you for considering my contribution! I love the hokku you’ve chosen. Congratulations, Sally!
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!
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
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.”
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
The challenge I think was always going to big one Patricia. So many enjoyable readings.
..
Congratulations ongratulations Sally Biggar.
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…
.
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.
Thankyou, Patricia for your guidance, are we to remain indoors?
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.