The Renku Sessions: Rendezvous – Week 6
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 as life becomes more and more surreal. I have been thinking of the poet whose wish for a friend was “may you live in interesting times.” And then there was another who cautioned, “be careful what you wish for.”
This is the thirteenth day that many of us in Northern California have been sheltering in place. Spring is emerging—the exuberance of California poppies is a visual delight—and yet hanging over everything is this invisible threat. Trying to reconcile those two feelings in the same moment is very jarring.
But we are lucky to have a renku to distract and entertain us. I very much enjoyed reading your offers this week, and also your repartee. I admire the vibrant online community you have, and I appreciate the generosity you show one another.
Here is the list of verses that I thought of as possibilities for the moon verse:
contemplating
my navel
in moonlight
*
the company
of a lone moon
sliced by bamboo
*
the tangled swirl
of a marble earthrise
from the moon
Wendy C. Bialek
the wind blows
clouds swirling
around the moon
*
just enough light
from the moon
to find our way
Andrew Shimield
moonlight
spilling over
southern plantations
Betty Shropshire
the director
cuts
to the harvest moon
*
a moon beam
strikes a-cross
on the home bound liner
*
the moon
circling
a water hole
Robert Kingston
the full, full moon
rising
on our tiptoes
Kiti Saarinen
appetites stir
beneath
a full moon
Carol Jones
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
mwangaza wa mwezi
shines down on
baobab trees
*
moonlit tombstones
hear more confessions
than priests
Dan Campbell
his stirring soliloquy
in the moonlit
amphitheatre
*
admitting
he’s partial
to a first quarter moon
*
climbing the hill
steeped
in moonlight
Laurie Greer
taking no small comfort
with what the moon
has to offer
*
pulled this way
and that by the
light of the moon
*
moon shadows
swirling in the
crystal ball
Michael Henry Lee
upturned caps
of acorns filling
with moonlight
Kristen Lindquist
after the hunting
a wounded deer recovers
under the moonlight
Vasile Moldovan
its open space
out of balance
sickle moon
Clysta Seney
sometimes the full moon
shows us reality
without an ounce of sugar
Margherita Ptericcione
across the fence
floating between firs
a whole moon
Carmen Sterba
in a cookie sheet
all stages
of the moon
Angiola Inglese
Of these verses I found two to be irresistible—both by Dan Campbell:
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
mwangaza wa mwezi
shines down on
baobab trees
I found the verse with the Swahili phrase for the light of the moon to be so striking, I would have done somersaults to make it link to the tea verse. But somersaults failed. However, Dan’s scarecrows verse has an elegant, subtle linkage that is very pleasing. Often, we have tea alone, but many times we have tea with a friend—a tête-è-tête with someone we can confide in. The suggestion of having a tête-è-tête with a scarecrow or the moon is brilliant, and the fact that the hyphenated phrase, tête-è-tête, echoes in structure “half-and-half” while being only alluded to and not explicitly stated is even more delightful.
And so, here is our renku after five weeks:
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
And now for our sixth verse. I have felt the group’s urgent desire to write about the difficult times we are living through. Usually we would wait until verse seven to open up the renku to discussion of catastrophic events such as the Covid 19 virus or the Australian wildfires. But these are strange times and so I think it appropriate to break the rules here; I will consider verses on these subjects for verse six. This verse should link to the fifth verse, but have no connection to the fourth verse. The requirements for this verse are:
- a two-line poem of fourteen syllables or less
- this is an autumn verse. (Note: wildfire is an autumn subject; Covid 19 is nonseasonal—at least for now.) Avoid four-legged animals and musical references for at least the next three verses. Avoid the mention of colors for the next four verses, no beverages for the next five, and no celestial references for six verses.
- 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, March 31 (California time zone). On Thursday, April 2, there will be a new posting containing my selection for the sixth verse, some discussion of other appreciated verses, and instructions for composing the seventh verse.
I do hope all of you stay safe and healthy. Look after yourselves and after each other. I look forward to seeing what’s on your mind!
Patricia
This Post Has 212 Comments
Comments are closed.
mantis up side down
praying can you hear me now
Wendy, your poems are so clever and pointed. Took me some time to figure out your vent reference; never heard that abbr before. Being a birder I was very confused. 😉
thank you so much for that compliment! clysta.
before this epidemic crisis became a headline, i had a strange visit on my kitchen window. a praying mantis stayed two days upside. a wouldn’t leave…like the others that are always passing through. i found myself talking to him and writing many poems about . i always felt he was warning me of something that was going to be bigger a than anything that i have ever witnessed in my lifetime. so…i rendered one poem to fit this for this renku verse.
.
i love birds, too. i don’t know if i qualify as a birder.
.
thank you for taking the time to look up that vent is another name for ventilator.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
on the flip side
of a PPE shortage
.
a dummy in residence
at the PPE office
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
at the clown factory
a new face for autumn
quarantined
for the harvest meal
Chrysanthemums fill the space
behind her image on Zoom
across closed borders
loud cicada calls
~
only wild berries
can survive
~
morning glory lifts
our pandemic gloom
~
autumn pantry
filled with jars of hope
*
at the autumn gates
who can hear me now
in the deserted street
whirlpools of leaves
******************
burning in the eyes
slicing an onion for mushroom sauce
*******************
banjo players
social distancing experts
##########
face masks
improved my love life
the ‘my pillow’ man
didn’t sleep on it
*
sleeplessly turning
his round pillow into a flat mask
*
owls question the witch
in the dark sleepy hollows
safe inside still
the rain
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
when a cough was still
just a cough
Hmmm I forgot that this is an autumn verse … I’m guessing coughing is a winter kigo?
Unfortunately yes.
Congrats Dan, you know you’re doing well when the final verses are both yours! A conversation with the moon is indeed in compliance with stay-at-home orders.
***
morning glory
on her pillow
*
she knew which mushrooms
could kill a man
*
biting a persimmon while
reading Dracula
*
bagging the leaves
in silence
*
follow the road
buried in leaves
Oak trees feel
Fall coming in May
#######
some voyages
are worth the shipwreck
########
wind swept
weeping
our long stare at the barbed
victim impaled by a shrike
– Betty Shropshire
shrike victim’s struggles
while impaled on a barb
– Betty Shropshire
shrike’s prey’s death
struggles on a barb
meadow saffrons bloom
in the quarantine zone
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
the world economy sinking
in the cracks of a petri dish
bullet train widow, nanosecond
view of blossoms
######
seatbelts are
not designed for urns
######
state wide quarantines
cause starless nights
#######
my dog’s grave
will have more visitors than mine
TYPO alert – should be window now widow!
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
.
during homeschool she places
her dolls six feet apart
.
Please disregard the verse above. In its place:
.
.
for Mother Goose Time she places
her dolls six feet apart
.
.
(Mother Goose Time is a pre-K homeschool curriculum.)
scattering autumn leaves
we are all victims of this virus
chewing the fruit & nuts
from the harvest birdseed
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
a tissue in an old rhyme
about roses
grandma mentioned the world
being like a giant crab apple
covid + she holds hands
of maple leaves
another rendition:
covid + she grabs
the hand of a maple leaf
guessing the end
before the she tells it
lone cormorant among seagulls
one car on the ferry
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
treating habitat like its ours
we pay for our tricks
*
or revise:
*
paying for the trick
of treating habitat like its ours
*
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
what’s left of the leaves
litter the boot room floor
the lone tree weaves
a whirlwind of leaves
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
learning “zoonotic”
and other scary words
*
or should it be:
*
relearning “zoonotic”
and other scary words
*
Glad you have mentioned this word, Zoonotic (zoonosis) Laurie.
When I ask people to keep their pets on a lead and away from people and their pets
they look at me as if I’m talking a foreign language.
The things I see some doing is frightening, clearing their nose and throat and spitting it
on the footpath or parish road, along come people with children, and/or pets, sniff, sniff, on it goes…
scary, oh, yes.
I’ve seen some similar stuff in the city here. Six feet apart?! Ha. Despite the numbers people just aren’t taking it seriously. And this arrogance is exactly what brought us to this pass. If you have a chance, read David Quamman’s Spillover; written in 2012, it predicted exactly what’s happening. None of this should be any surprise.
Stay well Carol. It’s been great getting to know you some via renku.
Thankyou, Laurie, I was beginning to think it was me, being overly sensitive.
I will be looking up, and reading your recommendation, sounds my kind of read, doom and gloom 🙂
.
It’s a pleasure getting to know you, also.
Stay safe, stay well. By reading your reply, you know the score.
Downloaded that onto my kindle, last night. Interesting, informative, and what a page-turner. By the amount of chapters I think this would be a doorstop sized book, this will take some time to get through.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
raking’s not always
the mindless task it seems
*
.
Dry-Lightning Bushfire Smoke Plume
“Expected to Lap the Globe”
.
.
“Dry-Lightning Bushfire Smoke Plume
Expected to Lap the Globe”
.
Love the scarecrow and moon, Dan!
…
Verse 1:
…
can sense prevail
when leaders are straw men?
…
Verse 2:
…
on a chilly night
I have a fever
…
Verse 3:
…
straw bundles
are a heavy burden
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
carving into last year’s
tins of organic pumpkin
*
Autumn
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
the last of the spider’s silk
wound snug around her eggs
*
~Autumn
glad to see you back, Autumn. Love the spiders!
beautifully sad image! thank you, autumn
harvest over,
borrowed the scarecrow’s sailor hat
#####
city folk blues
cancelled farmers’ market
#####
millet bent by rain
scooping up snails for soup
my anti-virus weapon,
Bolivian pan flute
a charred stump
deep in a hole
*
*
young pines
grow out of ashes
*
*
baby pines rise
from a field of charred stumps
the praying mantis pretends
its tree is not debarking
rare earth tightening
’round the one legged man
Another verse that won’t fly, due to the musical reference and syllable count, but felt the need to post it nonetheless:
*
a virtual classroom sing-a-long to
ashes, ashes, we all fall down
*
Maybe one or two legitimate attempts?
*
patches on the patches
on Dad’s old flannel shirt
*
the aspens turn away
on the Gold Tour to Victor
*
Actually, neither of those would work either due to the connection to “on” in Laurie’s verse…
*
first time I’ve ever heard
a bear’s stomach growl…
*
I fear our bears, too, may feel the pinch of empty grocery store shelves and bans on camping and tourism. Funny how we humans manage to be a curse to them in sickness and in health…
*
~Autumn
Your last sentence, certainly resonates, Autumn. Well said.
everyone’s s#!t for brains
until the ‘shrooms kick in
– Betty Shropshire
stink bug surprise
pawn checkmates my king
############
migrating geese fly around prisons
says a cousin
############
hospice window view
a freight train of regrets
fireworks
though all corners of the lake
using the sickle
to flatten the curve
a pocket for this pumpkin
when a u-haul is needed
*
deserted streets
waving paves the way
*
fire season extended
no one talks about the streaks
*
faceless pumpkins
still have no vents
how brief these moments
of passing murmurations
– Betty Shropshire
or:
of passing murmurations
deepening autumn
– Betty Shropshire
against a clear sky
dust devil’s scattering ashes
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
still alluding to things
in the indirect light of autumn
*
“Hate has no Home Here” re-
surfacing as the leaves go
*
still planking the curve
as dusk falls across a fall field
cold winds sigh
across vacant landscapes
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
who will be there
to harvest the crops
I love poetry that questions, Andrew. And I also like the subtle contrast with Dan’s verse–from the gentle presence of listeners to their potential absence. Your verse is powerful, timely and apropos–one wonders whether those in power even have the foresight or gumption to pose such queries? Thank you for asking on behalf of us all…
*
~Autumn
Hi Andrew and Autumn I was going to post this one, but too late!
…
who will be alive
to make a haystack?
…
Obviously our minds working on the same wavelength!
Best wishes
Pauline
kids spellbound by a reading
of Fall Mixed Up
*
the understated look
of the autumn light
*
what goes without say
in the autumn wind
*
facing a danger
that can’t be overstated
*
grumble of a chill wind
through the empty streets
blackened stillness
of a burnt out forest
.
blackened silence
of a burnt out forest
Nope, clashes with verse three 🙁
1) hugging book of romance
by glowing hearth of winter
2)leaves for embers
soon her autumnal bath
3)jerkins and TV
her autumnal relief
4) cozy owlet still
staring at me shivering
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
wriggling a finger in an ear
at his premonition
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
loo licking zombies
make public apologies
breathing in syncopation
a duet of autumn vents
ooops! two musical refs: i’ll leave the more obvious one out….
‘
syncopated breaths
branching from a single vent
a trickster from queens
wears a wartime costume
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
refugee dragonflies
their smoke signals climb higher
,
refugee camp fires
smoke signals wrap the world
pandemic panic sweeps
across nation in lockdown
grandma crochets
squares from hay
these withered tips
stretching my patient list
– Betty Shropshire
editing to:
•
these withered tips
stretching our patient list
hope is watering
dead grass
########
hope is flicking your life’s
savings into a wishing well
########
more postcards are needed
of cornfields at sunset
#########
Springs stay the same
but Autumns get more golden
The first verse is very profound, Dan. Fab words.
Many thanks carol, hope you are having a nice weekend.
Its good, Dan, thanks, I hope you too are having a good one.
A great choice, Patricia — well done, Dan. 🙂
.
A few ideas…
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
the imperceptible rustle
of turning leaves
.
all eyes rise with the smoke
from next door’s bonfire
.
we ask Gran for some props
for our Halloween costumes
.
hoping these mushrooms
aren’t magic
.
(What’s the Story)
Morning Glory?
.
The above verse italicised as these are song lyrics by Oasis
I hope the brother’s will finally get together for the NHS concert, it’ll be one heck of a shindig.
Yes I read about that the other day, Carol. I would definitely be at that gig! 😎
.
marion
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
Entomologists fielding
new games of tic tac toe
Or
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
Entomologists fielding
new slides of tic tac toe
Or
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
Entomologists field
new games of tic tac toe
Apologies, should read
.
epidemiologists fielding
new games of tic tac toe
hushed keystrokes
replacing footfall
who will be there
to treat us in autumn?
“treat” has a double meaning…..it could be seen as the treat….in trick or treat….or……and……..treat like doctors, nurses, emt’s etc.
.
This question of mine….may have gone….unnoticed….but i feel it is essential to ask….
.
if we don’t keep them safe…..there will be no one left to plant, pick, or eat any harvest.
chewing the fruit & nuts
from the harvest birdseed
more talking in his sleep
as the nights get longer
*
Autumn thorn trees
baring their teeth
*
tongue tied as autumn’s
tangled branches surface
*
pressing alexa
on lonely autumn nights
he orders a pandemic
off the autumn menu
he orders a pandemic
off the fall menu
journals reveal my tastes in bait
have changed over the years
strangers scarier
without masks than with
*
masked strangers keeping
their secrets to themselves
*
filling the nest
one withered leaf
##########
drowning out breaking news,
a random act of kindness
##########
judging me from above
crows on power lines
##########
scarier than COVID-19
my pissed off wife
the discussion turns to
virus verses bacteria
a little half-
and-half in my tea
.
M. R. Defibaugh
*
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
Colanders are the best
form of defence
.
Rodin depicted
there would be days like this
this on-going chill
plucks a few more leaves
.
another fragile leaf
falls from the tree
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
.
still clinging to the farm fence
a joey’s charred carcass
.
Hi, Patricia. Thank you for leading the renku! I’m loving the way it’s taking shape.
An interesting point came up for me after writing this verse…oops, is it a four-legged animal? In checking it out, I found that most references call kangaroos either three-legged (including the tail) or five-legged. However, its scientific classification is Tetrapoda, meaning four-legged. BUT, we two-legged humans are also tetrapods…….news to me.
If this kind of discussion is inappropriate, I do apologize.
.
Judt
Very powerful and so so sad Judt. I’ve always seen Kangaroos and Wallabies as three legged animals. Apes may be a little more contentious.
A great contribution.
I see nothing inappropriate about it, Judt, when you place it after Dan’s verse, makes you wonder who is actually listening. There’s a whole lot of talk, and very little action.
Climate change will not be stopped, its a part of the world’s cycle, but we can help to slow down its passage, after all humans have excelled its progress.
Apart from the animal input, it is life in the raw. Well done.
What a powerful verse and so very sad Judt. We loved kangaroos and wallabies visiting us when we used to live in NSW. Interesting info re tetrapods.
Thank you all for your responses. The utter innocence of all the animals that died so cruelly in the fires…….
PS: Snakes and birds are also tetrapods 🙂
Hi, Judt–Hey good question–off the top of my head without doing as much research as you have done, I would have said that a joey is four-legged and we are two-legged, but you have made me think a bit deeper. Perhaps my selection of what I wanted to rule out was too loose. I think we want to avoid mammals (do all mammals have four legs?) with the exception of humans.
I do like your verse–it is very striking. However, it doesn’t mention the wildfire directly. So if the joey didn’t rule your verse out, my question would be does it clearly and strongly, even though indirectly, imply a wildfire and therefore put us solidly in autumn.
So thanks for the question. You probably weren’t looking for another question in response but I wanted to share another aspect that I was ruminating about not just about your verse but other verses I’ve read, as well.
Thanks, Patricia. I get it completely. As soon as I remembered the four-legged exclusion, I realized that a joey would most probably be disqualified. But it was enough to pique my curiosity…and I learned something (snakes and birds are ‘four legged’ 😂).
I actually saw this on FB, a farmer removing it from the fence. That image was seared into my heart and will always represent for me the horror of the enormous tragedy.
Judt, Patricia et al. I’m late to this thread, but just in case anyone looks back at the thread, I’d like to clear something up:
.
“Joey” is the generic term for a juvenile marsupial. I’m gathering from the thread that a juvenile wallaby or kangaroo is what Judt intends and what Patricia understands, intended, but I think you should know that plenty of koala and possum joeys are killed in injured in bushfires, and some lucky ones are rescued, their wounds treated and they’re later released.
.
In the USA you have opossum joeys. Opossums are very distantly related to our possums and they are your only marsupials.
.
judt, what a gut-wrenching, potent verse!
*
empty plastic bottles
if you have no masks
*
the reaper harvests
with unnerving precision
*
past the flower filled fields
I run down empty lanes
—-
the postman knows
he will only need to knock once
sirens, blocked streets, the road
to Hell looks familiar
peeling off some
of the family stick figures
*
suddenly gatherings
stuff of the Stasi
*
tv ads
depicting illegal acts
knowing what not wear
when the leaves start to fall
*********************
what a dry hacking cough
expelled by the grim reaper
***********************
reading something into tea
leaves that’s not really there
not that it matters to anyone but me here a rewrite on the last verse
*********************************************
reading something in the
tea leaves that’s not really there
here’s a rewrite
Weekend wishes and stay safe everyone
###########
filled with fallen leaves
the empty turtle shell
##########
feeling safer now,
boobie trapped my toilet paper
LOL!!! glad you feel safer now, dan!
.
after all those heinekens
a dan’s relief in the restroom
.
happy week end, be well
Thanks Wendy and a Heineken toast to you!
make mine a green tea, dan, ty.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
a strong wind
in sumo’s face
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
the rag and bone man
hands out China for old clothes
.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=16&ved=2ahUKEwjf4Jn0yLvoAhXMYcAKHaijC0wQFjAPegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnineteenteen.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F01%2Fthe-rag-and-bone-man-cometh.html&usg=AOvVaw11JBJQzzafmhdc5Gw_7kao
No saying I’m old, but when ‘very’ young I can remember the rag and bone man with his horse and cart, we had quaint ways, and a few pennies for old clothes which were of no use to up-cycle, as we call it today.
Me too Carol, among other pedlars such as the baker, milkman, scissor and shears man, winkle man. Many of these set to return as we weave our way through these hiccups in our lives I suggest.
.
a cough from the rag man
picking up dead mans clothes
.
You could well be right with the return of the individual pedlars, already the milkman in our area has been inundated with requests for the delivery of the morning pinta, mainly from the older generation, and he is more than happy to oblige, wonderful.
.
Such a chilling verse, Robert, and one to think about.
Thank you for the link Robert. I like your ‘rag and bone man’ verse, and thought you were describing the grim reaper until I read the accompanying article.
Be well everyone. Thank you Patricia and Dan for fine work.
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
Dorothy heeds
a clear-toned cicada call
.
migrating raptors
flesh out the bones of the agonist
.
migrating raptors
flesh out the bones of the tale
.
Thank you Pat, what a brilliant choice! Which one is it – 2 lines or 3 for our next verse?
*
a two-line poem of fourteen syllables or less
this is an autumn verse. (Note: wildfire is an autumn subject; Covid 19 is nonseasonal—at least for now.) Avoid four-legged animals and musical references for at least the next three verses. Avoid the mention of colors for the next four verses, no beverages for the next five, and no celestial references for six verses.
a single syntactical structure flowing over three lines
*
I see it does say a three line verse, but it is a call for a two line verse for this session, Kanjini.
All the best with your entries 🙂
Thank you Carol, I just looked at the link for How To Renku – very informative and inspiring. All the best with your entries too 🙂
oops–it’s two lines. Sorry to confuse you.
Mea culpa
No worries Patricia!
wildfires racing
ahead of the news
hope everyone is keeping safe and well
.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
*
the rustling of the wind
blowing through the reeds
going to instantly edit that one as it has 2 ‘ing’s in it:
*
the rustle of the reeds
as the wind blows through
Nice! Andrew.
.
he reads Historia Plantarum
whilst holding a fat cigar
.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=2ahUKEwjgw-PJzLvoAhUThlwKHd0IBBAQFjABegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHistoria_Plantarum_(Ray)&usg=AOvVaw2Zdd8Ckc4mf6XJnzK7SxCu
I like this version Andrew, without ‘ing’.
thanks, Kanjini
binocs trained on the zigzag
course of common snipes
– Betty Shropshire
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
a coven of witch hazels
ready to snap
*
witch hazels snapping
under the spell of autumn wind
*
living hand to ear
in the autumn of his life
*
the chill coming in
through the open attic window
*
Thank you very Much John Stevenson
for paying attention to my verse
Hey, Everybody.
David Lanoue recommends renku writing as a fun activity to do while homebound. Here’s his site with instructions for a 20-verse renku: http://haikuguy.com/renkuhome.html
Thanks Mary, this is a great resource, hope you have a nice weekend.
A great link Mary. Thank you.
Congrats Dan!
*
closed signs
rattle in the wind
nice one, debbie
long night and the stop-
start of a ventilator
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
..
something about
the elderly not counting
.
this damn virus it’s as if
kaleidoscopes have dark sides
,
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
.
from new flannel sheets
the scent of childhood prayers
.
Well done, Dan and well chosen, Patricia.
*
a field of stubble
under the doctor’s N95
excellent, liz an…..
I check THF fairly often, hoping to find a renku, but missed this one. So glad I found it! All the verses and links are lovely.
Very, very nice, Dan! Poignant and true. I envision all three out in the middle of a stubble field.
.
.
the clatter of crisp leaves
along our deserted street
.
.
Nice to see you back posting, Judt.
Why, thank you, Carol!! That’s very kind! I love keeping a renku tucked back in a corner of my mind to fiddle with at will. I’m enjoying seeing familiar names and styles, too. Onward!
Onward, indeed 🙂
Edit:
.
the clatter of dry leaves
along these desolate streets
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
the witchy screech
of the autumn wind
*
a morse code message
in the glittering frost
*
a straw in the wind
from the abandoned nest
*
my apologies for the first post/ texting doesn’t seem compatible with this format
Again Congrats Dan
*******************************
spreading like wildfire in
this space that’s left between us
************************
a cool autumn evening
with three on a match
*******************
three match stick men
split a slice of pumpkin pie
********************
an ear to the conch
long after tourist season
*************************
our only trick or treater
standing six feet from the door
Love the “trick-or-treater” verse, Michael–funny and sad at the same time…I especially related, as we have very few trick-or-treaters here–unless you count the bears!
*
thanks for the smile
*
~Autumn
Tonight, at eight o clock, here in the UK, we are having a Mass Clap for our Front line workers.
.
Without these selfless people all around we would be truly doomed.
As we aren’t allowed to hug or shake hands-
.
Namaste bow, to all these courageous people around the world, and from all of us here in Wales.
.
old neighbours and new
these bright sun rays
through storm clouds
Pans at the ready Carol
.
in Mexico
they simply say
wave
Had the tissues ready, Robert 🙂
.
A big yes to the verse, a lot of waving going on as I do my rounds.
.
Keep safe, butty bach
Top marks to you, I did not know it was your field.
Waiting to hear how I can fit in to help.
.
this tightness
was never there
when I was young
still with a mask and goggles
we’ll find our way through
.
the din of a street party
rang out along our road.
Take care on your rounds.
Thank you for that thought, Robert, however, I meant doing the rounds caring for my flock, they too need protecting from the influx of strangers coming into the countryside, and give flagrant disregard to the sheep. Dogs every where off leads.
There are far to many statistics with this virus, I sincerely hope people will heed my warning…
.
I’m so sorry I mislead you on this, Robert, it was not my intention.
.
There will most certainly be massive parties going on, after this.
Might even go wild and have a barn dance 🙂
No drama Carol.
Being mummy to so many takes a lot of time.
.
preparing for winter
a new woolly
for mum
.
Stay safe
.
Rob
Thanks, Robert,
Just love that verse.
hunting down cures & ppe’s
in the autumn fog
caregivers in trash bags
while nuts are buried
at last there’s talk
of cool burning
around the campfire
some hunters tell stories
*
a fire of gun and
the silence flies to bits
*
overnight the bare branches
were filled with hoar-frost
*
following the plow
lots of hungry crows
*
with eager hand on the eyes
he looks the cranes’ departure
Congrats, Dan!
•
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
– Dan Campell
•
the strong man becomes like
tinder that sparked those wildfires
– Betty Shropshire
Way to go, Dan, congratulations and well done a super verse.
The second verse Patricia chose, of yours, Dan, has stuck in my mind, such a beautiful ancient image.
I have no idea what line 1 is, could you let me/us know, please
Thankyou.
It is beautiful–it’s Swahili for “light of the moon”
Thanks, Patricia.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
*
the calls of geese flying south
over empty streets
*
crow on a bare branch
biding its time
*
my neighbor’s leaf blower
competes with the wind
*
only Buddha’s serene head
above the fallen leaves
the sound of acorns
not keeping their distances
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
*
Dan Campbell
*
the leader of the free world
testing negative for brains
*
very funny/sad, very true!!!! laurie
the crowman swaps
the presidents head for a real one
.
Will perhaps appeal to those around in the seventies.
No kidding, Laurie! I’d immediately thought about this in response to Dan’s scarecrow, but for the nix on musical references:
*
POTUS botching the words
to If I Only Had A Brain…
*
Just when you thought he couldn’t possibly be more of a scourge…
*
~Autumn
Go Dan Go Dan Nicely done Fist 👊 bumps all around for those of us with 72” sleeve lengths *********************************spreading like wild fire in the space left between us ********************** an autumn evening left with nothing to say ************************** only this text, between me and insanity
great offerings! michael!
*
fear our acorns
are falling too quickly
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners Dan Campbell
*
if only the wizard
could hear us now
*
silently delivering
the message to Oz
*
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
I’d prefer to hug a tree
than a hot human
.
falling like leaves
in a broken puzzle
.
coughing into leaves
of an ever increasing circle
in the autumn wind
she skypes away anxiety
Wow, I sure do appreciate the kind words from everyone and thank you Patricia for your guidance during this session. I think I will have a Heineken or two today to celebrate rather than wait til tomorrow, cheers!
Go for it, Dan.
Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today 🙂
Well done Dan! Excellent verses, especially love the sounds of Swahili.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
*
last vent and so many
touch-me-nots
*
since “one” is already used
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
*
one vent and so many
touch-me-knots
correction:
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
*
one vent and so many
touch-me-nots
Congratulations, Dan! I haven’t always commented, but I love your work–always lively and fresh. A great addition to the renku.
Thanks, Patricia, for all your work. This project is a life-saver right now.
scarecrows and
moons are the best
listeners
.
Dan Campbell
.
Congratulations Dan
Thank you Patricia, clearly a divetse selection to choose from. Dan’s I agree stands out.
Nice to have such a distraction in these problematic times.
Stay safe everyone.
social distancing
the cheese stands alone
*
crows glean the field
six feet apart
Nancy Brady
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
*********
such a brilliant choice patricia. so glad you have moved up the verse to include these events of many headlines.
********
LOVE THIS ONE DAN! CONGRATS!!!!!!! so glad you finally have a verse here….your work is so good and this verse is so poignant! Please continue to post and participate….this renku is more special when your daily offerings are there.
.
Congratulations, Dan! What a clever verse and one that can take people in many directions. 🙂
.
Patricia, I hope you continue to do well in California. Our numbers are growing here in North Carolina, but that’s true just about everywhere in the world. I think it’s very generous of you to break a rule and open the renku to these major current events. Thanks for your excellent curating of this renku. In peace, Mary