The Renku Sessions: Side Show – Week 12

Comments (203)

1. the dog’s ears
   prick up
   before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

   she gets goosebumps every time
   he comes into the room

   goosebumps rise on her arms
   as she watches tv news

   she listens for the voice
   of her grandchild in the room

2. If a verse is listed in a long or short list of runner-ups and it is not selected for the Renku, can it be submitted to a journal as an unpublished verse?

   1. I wondered about this, but then I decided, they would have to be revised to be submitted as haiku/senryu so that means they’d still be unpublished.

      Maybe I’m wrong?

      1. I suspect that different editors might have different answers to your question. I think you could query the editor you plan to submit to and ask their policy.

         1. Thank you Eavonka and Patricia!

         2. the dog’s ears
            pricking up
            before the doorbell — Keith Evetts
            —
            who? who?
            calls an owl from the attic ( English version)
            —
            who? who?
            calls an owl from the loft (North American English version)
            —

   2. I have had some verses that I modified and submitted as they were not strictly haiku when written. I don’t know if they were considered published or not, but I thought they weren’t.

3. sneaking in through the cat
   flap she meows

   opening the bottle
   pouring a glass of champagne

   remembering she had forgotten
   the place settings

   the cat uncurls and
   stretches on the sofa

   arching her back
   the cat chases through the flap

   Clearly having a feline moment here

   1. Or
      as the cat uncurls
      she stretches on the sofa

4. the dog’s ears
   prick up
   before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

   she listens for the cabinet
   lock to click shut

5. the dog’s ears
   prick up
   before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts
   *
   the smell of a fresh loaf
   straight from the oven

6. today’s news
   the weather is quite good
   —
   the noise from inside the house
   sounds scary
   —
   he said honestly
   what else are you doubting
   —
   take a breath
   before you cry
   —
   tomorrow I will meet you
   in the same place

7. it doesn’t matter
   it’s his habit

8. while the kids are out
   mother checks their bedrooms

   to be honest he is not
   cut out to be a salesman

   from the laundry basket
   the musky whiff of socks

   fortune-tellers forecast
   either party will win

   multichanneling the ballgame
   and the wife’s bad day

   (nb ‘musky’ is not necessarily related to a proper noun…)

9. the dog’s ears
   prick up
   before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

   she hears magical music
   from her opera box

10. tired of the tall tales
    they repeat at the rallies

11. cocktails and hors d’œuvres
    garnished with thyme

12. some hooded dude caught on cam
    flees with a boxed bed

    1. someone spotted in a hoody
       flees with the boxed bed

13. counting back to last period
    on a calendar

14. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell — Keith Evetts
    —
    a flutter of bird wings
    in the chimney
    —

15. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell — Keith Evetts
    —
    “Cut!” calls Alfred
    from the director’s chair

16. on the calendar
    counting back to last period

17. the bark of a neighbour’s tree
    as it crosses the street

18. online it says it’s here
    but image sits next door

    the thump of a box
    waiting next door

19. a porch pirate slinks away
    with tail between his legs

    1. I recall the good old days
       when E.D. just spelled Ed

    2. I’m already on all fours
       for my succubus

20. the rise of kamala!
    the rise of harris!

21. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    ————Keith Evetts
    .

    new hearing aids tuned only
    to pick up birdsong

    1. if only i could, thx for the smile.

       1. Thx Clysta, smiles are always good. A birding friend of mine took recordings of high-pitched bird songs, such as Brown Creeper and Golden-crowned Kinglet, into his audiologist and demanded to have his hearing aids adjusted so that he could hear them. Now he has a special setting for when he’s out birding . . . and he smiles more too.

          1. TY for the tip. Will see about how to set that up, Only hear those calls on the Merlin app now.

22. a poison pen postcard
    that wishes I weren’t here

    not ready to open
    the test results

    she makes the nice policeman
    a cup of tea

23. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    ————Keith Evetts
    .

    FedEx delivers my
    houndstooth deerstalker
    .

    checking the sofa cushions
    for loose change
    .

    noise-canceling earbuds
    keep the peace

24. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    her desire to avoid fear
    forbids travel in space ships

    when visitors arrive, she
    recycles dirty dishes

25. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    treated to prevent
    ring around the collar
    *

26. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    what it’s like to wait
    for the coup de grace
    *
    face to the wall in the wait
    for the coup de grace
    *
    a survey of use-by-dates
    on the pantry shelf
    *

27. carrying a redwood
    bonsai to the window

28. Congrats Keith

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    she hears car doors slam
    and muffled voices on the drive

    the clink of her best china
    switching on the kettle

    lighting the candles
    the table is ready

    checking herself in the mirror
    she forces a smile

    happy to see visitors
    welcoming them inside

    over tea and biscuits
    they discuss the world

    locking the door
    police give chase outside

    perplexed
    watching TV with a cuppa

    from her window
    a world she doesn’t recognise

29. written in consideration
    of the next renku verse

30. a matching bookmark
    on the front page

31. she stares open-mouthed
    at her dead on bullseye

    he undresses quickly
    and finds her asleep

    last stratchoff
    cashier holds her ears

    1. archer stares open-mouthed
       at the dead on bullseye

       cashier slowly applauds
       the last stratchoff

32. he holds his q
    and hopes for a u

    the kids count fives
    after the flash

    the rush of foul air
    spills onto the platform

    1. after the flash
       the kids count fives

    2. holds the q
       in hopes for a u

33. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    unannounced, the leader steps
    down at the town hall meeting

    without notice, marchers
    parade through the convention

34. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    known as an old
    stick-in-the-mud
    *
    his reputation
    precedes him
    *

35. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    a finger still
    on the button
    *
    the aqua-marine ring
    dropped down the drain

36. the dog’s ears

    prick up

    before the doorbell
    — Keith Evetts

    Rosanna Shuffle
    playing on surround sound

    1. Oops- no sound devices!

       Maybe:

       Rosanna Shuffle
       in the background

37. that egg timer is
    nothing but hassle

38. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell – Keith Evetts

    I show up naked
    when Jehovah Witnesses knock on my door

    counting her heartbeats
    during the power outage

    winning Olympic gold
    in my dreams

    candles never complain
    about sharing their flames

    her bottles of holy water
    fill a cabinet

39. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    out of town visitors
    overstay their welcome

    warned in advance, the massive
    crowd lets loose an ovation

40. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

    Gibraltar monkey’s new face
    in my raffia hat

41. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    her premonition that their
    first date will turn out well

    welcomers great customers
    inside the front door

    anticipated, cops kill
    convention shooter

42. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell —Keith Evetts
    —
    tick – tock tick – tock
    says the hallway clock
    —

43. flytrap
    about to close

44. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    –Keith Evetts
    *
    a finch flits inside
    to see where seeds come from
    *

45. the dummy practices
    on a ventriloquist

46. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    telepathically she tells
    her daughter thieves are upstairs

    she touches her necklace
    alarm to call the police

    her sixth sense tells her
    an otto is at the door

47. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    •Keith Evetts

    it’s a dog-eat-dog fight
    over who’s to do dishes

48. BTW – Thanks Keith.
    Just caught up with the renku – a lot of fun you all have been having!
    Sending more good wishes to John for continued healing.

49. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    •Keith Evetts

    the tv
    still on mute

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    •Keith Evetts

    yes, and just whose hair
    clogs the drain?

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    •Keith Evetts

    a couple argues
    Kah’ mala or Kuh-mah’-la?

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    •Keith Evetts

    where to hide
    from the evangelist?

50. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

    happiness
    is linking verses day by day
    ~ ~ ~
    his work with the deaf not the telephone
    fulfilled him

    Both Alexander Graham Bell’s mother and wife were deaf.

51. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

    a walk full of silence
    overflows cuckoo cuckoo

    Animals are off the list, as well as possibly natural sounds …trying to have them both as imperceptible as possible…the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is endangered in the Bay Area, they have been seen only a few times at the Point Reyes National SeaShore, as well as the Central Valley and parts of Southern California (where they breed)…they have vanished entirely in other parts of the country.

    1. Realizing I have my have also IDed it with the sound it makes…..Oh well, lol.

       1. Oops, I mean, I may have i.d.ed the bird by its sound!

    2. Hi, Madeleine–four-legged animal are to be avoided–birds are ok :)

       1. Thank you, Patricia…I am sorry I didn’t catch your comment before. I have been away for a little while.

52. a giant ape stares
    at the blood on his chest

    1. a giant ape stares
       at the blood on its chest

53. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    she alters facts first
    to unleash her own fake news

    to collar social unrest,
    the judge changes venue

54. a handsome tip & high five
    for the taxidermist

    1. Wendy, LOL!

55. the dog’s ears

    prick up

    before the doorbell
    — Keith Evetts

    after the fire
    an unbearable toll

    she doubles in size
    in front of her litter

56. the sleepwalker bruises
    a thigh on an open drawer
    *
    the cuchi-cuchi girl
    even flirts with pets
    *
    this fortune teller
    follows a different line
    *
    the home alone kid
    polishes off the apples
    *
    my box of fox paws
    to take to recycling
    *

57. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell – Keith Evetts

    watching the sun then stars
    shine through the bars

    ten steps length
    in each cell

    a poster of Shakira
    hiding the escape tunnel

    banjos sound better
    when played in the bathroom

    bagpipes sound even better
    when played in the bathroom

    her rosary beads
    left behind on the pillow

58. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell
    — Keith Evetts

    a clock with no hands
    ticks in reverse

    a forgotten dollhouse
    lights up by itself

    a ventriloquist’s dummy
    winks in the corner

59. just now
    an ef in tasseomancy

60. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    keith evetts

    babycam captures
    an ethereal being

    faceful of cobweb
    one step too late

    snapped twig
    earns a whistling arrow

    1. doh! outside!

       snapped twig
       earns a whistling arrow

61. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    with her sense of season
    change, she wears muted colors

    to unleash fake news, she hands
    the editor new copy

    the in-house guard changes
    every six hours

62. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell – Keith Evetts
    —
    might as well be
    waiting for godot
    –
    ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Godot )

    1. ps re “avoid ID’s ” — Does ID’s mean ‘proofs of identity’ (which is what it means in Australian English) or something else?

       1. I guess any use that directly relates to / contradicts ‘unidentifiable’ in v 10. e.g. identifying as a gender, a bird in the Audubon? But Patricia is on holiday!

       2. Yes

63. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell – Keith Evetts

    my guest from afar
    describes black holes swallowing light

    pity people
    that harvest dreams like corn

64. on the threshold
    of a great discovery

    needlework finished
    during the news

    the palm-reader might have been
    right all along

    silver keys on the sugar
    that tops off the cake

    the kettle
    about to boil over

    how sausages can disappear
    from the kitchen

    the poltergeist lets out
    a silent fart

65. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell – Keith Evetts

    last night’s visitor
    left behind a crop circle

    a ghost whispering
    that it’s time to come home

    there are more haunted
    cornfields than haunted houses

66. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    wnen the alarm system
    alerts her, she grabs her gun

    she perks up as she listens
    to the tv fake news

    grandma folds laundry
    while she nips at her gin

    incognito traveler,
    she never leaves the sleeper

67. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    – Keith

    the drip drip drip
    of the iv

    Diana Ming Jeong

68. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

69. the graciousness
    of her aunt
    ~ ~ ~
    lucky guests
    our aunt always the hostess with the mostest
    ~ ~ ~
    emily post
    her hero
    ~ ~ ~
    every birthday
    another etiquette book
    ~ ~ ~
    some birthdays
    there were duplicates
    ~ ~ ~
    her pearls
    from walmart party section look real

    1. Another cliche, of course, (lol) “hostess with the mostest”. I heard this expression most of my childhood and decided today to look it up. :)

       2, ” Someone who is…charming, engaging when receiving and entertaining guests socially…” That’s my aunt, (God bless her heart:) She would send my children books on etiquette through out their childhood.

       TheFreedictionary.com
       idioms,

70. latchkey kids
    rearrange the furniture

    latchkey kids
    burn pizza in the oven

    Diana Ming Jeong

71. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

    a bowl under the leaky faucet
    catches the ticks

    a bowl under the leaky kitchen faucet
    catches the ticks

    a bowl under the kitchen faucet
    catches the ticks

    a bowl of water
    sounds the ticks

    the slow drip of the faucet
    marks the time

    the slow drip of the faucet
    sounds the tempo

    the drip of the faucet
    sounds the tempo

    Diana Ming Jeong

72. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

    the leaky faucet
    marks the time

    the leaky faucet
    sets the tempo

    Diana Ming Jeong

73. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    still out of synch
    with the doomsday clock
    *
    so little time to kill
    on the doomsday clock
    *

74. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    history rearranged
    with the memoir’s second draft
    *
    forever getting ahead
    of the story
    *
    loose manuscript pages
    find their own order
    *

75. Well done, Keith.

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    oh no—not
    the grim reaper!

    1. A wide grin for this one, Marion. The humour is perfect, and not what one would’ve expected (not me, anyway) I appreciate the change of mood this tongue-in-cheek verse allows.

       1. Thanks for the feedback, Lorin—delighted you enjoyed this one!

          marion

76. Hi John, wishing you well with the recovery of your eyes and all is going well.

    furniture wax
    perfumes the hallway

77. Congratulations Keith, a fabulous verse, and one many of us can relate to. Having two working collies and observing their reactions to sound and movement over many years, your verse is a joy to read. A wonderful choice Patricia, and thankyou for including my verses in your list.

78. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts
    ————————

    lifting a skin
    from hot milk

    rrrrrrranother wool sweater locked
    in the hot cycle

    disarming a grenade
    with 10 000 steps

79. Congratulations Keith, an excellent verse!

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    ————Keith Evetts
    .

    the silence of a museum
    or a forest
    .

    in a room airtight dust settles
    on a foreign tongue
    .

    a ladder a needle
    a stranger in the fresco
    .

    no-see-ums
    I think I can see um
    .

    1. oooh I like this pair a lot:

       the dog’s ears
       prick up
       before the doorbell
       ————Keith Evetts
       .

       the silence of a museum
       or a forest
       ———–Jonathan Alderfer

80. the dog’s ears
    pricking up
    before the doorbell
    *
    Keith Evetts
    *
    warned not to touch
    the antique spinning wheel
    *
    the smell of petrichor
    slips through the transom
    *
    the word that starts
    with tre…
    *

81. Thanks, all.

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    _______________

    seashells all around
    the enamel bathtub

    about time to draw up
    a bucket list

    the candidate’s fake tan
    matches his innuendo

82. food insecurities seen
    by how moms skip their next meal

83. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    the glitter of her diamond
    ring lights up the room

    the uplift of prayer
    restores life flow

    alerted to intruders,
    homeowners trap the bums

    the genie in the bottle
    can’t dislodge the cork

84. prim looks given towards
    the diner’s many faux pas

85. one too many faux pas
    for the diners to ignore

86. alarmed by another
    faux paz before dinner is served

    or

    another faux paz
    before dinner is served

    1. dang it! scratch these…
       “before” in the previous verse

       1. and misspelling faux pas

          1. Well, Betty, you could have just

             another faux pas
             as dinner is served

             or
             another faux pas
             while dinner is served

             or
             another faux pas
             then dinner is served

             etc. etc. etc. :-)

             1. You’re right, of course, Lorin! 🙂

87. Congratulations Keith! Thank you Patricia for a great link and for your selection of fine verses. This appealing dog is a perfect choice. Good wishes for John’s continued healing. Happy linking everyone!

    1. Thank you, Madeleine for your kind comment on my two verses. For some reason, I wasn’t able to reply there directly.

       1. Your welcome, Eavonka :)

88. under the poker table
    vinegaroon holds nut hand

89. a welcoming committee
    wearing sack cloth and ashes

    video footage reveals
    something suspicious

    something about
    the postman ringing twice

    knock knock jokes
    to while away the hours

    an online order of
    treats food and toys

    1. This one works very well for me, Michael. leading to fresh possibilities for the next verse as it does, along with the unexpected humour and/or spookiness of the contrast between ‘welcoming’ & ‘sack cloth and ashes’:

       the dog’s ears
       prick up
       before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts
       –
       a welcoming committee
       wearing sack cloth and ashes

       1. Michael, you could easily lose the “ing”, like Keith has under Patricia’s suggestion, only easier:.

          a welcoming committee
          in sack cloth and ashes

          (It’s just about losing the “ing”.

90. long false eyelashes
    of the new neighbour

    the opposition party
    apparently wants change

    adventists interrupt
    Sunday dinner

91. the man
    tidying his tie while whistling

    very shocking
    the news of his death

    the boy scratched his head
    for this math problem

    the wine glass was thrown
    in the fight

    her shorts were too short
    wild eyes stared

92. a soldier’s tag returns
    in unmarked box

    grandpaw has a tug of war
    with a terrycloth towel

    1. ooops!
       no id….ditch this one!

93. Congrats! Keith so glad Patricia picked this pup! So many ways to attach a leash and many ways to shift and stray from it.

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell———Keith Evetts

    artichokes on a fork
    drip garlic flavoured olive oil

    still in boxers grandpaw
    barrels down on slippers

    trainer’s combat-shot helmet
    now returns in unmarked box

    above the bathtub
    clothespins drip down

94. Congratulations dear Keith..
    Beautiful

95. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    her head turned to the shadows
    she listens to floorboards creak

    before the robbery, she thought
    she was a superhero

    side view lights warn her
    of a car in her blind spot

96. Continuing wishes for your recovery, John. Another fine selection, Patricia. And congratulations on your link, Keith!

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell

    Keith Evetts

    his master’s voice
    a staticky scratch

    soap opera music
    makes canaries sing

    the babysitter screams
    at a pair of belchers

    the cigar chewer
    throws in his ante

    the toenail clippings
    bounce on linoleum

    1. the dog’s ears
       prick up
       before the doorbell

       Keith Evetts

       a figure’s shadow
       darkens the foyer

       the salesman clears
       his throat with a cough

       a whiff of the pizza
       enters the screen door

       the weight of the giant
       shakes the floorboards

       nips in a dream
       at the mailman

       just like that time
       the bomb went off

97. Congrats Keith, a happy verse. Safe travels Patricia. And full healing John.

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    –Keith Evetts
    *
    under the bunk beds
    a doll sleeps face down
    *
    the living room
    curtains part a bit
    *

98. Congrats, Keith, on your verse.

    the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell
    –Keith Evetts

    the needle pierces
    the potato too
    .
    the throw rug
    in the foyer

    1. Nancy, your throw rug link does not slip by me. Fun!

       1. It slips by me! Do tell, Pamela. Let me in on the secret?

          1. Hi Lorin, for me Nancy’s verse came alive when I read it with Keith’s preceding verse. The meaning of before shifts from ‘earlier in time’ to ‘in front of’ in space.

             the dog’s ears
             prick up
             before the doorbell
             –Keith Evetts

             the throw rug
             in the foyer
             — Nancy Brady

             1. Hmmm . . . Pamela, wouldn’t that only work if it was laid out like this:

                the dog’s ears
                prick up –Keith Evetts
                —
                before the doorbell
                —
                the throw rug
                in the foyer — Nancy Brady
                —
                (which it can’t be, in a renku) Interesting idea about a “pivot line”, though.

             2. Hmmm . . . it’s interesting, Pamela. I do see your point, but considering that Patricia called for an “inside the house” verse and a door bell would be located on the exterior part of the door (or near it) then the dog could not be “before” the doorbell in the sense you mean.

                ( ” The kids lingered before the cake shop window.” ” The priest bowed before the alter”)

          2. Nan, Pamela, and Lorin, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out different meanings in verses here and other places, while having the time of my life! Since Lorin is looking for a link in the poem, were you considering “throw” in ” throw rug” as an antonym for the word “prick” (both words have opposite actions?) …. Pamela’s play on words “slip”, since It is easy to slip on throw rugs would then come into play, (thank goodness there are non-slip rugs:)

       2. Thanks, Pamela. You are correct in what I was attempting to do.
          Now for another attempt at a verse or three:

          a metronome
          on the piano

          a metronome
          during a piano lesson

          the metronome
          at a lesson

          1. The verses above should be withdrawn since a metronome makes sound. I was thinking of it just sitting on the piano as a reminder to the student, but technically…so instead, I offer the following verses:

             a child plays
             with his building blocks

             the children build
             a tower with blocks

             a chew toy
             for the new puppy

99. the dog’s ears
    prick up
    before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

    from their studios haiku
    poets launch healing voices

    although the event glitters
    her diary pages show need

    home protection: cameras,
    robots and police alerts

    years of discipline
    tell her to lock the front door

100. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell

     Keith Evetts

     hand clasped to her throat
     she envisions black ribbon

     this is it, she realizes, they’re
     finally coming for the poets

     she looks at the children
     & whispers the code word

     could it? could it be?
     he’s finally back home!

101. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell
     *
     an air-knock
     on the missing wood
     *
     the worn wood
     he pretends to knock
     *
     pondering motives
     when the dress is called fetching
     *
     advisors struggle
     to keep the candidate leashed
     *

102. originally this entry had a guard dog,
     one of the beloved hounds from
     hans christian andersen’s “the tinderbox”.
     but alas and alack, to my dismay canines and
     four-leggers are forbidden this week.
     my new guard creatures have more than four legs,
     or no legs at all.

     here is what i first composed:

     midnight thief hasn’t noticed
     the saucer-eyed tinderbox hound

     changed to:

     midnight thief hasn’t noticed
     the sixty foot silent slither

     or:

     midnight thief hasn’t noticed
     the eight-legged silent scuttle

     (now picture the pig-sized guard spider from
     robert e. howard’s “the tower of the elephant”)

     1. fascinating illustrated article about
        those strange giant dogs:

        https://www.deviantart.com/tabdabble/art/TinderBox-Dogs-Let-s-Get-Weird-733129770

        1. Amazing, Rob. I will need to mull over it, a couple more times:)

103. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

     side view lights warn her
     of a car in her blind spot

     on intuition grandma
     locks her jewels in the safe

     in case an otto shows up
     she sets an extra place

104. Congrats amiigo Keith y Vaya con Dios Patricia!

     the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell – Keith Evetts

     waving at strangers
     with familiar smiles

     each of her visits
     is a new chapter for my book

     visitors wiping their feet
     on my unwelcome mat

105. unidentifiable
     vibrations – Pamela Garry

     the dog’s ears
     pricking up
     before the doorbell – Keith Evetts
     –
     Congratulations, Keith, :-) ! and this verse is an especially good choice in my opinion, Patricia.
     It’s lovely to have a dog in this renku. I’m reminded of my lovely dog of long ago: Buster (my father named him) an adventurous companion, a German Shepherd.)

     1. “I hope that Keith will be willing to change “pricking” to “prick” as we have a participle three verses back.” – Patricia

        Ah, yes, I can see “ing” is close in Laurie Greer’s verse: “letting off a stowaway”. Also, “prick up” seems better to me as it suggests the quickness with which the dog’s ears go up in real life.

     2. We’ve now had an insect and a mammal, so they’re added to the growing exclusion list at least for a while!

106. quality of life
     before the pearly gates

     quality of life
     over chemotherapy

     quality of life
     quality of life

     Diana Ming Jeong

     1. Hi Diana, I love all three…even though it’s about the end of life, they are sweet and beautiful.

        1. Thank you madeleine!❤️

           1. Your welcome, Diana!🥰

107. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

     a messenger with news
     that warms hurt hearts

     the brutal ordeal ends
     after out of sight talks

108. the dog’s ears

     prick up

     before the doorbell
     — Keith Evetts

     just one new coat of paint
     then the pictures can be hung

     1. after the paint dries
        the picture hanging

        1. According to Merriam Webster: prick up
           transitive verb: to apply a scratch coat of plaster to (as a wall)

           1. First up, Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/prick-up
              phrasal verb with prick verb [ T ]

              “When an animal pricks its ears up, or when its ears prick up, it puts its ears up straight because it is listening carefully to a small sound or one that is far away.”

              Searching further: according to Merriam- Webster

              ears prick (up)
              idiom
              of an animal
              : to cause (the ears) to point upward
              The dog’s ears pricked up at the sound.
              —used figuratively of people to suggest listening carefully
              Her ears pricked (up) when they said her name.
              —
              according to Collins British
              prick up
              (phrasal verb) in the sense of raise
              The dog’s ears pricked up at the sound.
              Synonyms
              raise
              point
              rise
              stand erect
              See examples for synonyms
              See prick
              —
              (Nothing to do with pricking one’s fingers with a sewing needle or on the thorns of blackberry bushes. )

              1. I am a relative novice to renku, but aren’t multiple meanings (of words) part of the fun of renku?

              2. Hi, Lorin.

                 It’s my understanding that Renku verses ‘link in some way’.

                 Personally, I liked my verse because it took ‘prick’ to a very famous fairy tale which links but isn’t an exact replica of what came before.

                 If Patricia likes it, that’s all that will matter to me.

              3. I love it Eavonka and your second verse, too! :)

              4. Lorin–check out Merriam-Webter’s definition of “prick”

                 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prick

                 it includes ” a slight sharply localized discomfort
                 the prick of a needle”

              5. ” . . . it includes ” a slight sharply localized discomfort
                 the prick of a needle” ( “IT” here is Merriam Webster)

                 Patricia. of course it would include the prick of a needle, a blackberry thorn, a splinter of wood etc. There is also the “prick of conscience” .. which is metaphor related to/based on the physical prick into the skin
                 But these kind of pricks don’t seem to me to be related to the way that a dog’s ears prick up.
                 —
                 Pamela’s comment is interesting: “According to Merriam Webster: prick up transitive verb: to apply a scratch coat of plaster to (as a wall)”

                 So that’s a 3rd kind of “prick”. A 4th is a slang term for the penis. A 5th, based on the latter, is a derogatory term for a human male who has fallen out of favour for some reason or another.

                 What a word means so often depends on context.
                 Nancy: “. . .but aren’t multiple meanings (of words) part of the fun of renku?” I think they can be.

           2. Eavonka Ettinger
              August 3, 2024 at 12:17 pm

              “If Patricia likes it, that’s all that will matter to me.” Point taken.

109. I hope you’re enjoying your travels, Patricia! Thank you so much for selecting my verse for the top 6, but I absolutely adore your final selection. Congrats, Keith!

     the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell

     Keith Evetts

     before she sleeps
     the spinning wheel

     ***
     just another night
     the phone doesn’t ring

     1. Eavonka–I like your reference to the fairytale, but in your verse you use the word “before” which is a repeat of the word in Keith’s verse which would disqualify it. Maybe consider rewriting it?

        1. Oh my goodness, what was I thinking?

           Thank you so much for suggesting I revise it, Patricia!

           ere she sleeps
           the spinning wheel

           on her birthday
           the spinning wheel

           the prophecy
           of the spinning wheel

110. Keith, I am happy you brought a good dog into the Renku and Patricia, thank you for letting the dog in! Grateful to Jim and John. Best wishes to all.

     the dog’s ears

     prick up

     before the doorbell
     — Keith Evetts

     nothing civil
     about the kitchen table feud

111. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

     joyful voices
     in newsroom celebrations

     news flashes focus
     my eyes on today

112. Also thank you Patricia for your grace as our leader! Prayers for healing for John!
     I am happy that Dan came back too!

113. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell

     Keith Evetts

     great going keith! human ears can’t
     pick up the unidentifiable vibrations
     of someone approaching a front door,
     but a dog hears everything.

     and patricia love the new setting and
     direction we can go in now. you
     continue to be a super sabaki.

     grateful for another speedy upload jim.

     waiting for your first post john, what an
     occasion that will be.

114. patricia thank you so much for including
     me in the short—but please note the last
     verse in my set is not mine (hearing aids)

     1. Rob–oh, no! my bad! thank you for pointing it out. I’ve asked Jim to correct it.

        1. Patricia, would you be able to change the spelling of my last name
           included in “the Sideshow List”, (above the list of instructions). Hope that you are having a wonderful vacation!

           1. madeleine–forgive the mistake, please–I noticed the misspelling early on and have tried to correct it, but like a bad penny it keeps reappearing –grrrr. I’ve asked Jim to correct it.

              1. Awww! Thank you Patricia and Jim. I was sure it was something like that. :) Lol!

115. Congratulations Keith! :)

     the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell

     Keith Evetts

     quality of life
     before the pearly gates

     quality of life
     over chemotherapy

     Diana Ming Jeong

116. The comment on John Deleiden’s verse
     should have been :¨

     on the bar
     my material shakes
     itself
     OR
     at the bar
     my martini shakes itself
     on it’s caster

117. Congratulations Keith.

     Patricia, a nice addition to the Side Show Renku. Thank you for including so many of my offerings in your lists.

     John Stevenson, my you continue to heal. May the forces of the renku writers spead your recovery.

     Jim Kacian thank you for facilitating the continuation of the renku by posting successive weekly guidelines from Patricia.

118. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell (rungs?)
     I was just about to take up the offer to discuss
     objections to your choices, when You chose one of
     the two I’d have chosen myself. Could ‘rings be added
     for the balance of the verse¨.
     The other one also needed (to my mind) some addition
     on the bar at the bar
     my material shakes my martini shakes itself
     itself on its caster
     John Deleiden
     If two-liners pass themselves off as 3-liners, the change
     of rythmn between the 2 kinds of line is lost.
     However, this is not the place to complain, is it?

     unidentifiable
     vibrations

     the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell

     the Egyptian cat’s statue
     doesn’t move a whisker

     the lights flicker
     as lightning strikes outside

     the deliveroo parcel
     stays untouched on the mat

     panorama of the city
     fills the whole-wall window

     n anti-social guest
     drops a canapé

     the other doubtful listener
     rubs his ear-lobe

     the cheek ! next time
     she’ll bring a chimpanzee

     1. Dick–this is definitely the place to complain. And thank you for bringing up the issue. Here’s my take: as you know in the classical renku form the three-line verse is 17 syllables and the two-line verse, 14. The difference of three syllables is hard to hear in English (in Japanese that’s another story–the rhythm of five syllables and seven syllables is very apparent). But what is very noticeable in English is the line break. So the composing with line breaks in mind is more important than the length of the line.

        What do you think?

     2. Dick–Regarding adding “rings” to the last line of Keith’s verse: I am trying to avoid sounds for six verses after Lorin’s verse–this is the sixth verse so I fudged and accepted it specifically because it did not explicitly mention the sound.

        I do appreciate your suggestion however.

        1. chiming in here….i love the artful and creative effect of Keith’s last line….ending with ‘doorbell’….by loping off any other words coming forth….to me…intensifies the anticipatory response arriving earlier inside the dog’s ears

           a poet’s license
           amongst the many tools

           1. This is brilliant, Wendy!

        2. 👍

119. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell –-Keith Evetts

     illegibly held
     prisoners released

120. the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell rings

     my best friend preceded
     by his aftershave

     1. damn those folded page tips
        that disfigure a rare book

        1. another boxer failing
           a basic gender test

121. Congratulations Keith!

122. falling prey
     to the latest scam

     a utility scam
     on the loose

123. Congratulations Keith! I can see that happening!

     a utility scam
     in the neighborhood

124. the dog’s ears
     pricking up
     before the doorbell

     Keith Evetts

     death
     is listening

125. Congrat’s Keith!

     the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell
     – Keith

     pressed nosegays inside
     well worn bibles held close

126. Many thanks, Patricia. Definitely go along with your helpful edit from “pricking” to “prick,” to read:

     the dog’s ears
     prick up
     before the doorbell

     Enjoy your travels.
     The checklist lengthens…. Onwards we go.

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