The Renku Sessions: Side Show – Week 17
Happy change of the seasons to you all—Here in California after a week of intense heat, we had a few gorgeous days before the heat came back. But you can feel that change is in the air as the coastal fog tries to make its way inland.
I enjoyed reading your offerings this week. As always, I learn new things—budgie-smuggler, jenga, two-up, and more . . . Here’s my long list of possibilities:
a few raised eyebrows
at the preacher’s wild sermon
anyone
for a game of two-up?
Humpty Dumpty
thinks he’ll have the last word
Lorin Ford
*
Gershwin’s final song said
they’re only made of clay
a temporary cease-fire
protects those who count the votes
Dan MacDonald
*
affectionate to her kin
grandma spoils them all
the suddenly paused party
resumes after hiatus
years after the big cloud
we see stars once more
in the changed world we
discover unnamed flowers
the fallen nation regains
stature with peace offers
in the jumble of their teen’s
room parents find star maps
in his distant space ship the
commander smiles approval
after calamity she embraces
her frightened children
with a white flag in front
the rag-tag procession moves
the compassionate invite
victims to share their homes
one dot of dandelion yellow
pokes out of crumbled rock
above the fray
the knocked down stand up
fallen to the bottom
we rise up again
with gratitude homeless
victims accept world aid
she encourages battered
souls to publish their stories
after calamity she welcomes
the offer of a warm meal
after the disruption we
go to the next whiskey bar
she picks daisies
in the strewn rock field
John Daleiden
*
the dumpster dive yields
embarrassments of riches
just throw it away
and get a new one
the pure technique of that
out-of-control carriage scene
the x and y axis
plot a twist in the data
the fine line between flying
and not
Laurie Greer
*
the old home town looks
the same as I step down from the train
I awake and look around me
at four gray walls that surround me
yes there’s a guard and a sad old padre
on and on we’ll walk at daybreak
fading train whistles for some reason
make fallen angels weep
shoppers rush by
ignoring the banjo ballad
A half-written letter
lies crumpled in a drawer
only the weatherman
notices the clouds nowadays
Dan Campbell
*
how quickly the homeless
encampment is swept clean
Eavonka Ettinger
*
lawyers on one side say
they “defend” voters’ rights
unlit torches along
empty colonnades
the tide removes a
sandcastle bucket
Richard Straw
*
pick up the pieces
at the bottom of the stairs
Dick Pettit
*
desert iguana
bathing on the rocks
“what the world needs now
is love sweet love”
deciding to make a difference
he helps her cross the street
low frequency
the albatross soars for ages
“united
we stand”
a desperate measure
he reaches for the prayer of St. Francis
a difference
in its tilt
no ordinary road
trip
madeleine kavanagh
*
the pull of a jenga tile
from a wobbly tower
a careful slide of a jenga brick
from the tower
Nancy Brady
*
the cormorant stretches
and shits before moving on
an open smile
needs no translation
clouds come and go
as they please
Jonathon Alderfer
*
passionate cannibalism
of the praying mantis
“When they go low, we go high”
says Michelle, ma belle
Pamela Garry
*
standing there
in his suit soaking wet
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
*
still hear the kid
laughing
suddenly
feels so strange
Nani Mariani
*
meanwhile, a small robot
roams the wasteland
which two birds
were sent to look for land?
beware that strange algae
glowing on the lake
Marion Clarke
*
another punter
releases the dice
Carol Jones
*
I dunk my biscuit
a little too long
Andrew Shimield
*
the lifeguard’s unimpressive
budgie-smugglers
robots come up with
a cleaner bomb
Grandma’s face at the mention
of cryptocurrency
you-know-who will command
the waves to recede
we bathe naked
in the geyser’s waters
the bigwig’s thoughts
are with the family
politicians also
only made of clay
acne too
will pass
Keith Evetts
*
clean up
spill in aisle B
go directly to jail
do not pass go
this cloudy residue lifts away
with the same sticky tape
Wendy C. Bialek
*
the rumble
of tumbling dice
Jill Whalen
*
still not pulling him up
on his post-birth bullcrap
Tracy Davidson
*
having slipped and
fallen on hard times
Michael Henry Lee
*
a paper dragon curls
into its tail
Sandip Chauhan
*
switching off the tv
having seen it all before
the seas rise
and fish swim on land
watching sitcom repeats
as rome burns
in the time machine
we chart a different course
the process will continue
with or without us
at the coffee shop
a baby laughs with her mum
it’s the small things that count
at the end of the day
Melissa Dennison
*
a solo condor
flapping through dust
a white-tailed ptarmigan
wakes up to palm trees
Clysta Seney
*
a single act of kindness
creates a domino effect
Diana Ming Jeong
***
And here are the six finalists:
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
a single act of kindness
creates a domino effect
Diana Ming Jeong
*
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
*
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
the rumble
of tumbling dice
Jill Whalen
*
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
which two birds
were sent to look for land?
Marion Clarke
*
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
how quickly the homeless
encampment is swept clean
Eavonka Ettinger
*
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
Gershwin’s final song said
they’re only made of clay
Dan MacDonald
***
Any of these would have moved our renku in interesting ways. I had a difficult time deciding between these two verses:
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
how quickly the homeless
encampment is swept clean
Eavonka Ettinger
Finally I decided on Melissa’s as I think it offers a slightly better transition bringing us to the end of the energetic part of the renku and setting us up for the turn to the final four verses:
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
And so, our renku thus far will be:
***
Side Show
the moon joins
a juggler’s side show
harvest festival
Wendy C. Bialek
a swirl of moths
orbits the yellow lamplight
Jonathan Alderfer
drifting leaves
pile up at the lock gates
on the old canal
Andrew Shimield
an inuksuk points the way
to the next adventure
Carol Jones
Earthrise
to the tune of Strauss’s ‘Thus
spake Zarathustra’
Lorin Ford
may I have this dance
for the rest of my life?
John Daleiden
I swing onto
his Vespa
fully committed
Clysta Seney
letting off a stowaway
in the middle of the heat
Laurie Greer
the cool
of the house
at the back of her mind
madeleine kavanagh
unidentifiable
vibrations
Pamela Garry
the dog’s ears
prick up
before the doorbell
Keith Evetts
death
is listening
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
love bound
in the hereafter
of 1001 nights
Betty Shropshire
gracias mi amor
for melting my frozen heart
Dan Campbell
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple
Rob Barkan
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
And now here are your instructions for verse seventeen:
- a three-line no season verse, the three lines should flow syntactically;
- link to verse sixteen in some fashion;
- the door is closing for all wild or bizarre subjects; we are beginning the sprint to the end. I will be looking for a verse feels like the change of the seasons (but has no season words) and that prepares us for the dramatic positive ending;
- include people in this verse; please do not include any vegetation or flowers for this verse and the next (we are coming up on the blossom verse);
- for now please avoid use of participles;
- for the rest of the renku, please avoid any subjects related to festivals or circuses, carnival acts, etc. as well as death, house/home, and life; avoid mention of landscape features, such as cliffs, hills, dunes, mounds, etc., and temperature, avoid use of a foreign language, or mention of any body parts, and the process of melting, thawing, etc., any reference to factories or any kind of apparatus, appliance, robot, etc., avoid roads, freeways, highways, etc., and no acts of drawing or graphing for the rest of the renku; avoid time of day or night, any reference to heaven, hell, or the great beyond, any numbers, and any reference to literary works or books, for the next three verses; avoid references to hearing or listening or speaking for the next two verses; please avoid mentioning four-legged animals or sound-making devices for the next verse;
- submit your verses by midnight PDT Tuesday, September 10.
I thank you all for your submissions and for your lively participation. I wish you good writing in the coming week — and good healing and tranquility for John.
— Patricia
The Haiku Foundation reminds you that participation in our offerings assumes respectful and appropriate behavior from all parties. Please see our Code of Conduct policy: https://thehaikufoundation.org/about-thf/policies/#code-of-conduct
Comments (192)
Comments are closed.
in the time machine
we chart a different course – Melissa Dennison
—
“the moving finger
writes and having writ
moves on”, quoth the bard
old rivals bond
over missed shots
on the links
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
out of control
wild fires rage
through pine forests
bate
catches
vermin
ria eht ni secnad
llits ti tub retfos
nrow sah rethgual rieht
htuoy htiw krad ecno
tub ,won etih
,riah sih sehsurb ehs
cnys ni llits era spets
rieht tub won
rewols walk yeht
Typo correction:
htuoy htiw krad ecno
tub won etihw
,riah sih sehsurb ehs
cnys ni llits era spets
rieht tub won
rewols klaw yeht
at eleven
the cuckoo clock
strikes midnight
our writing tutor
asks us to stick a pin
into the world
still a blow-in
even after
thirty years
I find myself
face-to-face with
my great-great grandmother
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
firemen rescue us
from a fire in a tall,
glass building
adobe buildings
in our town placed on the
historic register
mountain towns plunge
into the ocean
after record rains
the scent of fresh baked
bread fills the kibbutz
this morning
another chance
to strike it
rich
Diana Ming Jeong
we all
deserve a second
chance
Diana Ming Jeong
I agree DIana!
x
marks
the spot
Diana Ming Jeong
Love it, Diana!
Me too, Diana!
Thank you again, Madeleine!
:)
Thank you Pamela!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
He lives
outside
of time
around the world
she takes along
an atlas
scheduled
for
a tune-up
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
out of time
the characters
in “somewhere in time“ “
out of time
I miss
breakfast
out of tune
the kindergarteners
steal hearts
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
consistent to a fault
we arrive late
to our own funeral
Love it, Pamela!!
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
gleefully she shares
her lottery winnings
with neighbors
a portal ajar
in the red rocks
of the desert
the child puts on
tinted lenses
to see her parents
she plants seeds
in her moon garden
for the next meat crop
they visit museums
to view space capsules
from previous centuries
she talks with the droid
on the assembly line
to learn new designs
These are great, John!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
seeking the whole
shadow of a black hole
at the core
seeking the whole
shadow of a black hole
a clue at the core
Pamela, I like this one a lot,
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
first day
on
the beat
“the beat
goes
on”
beloved beatnik
misses a beat
at the microphone
I apologize…can’t resist the cliches.
Madeleine, enjoying your poetry!!
warbler’s trill
about her clichés
the clutch
warbler’s trill about
her clichés
the clutch
warbler’s trill about
Madeleine’s clichés
the clutch
warbler’s trill about
Madeleine’s clichés
to the clutch!
(Done; I promise and apologize!)
Lol!!! Thank you Pamela! … You made my day! :)
I am enjoying your poetry!
the beatles
are
the best! :)
This one really intrigues me!
Thank you DIana! :)
keeping
time
to the metronome
stuck
in traffic
losing time
stuck
in traffic’
losing her mind
the warden guides
a handful of stragglers
out of the maze
the captain
taps the barometer
three times for luck
oriental signs
a weaver wove
in the magic carpet
old mazurkas
in the hands
of a new pianist
over and over
new candidates
promise change
Harrison, I really like these poems.
Thank you madeleine!
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
the banker adds
another gold bar
to his private hoard
in the supermarket
she samples free trial
treats of vendors
the housewife serves
home cooked meals
to homeless folks
the Angeles
summons the faithful
to celebration
on the space station
astronauts watch
their space ship depart
inside the moon base
she checks her space suit
for oxygen leaks
on the moon walk
their blue, home planet
appears to be small
commander studies
recent universe charts
before departure
in the Time Machine
we chart a different course
——Melissa Dennison
.
our reflections
head one way
our shadows the other
This one is great, Jonathan!
she sets the table
with tiny teacups
in her dollhouse
Diana Ming Jeong
Really like this one, Diana!
Awww, thank you Madeleine!
to celebrate
we host a luau
rather than a formal dinner
Well done Melissa! to infinity and beyond
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
*
giggling relatives
insert the neighbor’s twin sons
onto the roster
*
the falconer
pulls on elbow length
titanium gloves
*
the developers
agog at all the straight line
rights of way
*
in any event
the youngest child
cries for his mother
*
my eye
prescription changes
year after year
Diana Ming Jeong
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
the beautician
asks if I want curls
or a bald look
the pastor welcomes
new members from space
to his congregation
at the mortuary
an undertaker
hears the deceased heart beat
the merry-go-round
on a park playground
spins faster and faster
in the chapel gardens
she collects herbs
for psychotherapist
a primary school
teacher circles planet Earth
on a huge star chart
at the beauty salon
she tells the girls about
her galactic travels
For these, a familiarity with Doctor Who will help:
a packet
of jelly babies
in my suitcase
feeling wibbly-wobbly
when the statue
blinks
exterminators
create havoc
in the galley fray
long after college
grandparents too
take a gap year
a preponderance
of puddings
in the tasting menu
wishing wells
never fail
to disappoint
Oops a participle has snuck in…
we listen
to the muezzin’s call
in the gallery
That’s more like it 🫣😁
the bees are
oblivious
as the spider weaves her web
on the
aquamarine lake
ducks and swan pedalos
bouncing
her baby on her knee
the young mum smiles
at the book club
we give
scores out of ten
we lose our way
on the moors
in our search for poetry
In the time machine
we chart a different course
the birds sit waiting
in the trees
for me to feed them
climbing out
of a priest hole at the
Elizabethan court
surprised looks
as a Roman legion march
through his basement
a few drops
of rain
such perfect worlds
in the gallery
hearing
the muezzin’s call
stuffed birds
where Hockney first
took a line for a walk
down
the rabbit hole
no rabbits
in the maze
at Hampton Court
there must be a way out
how fortunate
to find the treasure
of nothing
Or
how fortunate
to discover the treasure
of nothing
the thought
of all that infinity
makes everyone dizzy
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
in the bank vault
none of the lock boxes
will unlock
a California
grave digger flees as the
site fills with bubbling tar
under high powered
magnification the expert
examines space rocks
a one-armed bandit
surrenders to children
who surround him
in the art salon
the round wall-mural
has no frame
your result
colorful flowers
i am in love
Nani Mariani
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
don’t worry
we will build the world
together
Nani Mariani
the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
Congratulations dear Melissa..
Beautiful !!
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
city park workers
are puzzled with walkways
they don’t remember
she discusses
the affects of no gravity
with gynecologists
a crossroads sign
directs travelers
to the comfort station
the artist squeezes
a new patch of azure blue
onto his palett
the jeweler tells
his best customer the strange
stones come from space
the big one
creates a west coast chain
of islands
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
—
astronauts return
after a whole year
on the space station
unlike the carrier
geese find Ruislip
without a satnav
the google maps lady
is too diplomatic
to scold me
Or edit the last to the more impersonal:
the google maps lady
is too diplomatic
to scold
I agree, Keith. I miss when she use to chastise me: “Recalculating!” Those were the days.
Very marriageable, the Google maps lady. We call her ‘Constance.’
in the time machine
we chart a different course
——-Melissa Dennison
from pole to pole
the long flight
of an arctic tern
secretly pleased
by a wink
from the space pirate
on this clear night
the children travel
from star to star
I love your verse, Melissa. As a child I was fascinated by the notion of time travel!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
bored with wet weather
I jump into his painting
of sunflowers
Oops—no flowers! I’ll go back to my original!
bored with wet weather
I jump into the painting
of a tall ship
in the time machine
we chart a different course
——-Melissa Dennison
.
a garden
of sand and stone
to feed us
.
the afternoon sun
casts your shadow
my way
.
wind
through an open window
carries us forward
Correction for offering:
the desert door
leads
down a rabbit hole
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
policemen direct
traffic away for a sink-hole
that widens hourly
the flooded almond
orchard rows visited each
day by white egrets
a fortune teller
deals tarot cards to tell
the ladies their fate
the door the desert
leads
down a rabbit hole
librarians
startle when they can’t read books
they processed yesterday
the used-car salesman
directs clients
to low-cost gas
in the time machine
we chart a different course – Melissa Dennison
he misses
phone booths and movies
in black and white
remembering the night
he lost his virginity
in a red corvair
all those novel
rejection letters
from typewriters
in the time machine
we chart a different course — Melissa Dennison
—
people with spears
watch as Cook’s white sails
cross the horizon
a captive
to wayward urges
on the high side of the seesaw
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
backlash
foreshadowing
the future look
Oops- the forbidden participle!
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
the sailing ship captain
shifts course
to avoid the squall
at the amusement park
the longest line for rides
at the Ferris Wheel
their cellmates
a murderer and a tall
building scaler
the radio host
eager to interview folks
who travel uniquely
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
I get
better looking
every day
my son’s
not thrilled
about inheriting banjos
hoping our future
grandchildren will be
hiking. on another planet
planet Earth
will be a museum tour
some day
born old
and die young
in some galaxies
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
all the souls living
in my parents’ shoes
a dream reunion
in the twinkling
of an eye we shall
all be changed
the future of
the nation is
up for debate
fourth down and inches
with only seconds left
on the clock
in the time machine
we chart a different course
—Melissa Dennison
his dream schooner
always just over
the horizon
the starter frees
a basket full
of eager pigeons
judges will award
a special gold medal
for the slowest snail
the Doctor’s
new hips
hooray
I love the dream schooner! Beautiful!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
in the maternity ward
newborns open eyes
to worlds long past
emerging from the portal
travelers find themselves
in unfamiliar eras
at the job interview
candidates list skills
from parallel futures
at the travel agency
tourists book trips
to their pasts
the cartographer maps
borders that shift
with each new day
city planners map out
streets that exist
in different decades
historians debate
the authenticity
of tomorrow’s news
at the family reunion
relatives introduce
their alternate selves
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
subway riders sway
in unison with the rhythm
of unseen tracks
families huddle close
as the ferris wheel lifts them
high above the fair
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
a local teacher
receives $1,000
bravery award
the state’s attorney
files amended charges
against the school shooter
at the school, parents
enroll their son
in pre-law courses
the barber cuts
my hair so short
I feel bald
a local teacher
receives $1,000
bravery award
John Daleiden
very good point!!!!!
yes. John, i agree!!! all the teachers of today are brave!
i quit public school
teaching when the students
shot spit projectiles*
*spitballs….little missiles made of chewed up paper.
echos of laughter
fading into
the night
humming together
a canary’s
melody.
clouds like grandpa
can’t remember
where they’ve been
all of his
castles have disappeared
in the tide
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
in a hurry
she gathers
chestnuts
~ ~ ~
all the time
in the world
swinging on the porch
no time
like the present
thank you!
seventh birthday
she receives
a watch
Haha!
Making me smile, Pamela!
families visit
the first riffle tower*
at peace park usa
*the first riffle tower is a tower built from
collected banned weapons
spelling corrected:
families visit
the first rifle tower*
at peace park usa
*the first rifle tower is a tower built from
collected banned weapons
Wonderful to hear this, Wendy.
thanx, madeleine
:)
Your welcome, Wendy!
work life balance
else our lives
hang in balance
Diana Ming Jeong
Very lovely, DIana. :)
Thank you Madeleine!
How about a slight edit…?
work life balance
else our lives hang
in balance
Diana Ming Jeong
‘Welcome Diana!
choose
your own
adventure
Diana Ming Jeong
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
yesterday
the Jonses
moved next door
the gynecologist
says, it’s not possible,
yet, I’m pregnant
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
—-
from the crows-nest
the lookout
spots crows
on the outbound ferry
passengers wave
at the inbound ferry
eyebrows raised
at the neighbours’
holiday snaps
vhs videos
converted
to blu-ray
a runner
takes a shortcut
to the finish line
all systems go!
our children escape
in cardboard boxes
Diana Ming Jeong
students fascinated
by her history class
show and tell
can’t have “show”—goes back to hokku
can’t have “tell”—that’s speaking
so how about:
students fascinated
by her history class
presentation
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
the family
tests for new corrective
reading lenses
very happy for you, Mellisa…i love your verse, it reminds me of the more recent….”Back to the Future” film. your link of different to Rob’s indifferent is very creative and your shift is so fun!!!!!!
Getting us to a positive….maybe, corrected path. A great addition to our renku.
Thanks, Patricia for again, the best pick!
we chart a different course
in the time machine — Melissa Dennison
i was wondering, if the reverse order of Mellisa’s verse would read even more smoothly in the renku….what do you think?????
either way it’s a winner to me!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
— Melissa Dennison
Patricia Also…i do believe this should be week 17
yes, Wendy–my bad. I’m hoping Robin can make the correction. Otherwise we are going to have week 18 and week 18a :(
Regarding switching lines on Melissa’s verse–I think it reads ok either way. I’ll think about it when I choose the next verse–and, of course, I’d like to hear from Melissa.
thanks to Patricia and Robin for the quick fix!
As to Melissa’s verse:
this is the comparison i mean:
how the renku reads from Rob’s verse
to Melissa’s verse
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple ———-Rob Barkan
in the time machine
we chart a different course ——–Melissa Dennison
or
cold moon
indifferent
as mountains topple ———-Rob Barkan
we chart a different course
in the time machine ——–Melissa Dennison
i think the last set reads smoother.
OK, re switching lines, I prefer it as I originally wrote it to be honest, but it’s up to you, Patricia.
Thanks Wendy, I loved those films as a teenager. Marty Mcfly. Takes me back. 😁
Cool!
(so sorry, for messing up the spelling of your name, Melissa)
Congratulations Melissa!!! I wish I had a Time Machine sometimes! ☺️
i can’t seem
to keep up
with the Jones
the grass
is always greener
in my mind
This was supposed to be:
i can’t seem
to keep up
with the Joneses
Diana Ming Jeong
Sorry, bit late replying. Loved your comment. Funny! Yes, I think we all do at times. 🤣
in the time machine
we chart a different course
— Melissa Dennison
gerontologists
prescribe
side effects
LOL!!! pamela
Thanks Wendy!
Pamela, I echo Wendy’s lol! a keeper
Thank you Clysta!
abandoned ferry
chugs backwards
to the last port
Well done, Melissa, and well deserved if I may say so.
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
—-
baby’s wide eyes
at his first
barcode
You may say so, Keith. You may. 😁
Catching up with messages, I was on another planet yesterday.
Spelling correction please:
Bill and Ted
claim their trips were more
exciting than ours
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
in the bistro
they celebrate their return
from they won’t say where
Bill and Ted
claim teir trips were more
exciting than ours
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
help our friend
to recover all
the lost pieces
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
with pleasure she tears
the last day of the month
from her calendar
she thinks of a new
season while changing
house decorations
their invitation
to the ball printed
on gold foil
the slice of her
birthday cake larger this year
than last year
So much fun to renku with all of you! Congrats Melissa! I love your verse. I am excited by the thought of your Time Machine and all that possibility. It will take me some time to get my head around all that has to be avoided! No death… no life… no poem tonight! Thank you Patricia!
Thankyou Pam. Yes it is fun taking part in these, I love the challenge of it and how it takes you unexpected avenues. Good luck with it!
Congratulations, Melissa. :-) I don’t know whether to think of H.G. Wells or Dr. Who.
Congrats Melissa and thank you Patricia
in the time machine
we chart a different course – Melissa Dennison
playing dead
when my
in-laws arrive
weeping
fortune tellers
make me nervous
LOL! Lol! Thanks Dan
You’re welcome dear Pamela, the in-laws one is a true story!
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
the patient smiles
when the oncologist says
the cancer is gone
a day of love
proposed on the city
council agenda
jurors hand the judge
a not guilty verdict
in the federal trial
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
schoolchildren
doodle with crayons
on a whiteboard
the X’s and O’s
on coach’s tablet
seem a blur
the roar of
hometown fans
for a walk-off
the bounce
of a ball across
galaxies
in a dream
losers concede
defeat
Thank you, Patricia, for selecting my verse for the top 2(!), but I admit, Melissa’s was such a more positive way to go. I am so happy to make that turn.
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
the many
miles between
family feasts
***
mom’s always
secret surprise of
what’s for dessert
very cool sci-fi verse melissa!
thank you patricia for selecting it,
this offers a solution for worldwide
calamity, just pick a safer time period.
a welcome relief from the tumult
i caused last week, just perfect and i love it.
Thanks. 👨🚀🚀🛸
dear patricia, looks like the week 17
renku got lost in a time warp.
this week’s renku is labeled 18.
Hi, Rob–It’s our 18th week in which we write for verse 17–do you agree? This is because week 1 gives directions on how to write the first verse, but the writing of the first verse doesn’t happen until week 2. It’s possible I’ve mislabeled something somewhere. If so, let me know, and I’ll try to get it fixed.
thanks for your explanation patricia–i understand the delay between verse and week number–but last week was labeled 16, you can see it on the main thf page, no sign of week 17 there, it just goes to 18 this week.
ai-yi-yi! You’re right, Rob–I mislabeled this week’s posting! It should have been Week Seventeen. We’ll see if Robin can bail me out–fingers-crossed! Thank you for catching this . . .
Rob and Patricia,
I think it was the time machine. :)
ha, ha, ha ! good one! lol! i agrree, diana
ai-yi-yi! You’re right, Rob–I mislabeled this week’s posting! It should have been Week Seventeen. We’ll see if Robin can bail me out–fingers-crossed! Thank you for catching this . . .
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
the dealer lays out
another round
of Down the River
change in school policy
requires installment
of scanning devices
jokester tosses
dead rattle snake
into friend’s car
I go
all in
on the roulette
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
my father’s pride
due to lifetime membership
in AAA
the deep price cuts
as self-driving autos
become obsolete
inflation results
in smaller cosmos
at bars’ happy hours
inevitably
there will be staff cuts
because of AI
Congrats to Melissa!
at the estate sale
a hot babe eyeballs
Grandpa’s junk
our geologist
gathers bulky samples
of early rock and roll
in the time machine
we chart a different course
*
Melissa Dennison
*
still a scent
of rosemary
on the recipe cards
*
one more shuffle
of the recipe cards
before the pot luck
*
Best wishes on your continued recovery, John. Another great selection, Patricia. And congratulations on a wonderful link, Melissa! The voyage goes on!!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Melissa Dennison
bodies
ease into thick
cushions
pages flip
forward magically
on their own
memories
butterfly away as
spheres pass
time stills
as weightlessness
increases
the dot
becomes
a hole
Melissa Dennison, your verse is a dramatic shift from impending doom, Thank you.
🤣 thanks!!
*
in the time machine
we chart a different course
*
Melissa Dennison
*
the shirt so old
it’s in and out
and back in style
*
Lol, this is great, Laurie!
Thank you Patricia for placing my offerings on the possible list.
Robin Smith, thank you for posting the continuation of the Renku.
John Stevenson, good healing and tranquility
Wow . . .I love that one, Melissa! And Thank you, Patricia !
😁 I honestly don’t know where it came from but I tried to steer us all away from the rocks, as we were getting a bit gloomy.
A wonderful verse to get the final sprint going! Thank you. Melissa, and congratulations! Loved the long list and comments, Patricia. And an all too impressive list of “don’ts”!
*
in the time machine
we chart a different course
*
Melissa Dennison
*
a backpack
full of odds and ends
for show and tell
*
in the time machine
we chart a different course –Melissa Dennison
to support wolrd survival
people parade
streets in their nations
at the town hall
citizens meet and seek
new leadership
Dear Melissa
Thanks for rescuing us from a possibly disastrous situation.
in the time machine
we chart a different course
Denizens
pf the parched plain
see rain clouds on the horizon
Dear Dick
It’s my pleasure. Just dusting off my superhero suit as I type. 😆
Melissa
Congratulations Melissa, a fun and exciting verse. Well done. First thing that came to mind, Dr Who.
Yes! Just so long as we are safe from any daleks! 😆
Congratulations, Melissa on such a fun and wonderful verse, so full of possibilities! Thank you, Patricia, a perfect choice…I also loved reading the amazing lines in the short and long list. A joy to read all the poetry here!
Thankyou. 😊
Thankyou for choosing my offering this week. I am chuffed to bits. ;))
Congratulations, Melissa! Your verse sets a course for much needed positivity!
Congrats, Melissa, on having a verse selected. That’s awesome!
in the time machine
we chart a different course
–Melissa Dennison
they watch the formation
of blackbirds swoop
into a murmuration
the couple follows
the blackbird’s murmuration
in the sky
she watches
Canada geese form
a wedge-shaped V
he photographs
Canada geese
in a V-shaped wedge
they watch
blackbirds swoop
into a murmuration
Thankyou! Wow! I am so pleased.
These are beautiful, Nan!