The Renku Sessions: Tan-Renga Week 10
Hello, everyone. We will be focusing on tan-renga for the remainder of the year. While I’m not certain how deeply rooted in its history this may be, I’m going to urge you to think of tan-renga in two ways. One way is to think of it as the shortest of all renga/renku forms. This would encourage variety in the linking styles and perhaps some great leaps. The other way is to think of it as collaborative waka/tanka, which might support closer linking, bordering upon narrative.
It appears that The Haiku Foundation’s website will be busy for the remainder of this month and, consequently, we can expect to be pushed off the home page a little earlier than usual. You can still reach this page at any time. At the bottom of the home page, there is a listing of “Featured Content.” Using the navigation arrows, you can locate the Renku Sessions (5 clicks to the left or 12 to the right) and, from there, bring up the most recent posting.
We received 75 capping verse offers for Peter Mauk’s opener (and many wonderful offers related to other finalists) from 20 poets.
Here is my short list:
barn cats live and
die without names
Richard Straw
tractor parts left
on a workbench
Richard Straw
the silo’s shadow
falls on the house
Richard Straw
inside the milking shed
the sweet scent of milk
Lorin Ford
on the way to mass
a lamb born too soon
Marion Clarke
the scent of hoof oil
from the stable
Carol Jones
her Ladyship sips her tea
in the flower garden
Lorin Ford
following in
my father’s footsteps
Michael Henry Lee
those election promises
of transparency
Keith Evetts
the buddha
waving hello
Curt Linderman
the morning newspaper
full of bad news
Nancy Brady
cold fingers
hold a bowl of tea
Jonathan Alderfer
the bituminous scent
of the afterlife
Jonalth Alderfer
lamb and lentil
stewing in the kitchen
Amoolya Kamalnath
Growing up, as I did, on or in the vicinity of family farms focused on dairy and small crops, I had a very particular vision of the scene depicted in Peter Mauk’s opening verse. Reading through the capping offers, I was reminded that many of us have lived lives in urban or in significantly different rural settings. I’ve tried to bear this in mind when making my list of finalists.
first frost
steam on the manure pile
rises in morning light
Peter Mauk
barn cats live and
die without names
Richard Straw
One of the things that I have tried to do in my haiku years is to see things without the distortions of naming them. Of course, we must name things in order to have any images at all in our poems, but the true subject is often something for which any naming is inadequate.
first frost
steam on the manure pile
rises in morning light
Peter Mauk
the silo’s shadow
falls on the house
Richard Straw
This gets points for its musicality. And it must be admitted that the field and barn work of a farm, represented in the silo, are of a piece with the housework of the family.
first frost
steam on the manure pile
rises in morning light
Peter Mauk
her Ladyship sips her tea
in the flower garden
Lorin Ford
Unlike the kind of family farm that I initially imagined, there is farming on a scale that allows for a social hierarchy among those working and living on an estate. The juxtaposition of these images – the earthy and genteel – highlights the fact that we are all part of the same world, even though we may pretend otherwise.
first frost
steam on the manure pile
rises in morning light
Peter Mauk
lamb and lentil
stewing in the kitchen
Amoolya Kamalnath
A very different array of scents but, again, making the point that there is this one great thing, with endlessly various aspects of presentation. Not so much the garden of Eden as the farm of Eden.
I know it is my job to select just one of the finalists. I find I can’t do it this time. All four will be included in the archives.
THIS WEEK
Please make up to five offers of opening verses. Since this verse, with the eventually selected cap, will probably be the final one for this session of tan-renga practice, perhaps we can focus on images that invoke the completion of another year, either literally or figuratively.
Enter your offers in the comments section, below, before midnight (Eastern US time) on Monday, December 12th. On Thursday, December 15th, I will select the capping verse and comment on the process.
Thank you, all, once again,
John
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 (51)
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Thanks for the tan-renga fun. I enjoyed everyone’s responses. Y’all sure know how to cap a pile of manure!
all ponds the same
this year
goose arrives alone
the moist green
of grass
warmed by buffalo’s breath
last look at the dam
through ice
beaver dives for lodge
My five offers:
new year –
on the threshold again
ready to leave
***
completion –
all the resolutions
we give up midway
***
raised bar –
Christmas star guides
her comeback
***
starlit night
a fresh pile of snow
on the same earth
***
taxi ride –
the whole journey packed
in a bag
white bark unraveling . . .
the lies I told myself
just last fall
.
chimney sparks . . .
our river of words
curls into the moonlight
.
Saturn and Jupiter
under the Milky Way . . .
foreign wars
.
talking in tongues . . .
winter radishes
from the greenhouse
.
under the eaves
a chickadee
hunts winter spiders
.
Well done to all and thanks to John.
A few offerings…
New Years Day
how heavy our heads
and the recycling bin
another Christmas
I return Scrooge and his ghosts
to the shelf
cold realisation
my life no longer warrants
a diary
mall entertainment
a dog challenges
a dancing Santa
marion
year’s last brush painting
whitewashing the first
fresh fallen snow
yearly corn maze
now a stubble field
solved crossword
corking the bottle
latching the gate
barren vineyard rests
Christmas spirit
the warmth of an aged
malt
1) All in kitchen
collaborative venture
for Christmas eve
2) age shrinking
on her gait
and looks as well
3) old calendar
full of significant dates
bygone events
4) reaping farm
numberless past
how much good
5) her birthday
How many missing cakes
hungry stomachs
as sure a sign
as snow or ice
migrating flock
last year’s leaves
and this year’s mingle
the inviting woods
nearly all
the leaves have fallen
still birds hide
year’s end
another book to close
and shelve
another year
the celebration also
getting old
‘coffee snob’ I had no idea of this… but now I realise I was among two of them at the end of October 2019, they were visiting from Australia. They wouldn’t consider drinking a good instant, just a good brand of tea, unless we were out browsing the shops in the town or city and the coffee had to be made from dark roast beans. . . words fail me.
Thank you, Lorin :)
:-) Carol, perhaps all ‘coffee snobs’ are of Australian origin? They’re a bit like ‘wine snob’, and I imagine they think of themselves as connoisseurs. ‘Dark beans’? These people know the actual names and origins of the beans! And don’t mind letting everyone in the room know.
l.o.l They certainly let me know, Lorin.
I’m sure they still see me as a Welsh philistine :)
roping the dead branch
of an old beech–
years’ end
*
best of the year lists
so many blanks
in my calendar
**
John, a lovely choice of capping verses. Congratulations to the four finalists…a peaceful holiday to all!
It pours…
throughout the night
peace
….
a mess of calendars
tumbles
through the mail
…
Christmas holly
climbs
the iron gate
poinsettia
a birthday
in winter…
…
the humbleness
of such
a king
…
14 days left
is Christmas
without you
After that
row of beer bottles
it’s empty
final play
using all my Scrabble tiles
forgiven
My offerings:
.
winter wind
in mother’s room
pile of pink thermals
.
endless bucket list
tucked in my pocket
the Himalaya’s map
.
just about to tell
how i missed her
half red leaf falls
.
another Milky way
in my binoculars
Diwali night
.
not yet Christmas
and the baby named
Jesus
.
World Cup Soccer
night sky drowned
in screams
.
Lakshmi Iyer
India
3, 2, 1…
the first haiku
of the new year
Thanks John for considering one of my calling verses. And ignoring the two others that referenced a joke. I have to admit that the verse reminded me of a joke /story my husband tells. Congratulations to the four winners, five if including the verse to be capped.
Now, for some verses:
looking back
and looking forward
–a hogmanay toast
gifts opened…
the squeals of joy
from the kids
ribbons and bows…
wrapping paper flying
everywhere
boxing day…
all that remains
are thank you notes
Capping not calling. I hate typos, especially my own, but even more I hate when the auto-correct monkey thinks it knows better than me.
borrowing
an unemployed
scarecrow’s boots
*****
sprinkling
holy water
on the new outhouse
****
my 2023
social calendar
is also blank
****
walking
and now crawling
to the finish line
****
A revision
*
sprinting then
walking now crawling
to the finish line
Dan,
Love the 2023 social calendar verse. It’s fitting.
Many thanks Nancy, best wishes for 2023!
The same to you, Dan. Best wishes in 2023!
And to all the poets as well. May 2023 be a better year for everyone.
.
Vlad
in a Santa suit –
imagine that!
.
despite it being
the first month of summer
more wintry storms
.
we tune in daily
to Climate Driver updates –
it’s not like Christmas
.
‘roos versus reindeer –
even climate change pundits
hedging their bets
.
climate change –
none of Santa’s helpers wear
budgie smugglers
.
ahem! Bad line break in last one (above) revised to:
climate change –
none of Santa’s helpers
wear budgie smugglers
.
lamb and lentil
stewing in the kitchen
Amoolya Kamalnath
Christmas dinner
pray together for
world peace
parchment lichen
another year
for the annals
**
first frost
the thin skin of ice
on yesterday’s puddle
deep snowfall
the hidden rhythms
of life
the streets are full
cold quickens among the lights
of Christmas coming
heating low
in the winter refuge
a joker warms up
the last light out
all down the quiet valley
a winter moon
black trees
line the long hill
above a frozen lake
yellow brown leaves
on the porch, in the hallway,
up in the bedroom
frost holds
cattle in the byre
chew steam
(David Cobb)
presents wrapped and ready
saving the last gift card
for next year
*
and if I can revise my first one:
sewing circle
four fat quarters
for the new year’s quilt
**
thank you!
winter storm
still feeling the effects
of festivities
snowglobes
time to shake up
this party
full circle
life’s carousel
resets itself
sleigh bells
disturbing the peace
of his mourning
midnight countdown
checking out who to kiss
when the ball drops
Bows to all.
new year’s eve —
the sound of a car crash
after the party
doom scrolling
rebels hurl tomato soup
at a few old masters
the clock runs down
to the last
can of sardines
I’m like New Year
and still watching
Casablanca
radioactive swirls
of cream cheese
and nutmeg
*
sniff the empty streets
of Christmas Day
*
reliable as a rooster in the morning
*
in the airy conservatory
overlooking the garden
magnolia tree
*
ancient vineyards
abandoned by the rain
a rainbow pinwheel
An enjoyable set; engaging comment — felicitations all. Now for the year’s end…
they come
to take away the body
grandfather clock
—
New Year
all the fuss
among the sparrows
—
passing year
a rustle
in the chimney
—
repolishing
the table
winter moon
—
Christmas
sharing
our humbugs
decorating…
his own wreath
on the entrance door
December post
an exclamation mark ends
her Christmas card message
year end
the chestnut seller’s
blackened fingers
playing grinch
for another Christmas
winter stars
winter stars
party goers sing
Auld Lang Syne
Thank you, John, for selecting my capping verse to be one among the final four! I was much surprised and delighted to see my verse and name there. This is a first for me! It has been a great journey the past few weeks, learning about renku and tan-renga. Thank you for all your guidance including the comments on each verse and instructions on how to cap!
Congratulations to Richard Straw and Lorin Ford! I’m happy to be in your august company.
” All four will be included in the archives.” – John
What a nice surprise, thank you John and congrats to Richard (2 ! ) and Amoolya. Delighted to be in your company this time.
.
re :
her Ladyship sips her tea
in the flower garden
“Unlike the kind of family farm that I initially imagined, there is farming on a scale that allows for a social hierarchy among those working and living on an estate. – John ”
True. Yet it could also be just someone others refer to as “her Ladyship”, because she’s known for “putting on the side”. :-) This sort traditionally holds her cup of tea with the small finger (the ‘pinky’) sticking out. She’s an archetype of comedy, but she exists in real life (or used to when I was younger).
Your last sentence made me smile, Lorin.
They’re still out there :)
:-) Thanks for the confirmation, Carol. I suspected they might be still out there, but did wonder if they’d been replaced by the ‘coffee snob’, the bane of local baristas.
sewing bee
four fat quarters
for the new year’s quilt
**
How I long to live on a farm so I can let my cats roam freely outside. I love the imagery from the capping verses… an awakening for me on how the world lives outside of my own. Thank you!
Congratulations to the fab four on the selection list, well done.
Thank you John for pausing on one of mine.
joy to the world ~
the compost pile
now mulch
catch a falling star
burn your hands
to pieces
skid row Christmas
every junkies waiting for
the man with the bag
in front of
god and everyone…
God and everyone
Trump
on a stack of bibles
upside down and backwards
The Grinch
on broadway
lost in the green man
Christmas morning
the cat and i
exchanging glances
Thanks, John Stevenson, for your selections and comments this week and congratulations to all the poets. The opening verses you selected last week, John, especially Peter Mauk’s, made the capping experience both enjoyable and enlightening.
Capping another’s verse, at least for me, is less stressful than writing an opening verse, just as most other types of conversations are easier to carry on once someone breaks the ice with an interesting and shared topic.
I hope to contribute to the next tan-renga (the last of this current session) once I can focus on a way to sum up another year in a sensory, seasonal, and open-ended way.
waking from a dream
of snow falling over loam
the white cat curls
low lying sun
the heart she drew in frost
melting away
winter air
entering the fog
of weather talk
night train home
beyond the window
who I have become
erratic boulders
signs of the ice age
we flow into