Renku Sessions

The Renku Sessions: Timber Smoke – Week 8

renku_300

Greetings and welcome to The Haiku Foundation’s current Renku Session entitled, ‘Timber Smoke’. I am Marshall Hryciuk of Toronto, Canada and I will be leading this session through a 36-link kasen renku.

 

So, here’s the second spring link; number 8 in our links.

 

the tiffany blue
of 3 eggs in a nest                                       

Eavonka Ettinger

 

Clearly seasonally spring. The ‘hard’ link is between the “eggs in a nest” and the metal bells in the bicycle ringer.

More subtle is the marvelous complementary-contrast link, in a yin-yang circle kind of figure,  of the female-generated discharge of the embryos-“3 eggs in a nest” in the fauna with the male-originated secretion of “pollen” in the flora.

“Tiffany” was originally a designer’s surname, but its use here is not as a proper name but a shadowy reference to a materially thin tinge of colour that we can all identify as the tint of a robin’s small egg.

Thus, we have a numeral in our renku, but still require other discrete elements, such as Place Name, Proper Name, foreign word, etc. More of that later.

Thank-you very much, Eavonka; this adds immensely to our relay.

 

What we require now is 3 lines, Current Events. By the latter, i mean items in the news; visual or social; headlines or ‘headline worthy’ irruptions into our collective self-consciousness. Subtlety is not a requirement here.

Happy Linking
Marshall

 

 

 

Timber Smoke (so far)

 

nothing dimmed yet
timber smoke scent
sifts into the house

Marshall Hryciuk

 

one by one
I pick plums off of the ground

Alfred Booth

 

a file of cars
overtaking a tractor
on the mountain road

Keith Evetts

 

drawn out deer notes
echo in the coolness

Betty Shropshire

 

even paler
than the clearing fog
day moon

Mary White

 

handprints  and crumbs
I would miss them

Pamela Garry

 

giving pollen
a lift
on the bicycle bells

Laurie Greer

 

the tiffany blue
of 3 eggs in a nest

Eavonka Ettinger

 

 

 

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

This Post Has 191 Comments

    1. the eighth dimension of
      reality form a crystalline
      geometric universe

      My fascination with how the universe operates. 🙂

        1. Thanks Madeleine you should see the geometric patterns formed when they run the computer models to understand this new concept. Truly beautiful. Like mandalas. They are linking theory of relativity with quantum mechanics.

  7. hmm….by this time we usually ‘hear’ from Marshall, i hope he either has found a verse that doesn’t need edit permission or hasn’t made a pick yet and Not due to a repeat “timber smoke scent” event in Canada.

    Marshall can you give a form of reassurance that are you Okay?

    1. redo:
      ___________________________

      check
      for a whole Ukraine
      ___________________________

  9. Congrats Eavonka – a lovely verse!
    .
    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    .
    a dark hoodie
    with gym shorts
    is the new lbd
    .
    house for sale
    or is it
    the president?
    .
    sure, you could use that money
    to house the homeless
    but then who would kill the Russians?

    1. deep space discoveries
      bring up more
      questions than answers

      new galaxies
      upend old ways
      of thinking

  12. mother
    of all
    el niños

    without fuss
    a grown female kobudai
    becomes male

    will the last
    invasive species
    turn off the lights

    1. keith…..love the creative futurist sci-fi element in the ‘…..last………lights’ piece

        1. oh, yes….i did and do picture that! and i would believe that humans are often the basis….depicted as monsters in the comics/novels/movies and video game formats.

  17. writers fight
    losing their jobs
    to AI

    children without parents
    abandoned again
    at the border

    women drafted now
    they’ve run out
    of men

    puzzled faces
    stare at the prices
    on the grocery shelves

    floodwaters redirected
    to the villages
    of the poorest

    1. marjorie….i also experienced the same event in my garden this last spring-summer. everything seemed to bloom too late!

  24. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    G20 summit
    all smiles for one earth
    one family, one future

    sharp eyes
    on the queen’s move
    mates checkmate

    Asiad Games
    an eagle’s eye bullets
    the speed

      1. madeleine — this is real! BBC September 7 replayed round the world
        “A yoga class was mistaken for a “ritual mass murder” scene after members of the public saw several people lying on the floor and reported it to police.

        Five police cars descended on the North Sea Observatory in Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, on Wednesday night.

        Yoga teacher Millie Laws said she thought reports of her being a “mass murderer” were a “joke at first”.

        Lincolnshire Police confirmed everyone was safe and well, and the call was made with “good intentions”.”

        Truth is stranger than fiction!

        1. This is incredible, Harrison! Thanks for letting me know:) Yes, truth is stranger than fiction! — a wonderful haiku!

  29. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    birthday chirps
    to never judge a book
    by its colours

    (a nod to my mother and remembering how she taught and showed me these treasured values well!)

  30. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    birthday chirps
    to never judge a book
    by its colour

    (a nod to my mother and remembering how she taught and showed me these treasured values well!)

  31. Global Chessboard
    Power Plays
    and Diplomatic Gambits

    Texas secedes
    from the USA
    Thank God!

  32. Mar-a-Lago pond
    a fraud jumps
    knee high in boxes

    cellmates convinced
    his nail clippings
    are crescent moons

    the domino effect
    of a don triggered
    Folie à deux

  33. Congratulations, Eavonka, outstanding verse.

    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest
    –Eavonka Ettiger

    government shutdown avertec
    the red and blue mixing it up
    in a free-for-all

  35. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    ***

    flock
    of plastic bags
    migrating
    *

    charting
    a new island
    of plastic bags
    *

    a flock
    lands
    on plastic bags

  36. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    however briefly
    climate change worked
    in a sea lion’s favor
    *
    the short
    and the sweet
    of a sea lion’s freedom
    *

      1. here’s my two cents, betty…since you asked:

        neither!….the word, ‘norm’ is troubling for me…it kinda implies an image of contrast with ‘abnormal’…since you would want to show sensitivity towards people who unnecessarily struggle in this world…it muddies the meaning. They are normal…they make up this world, have always lived here since the beginning of time…instead of fearing differences we need to embrace them.

        1. Wendy, I come from an extended family with members whose identities were closeted or medically altered to fit the norms of the day. Trust me, I am very sensitive to the issue as to what qualifies as normal. It is important to challenge perceived societal norms. Our country is screwed if we don’t challenge said norms. The Supreme Court will probably have on their docket a case relating to childrens’ rights to be known as they are.
          You missed my point entirely.

  39. breaking news
    banjo player wins
    the Nobel Peace Prize

    Economist update
    banjos outnumber bombs
    in Belize

    culture update
    this week’s banjo concert
    is on Bocephus‘s front porch

  40. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    pandiplomacy
    still our best hope
    for world peace
    *
    so many power plays
    in the sport
    of politics
    *
    at last a beaver
    finds lodging
    in London
    *

  42. .
    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest – Eavonka Ettinger
    .
    the Magpies
    have won the Grand Final
    in Melbourne!

    .

  43. let’s ask the Dutch
    for advice on a dyke
    all round Manhattan

    cuckoos arrive
    just in time
    for elections

  46. breaking news
    homesick extraterrestrial
    heading home

    medical news
    reviews the shrinking
    human heart

    random acts
    of kindness rarely
    make the news

  49. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    —
    all i can recall
    is Audrey Hepburn
    and the cat

  50. Lovely renku!

    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    —Eavonka Ettinger
    —
    how to explain
    the fine sycamore felled
    at Hadrian’s wall

    the chatbot sorry
    that it must reject
    a marriage proposal

    left by the wayside
    the preference for pronouns
    we, us — and our

    ( comment: I hope we are far enough now from ‘timber’ in the hokku, to name the specific tree, loved by the world, shockingly vandalised in Northumbria, along with a named person…
    Last Spring, Chat GPT turned down my proposal of marriage with “sorry” but as a Language Learning Model, it was unable to engage in such relationships. I am waiting… )

    1. commenting on keith’s comments…i am reminded here of an old jewish proverb,
      it goes something like this:

      if you butter your bagel halves
      and one falls down on the buttered side,
      you’ve buttered the wrong side of the bagel!

      now, i imagine, a wise chatbot’s
      reply with a caveat:

      to suffer
      true rejection, next time,
      propose to real person

      or

      this bot’s
      not
      for you

      or

      ?

      what are you waiting for?

      a language upgrade?

      “sirisly” ….all in fun….wendy

      1. I also nurture amiable feelings for Constance, the Google Maps lady, who is always patient with me when I take a wrong turn.

    2. Nothing less than sickening vandalism, Keith.
      And looking at the cut, he certainly knows how to use a chainsaw. Even had the time to saw up some branches a place them in a neat pile, the cheek of it. I hope they throw the book at the ******.

    3. Generally, Keith, i would say we’re still too close to “Timber” to name a tree, but this one is so prevalent in the news it would qualify -except that, for me, to wonder why or find a egregious act unfathomable is to give it some credit, when it deserves none whatsoever. So; possible, but not this one -Marshall

      1. Thanks, Marshall. As I cannot comprehend why anyone would want to commit this malevolent act of vandalism, I chose inexplicable – “hard to explain” rather than “telling” readers how appalling it is.

  54. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest
    (Eavonka, lovely!)

    countless nest eggs
    up in smoke
    and that’s not what matters most

  56. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    keeping the libraries
    free–
    however little or big
    *

  57. police respond
    quickly to a phony
    active shooter

    shutdown looming
    but we can barely
    afford to eat

    they keep
    regurgitating
    the same lies

    wildfires
    level another
    ancestral home

    flying home
    without restrictions
    for the first time

    1. unresolved
      scandal behind
      stained glass

      the girls saved
      from trafficking
      are never free

      migrant children
      too often are victims
      of human trafficking

        1. post-COVID
          China wants their
          pandas back

          X + Y
          equals whatever
          we feel like

          politicians
          like to vote for war
          but against the fight

  59. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    reading everything
    on the banned
    bestseller list
    *

  70. wanton vandalism
    the chainsaw massacre
    of Robin Hood’s tree

    flashing blade
    another teenager
    bleeds on the sidewalk

    breaking news:
    what isn’t broken
    in this broken world

  71. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    the government’s behavior
    finally earns it
    a time out
    *

  73. stick a fork in his ass
    and turn him over
    he’s almost done

    NFL ratings
    are Swift
    to soar

    Cantore sightings
    empty another
    local beach

  74. 7
    giving pollen
    a lift
    on the bicycle bells
    8
    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest
    9
    a high square tower
    the Church of the Trinity
    has no side chapels

    the spy ring
    had agents in 20 towns
    who never met

    a planned attack
    from West, North & East
    Southward’s a trap

    – but for me, the best so far is
    Richard Straws ‘land mines’ :
    a telescopic link

  76. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    on a slow train
    the Parthenon marbles weave
    their way back home

  79. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    morning press
    mentioning everything but
    the cost of living

  85. Congratulations Eavonka!

    todays’s third graders
    dodging bullets instead
    of skipping rope

    hoping Trump
    goes to hell
    one day soon

    CNN
    Constant Negative
    News

    I’m never
    related to lottery
    winners

  87. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    the essential workers
    of NASA deliver
    pieces of Bennu
    *

  88. a little bird whispers
    national crush a can
    and chocolate milk day
    …

    survivor
    hai does not budge
    from the original decision

  89. Biden comes to town
    and the sky chirps
    a blue brighter

    looking in on CNN
    to see if democracy
    is still intact

  90. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    and where
    were his parents
    when he did the deed?

  91. Congratulations, Eavonka! I love your colorful verse. And thanks, Marshall, for another astute selection.
    too hard to sit out another week, especially with such a rich verse to work from.
    *
    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger
    *
    the sky raw
    and bloodied
    over Hadrian’s Gap
    *
    many an empty
    limb
    over Hadrian’s Gap
    *

    1. or make that

      the sky raw
      and bloodied
      over Hadrian’s Wall
      *
      many an empty
      limb
      over Hadrian’s Wall
      *

      *

  92. Beautiful linking by Eavonka. Please consider the following Marshall.

    bailout bargains-
    island suffers
    endless storms

  96. Well, this was thrilling news, and I am happy that I have a verse in my very first renku!

    Marshall, the way you make connections and the depth of your guidance is truly remarkable. I am so enjoying this journey. Thank you so much!

  97. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest
    —Eavonka Ettinger

    the book of hours
    no rush of ocean waves
    for Lahaina
    **

  98. Congratulations Eavonka, you created a superbly lovely image with such poetic undertones. Marshall your talent for bringing out the best reigns supreme.

  101. A wonderful addition Eavonka to our renku, and so elegant in its simplicity:) Well done Eavonka!

    1. Means the world, Madeleine, and thank you for alerting me that I needed to reply. 💜💜💜

  103. Congratulations, Eavonka! So lovely!

    ❤️

    Taylor Swift
    Travis Kelce
    It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”

  104. the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    a new round
    of pawnbrokers sweeping
    the stock exchange floor

  106. dots in a grid
    the drone’s-eye view
    of land mines

    stochastic threats
    the echoes of bullets
    in a public space

  110. a most beautiful image eavonka…and another precious pick and creative edit of marshall

    the tiffany blue
    of 3 eggs in a nest

    Eavonka Ettinger

    the lamps’ lowered
    in Trump’s NY
    tower

    1. Thank you, Wendy.

      I love the subtle link between Tiffany’s and Trump’s Tower which both reside fairly close to one another on 5th Avenue.

      1. thanks, Eavonka…i was a resident of NY, most of my life….and had many encounters with all the mentioned above.

        1. I felt you must have (I was at NYU 90-94). Just thought others might not make the connection. 💜

          1. Eavonka, thanks for seeing that connection and sharing it….
            NYU- my old stomping ground for civil rights marches.

Comments are closed.

Back To Top