The Renku Sessions: Timber Smoke – Week 9
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.
Here is our first ‘Current Event’ verse:
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
“Spores” -as useful; they depend, as a parasite would, on organic material to maintain their meagre existence, so their continued absence in an area where they have been “scattered” could indicate the presence of ‘unnatural’, recently buried material below.
But also, as a metaphor for the kind of existence without any quality of life endured by an oppressed or invaded people in any place, at any time; but for our time, for these past 18 months, by the people of Ukraine.
And here it now seems that any remedial action against their oppressor must be made through the ‘dragons’ teeth’ of “landmines’. The surrounding words, “scattered,” “following” and “random” all serve to reinforce this feeling of helplessness.
The physical aspect of “spores” does ‘link-back’ to the “pollen” of verse 7, but in a converse relation in that with pollen there can be an anticipation of regeneration in the future whereas with spores there can be no specific anticipation. And for the people of Ukraine, no security of a future -without working through the landmines.
Thank-you very much, John
What we need now is 2 lines, and ‘Current Events’ again.
For verse 9, i received less explicit references to the world situation than i expected, but a renku really is a composition by its participants and i am very happy with how this one’s progressing. So keep responding as you have -we’re doing great -though we’d best not ‘back-link’ again
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
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
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people cheer the idea of
gutting our constitution
the first autocratic step
seize the judiciary branch
we the people must protect
separation of powers
you pick up cotton candy
our faces are full of confidence
conflict
children become firewood
uniform
bathed in blood
God is exalted
just an excuse
like fire in the chaff
waiting for destruction
decades of conflict
an unprovoked war
a thin line
on the Gaza strip
young lives vanish
at a music venue
humans are animals
just look at Hamas
the cool skin of night
soothes playing children
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
***
school zone crossing
an amber alert pops
*
amber alert
another teen trapped
*
new middle class’ parkour
in a grocery store near you
*
who knew AI
also fluent in dead languages?
*
blockbusters
a brief flash of pink
*
Thistle basks in the sun
Bursts his guts.
herd mentality can
send us over the cliff
real media does not
change reality
a shaft of dazzling light
escapes the Ark’s lid
a symphony plays in New Zealand
to an audience of birds
Or
A symphony is played
to a flock of birds
the kernel of global
democracy stands strong
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
……
orphan children
solemn in tents
a prick
bursts the party balloon
each day predators
lie to prey again
each day predators hide
in plain sight to eat again
the lost continent
of Zealandia here after all
youtube decides
your speech is not free
how long before
this forum is censored?
the music festival
wrecked by annihilation
Debbie….so true! your last verse
from mines and traps
a mighty seed will be born
Nani Mariani – Australia
awareness of unity
increasingly burning in the hearts of the people
Nani Mariani – Australia
those who are trapped
the news broadcasts just buzzed
Nani Mariani – Australia
lying mute
hoping someone will stab the wood
Nani Mariani – Australia
this world sacrifices children..
like a game of chess
Nani Mariani – Australia
fighting in their homeland…
children dying in their homeland
the seed takes time to root
and is quickly uprooted
a mass exodus
into the promised land
the monopoly of war news
gags trump’s smear campaign
the deeply rooted bloodshed
on ancient lands
deeply rooted bloodshed
on the Gaza Strip
in a world of borders
no middle ground
chewing gum sticks
to her long wavy hair
the heard and unheard
splashes of ‘fireworks’
hunters take the skins
off endangered creatures
identifying him
by his aftershave
the delayed pop
of hidden kernels
the unearthed wars
at fingernail length
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
.
tithing
10% for the big guy
.
calling the big guy every day
to discuss the weather
.
corn pop was a bad dude
and other bedtime stories
.
a century of fighting for women’s rights
yet today the celebrated women have penises
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
*
John Hawkhead
*
so many faults to find
in this world of ours
*
the ancient faults
never fixed for long
*
Steamboat Willy
acquitted of all charges
the latest series of
alleged improprieties
all simply balderdash
and poppycock
roots that remain
when the sycamore’s felled
radioactive waste
kept in a dark tunnel
a leader fiddles
while his capital burns
pink rabbit ears
in the crater mud
keep away the summer heat
from cigarette butts
Nani Mariani – Australia
Oct 09, 2023
death in the house will occur
smoke blocks breathing
Nani Mariani , Australia
Oct 9, 2023
reoccur
government response is always slow
Nani Mariani – Australia
Oct 09, 23
stage where Shakespeare
performed uncovered
expendable humans pay
the price for power
the iron fist of stalin
resurrected
the nightingale sings
under the rockets red glare
I’m not sure if a bird back links to 3 eggs in a nest.
mothers sing lullabies
in the refuge of subways
the nightingale sings
under grieving red skies
Redo to replace rocket
one world
quaking to the core
the little virus
that couldn’t unite us
the bully pulpits waging on
between virus and war
we count syllables
the creation of inhumanity
the golden rule
were that it were ironclad
Andromeda returning
to air land and sea
bombs away
Andromeda returning
to air land and sea
putting bombs away
tomorrow’s soldier
straps only a camera
i pray when death comes
it’s after the love scene
bang go all
the prayers for peace
drifters recognised
only by cameras
the panic when government
says no need to worry
maggots burst out
of a camouflage jacket
the price of bread
sky high
red glare of rockets heading
toward southwestern territory
.
war expanding
into widening territory,
.
proxy wars expanding
worldwide
earthquake shattering
the news typed in bold face
correcting:
earthquake shattering
the news typed in boldface
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
.
defense contractors
make a killing on the market
.
no one forced at the point of a gun
to take a vaccine
.
the best part about being a conspiracy theorist
is not contracting myocarditis
.
Hansel and Gretel
fill a prescription for Ozempic
.
a fun-house mirror purchased
for the emperor’s new clothes
and today the good news is
______…………………………………_____
breaking news watching the news
is bad for your health
NASA discovers moon sized banjos
orbiting Jupiter
Dan Campbell
October 8, 2023 at 8:22 am
and today the good news is
______…………………………………_____
dan: aha!
your creative use of concrete
finally hit me
nothing has faded yet
the aroma of wood smoke
sifts into the house
— Timber Smoke
whether state officials
not thinking about public health
Nani Mariani – Australia
Oct 8, 2023
nothing has faded yet
the aroma of wood smoke
filter into the house
Timber Smoke
children cough
parents nervous
Nani Mariani – Australia
Oct 08, 2023
Timber Smoke (so far)
nothing dimmed yet
timber smoke scent
sifts into the house
Congratulation , dear Timber..
🌺
window of the old house
eaten by termites
Nani Mariani , Melbourne
Ict 08, 2023
our time capsule heads
towards Andromeda
mammoth bones
in the thawing tundra
an ages-old servant girl
in the peat bog
so many bottle tops
found by detectorists
with full honours
we bury the cat
they don’t feel the dark
sitting shiva in a shelter
bomb shelter’s dark stairs
not safe for her to enter
service dog justin receives diploma
from seton hall
sunfish are prey
to fishing nets’ bycatch
sunfish are most vulnerable
to a fishing net’s bycatch
The mystery of Billy Connolly’s missing banjo
and the dolphin skull that simply vanished
(An actual headline from Scotland’s Daily Mail)
the headlines never change
war, wildfires, wickedness and woe
science update reviews
silent screams coming from zoos
scattered spores
following a trail
through land mines
*
court watchers call
for a je recuse
air raid alert app
constantly flashing
greenland bus tours extended
a lot more mummies
dawn rockets and kite strings
over the sabbath skies
strengthening the chain
of his silver chai pendent
may Israel and Ukraine
share 36 blank checks
typo corrected:
strengthening the chain
of his silver chai pendant
scattered spores
following a trail
of land mines
*
too many birds getting smashed
in Chicago
*
child’s Star of David
breaks off its chain
broken chai chain
another trip to the jeweler
jewelers are closed
on the sabbath
again i solder the chain
links of my son’s chai
Very poignant Wendy. So many tears and fears today.
wish i had no reason to write these….thanks, Pamela
using chess dot com
to check in in bomb shelters
got her deathploma
from fentanyl high
Congratulations, John, in your verse.
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
–John Hawkhead
oligarchs taking over
the world
.
still trying to rule
by hook or by crook
.
trials in the court
of public opinion
that uncanny feeling
we’ve been here before
the market grows
for fentanyl
the best catastrophes
on the latest 4K screen
a sniffer dog
becomes a star
the school bully
voted in as leader
down a limb
he loads a howitzer
Biden (slapped)
against a prepaid wall
war is the oil spill
on the map of history
worlds made helpless
from law-resistant virus
lock down at schools
guns and heat waves
boldly sans make-up
outside the Paris catwalks
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
*
John Hawkhead
*
joining the wild cats hitting
the Rio Grande wall
*
all of us endangered
along the Rio Grande
*
a giant step back
on promises against walls
*
Poli-mana
what the world needs now is more butterflies
Oh my goodness another back-link!– Pollinators! I need a nap:)
month of black butterfly moon
making positive changes
(celebrated by Cherokees during the month of September:)
just remembered–back-linking again because of the moon theme some weeks ago:/
aerial advertisement…
the truth will set you free
another child online
in the slave market
no climate for change
in the hot air of politics
.
weather the storm
whether or not
.
metalmarks and coppers
over the battlefield
.
mushroom clouds now tracked
on the weather channel
.
one wrong step
party loyalty wields death blow
one wrong step against
party wields death blow
working with other party
now treasonous
the dust of war settles
loyalty to party supreme
after the dust settles
loyalty to party supreme
Redo, for back link
*
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
*
only the homeless
still accepting cash
*
A world in crisis –
in Portugal Iona tastes freedom
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
**
la vie en rose
gone with these mass graves
**
gonna need a bigger gag
for this gag order
temperatures rising
in and out of court
running away
with the Ryder Cup
fusing life and limb
in the makeshift arena
fusing life and limb
in a makeshift world
the clouds’ emissions
omitted from the data
another soldier
becomes unknown
Keith, this haiku stays with me. Haunting.
Nice one, Keith, but terribly sad.
Thank you, Pamela and Terri.
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
a younger queue
at the Rolls Royce store
Biden’s shepherd
evicted from the White House
swallows find the wreckage
of their barn
jets converge
on the climate talks
artificial intelligence
won’t say what a man is
a veteran folds his clothes
in the hostel dorm
a dream of peace
and flying pigs
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
tanks on time payment
hidden in the apple orchard
smoking ban
due to public littering
giraffe born in briggs zoo
without any spots
…
roots of forest trees
extend to ailing saplings
…
next year
two companies will race against space-x to mars
…
“brave new world”
living in a fearless sci-fi script
…
“sunny” butterfly
courts in the andes mountains
*oops… forgot about back-linking in reference to mountain in earlier poem by Keith.
edit:
“sunny” butterfly
courts in peru
…Oh well, scratch the edit and verse…a mountain by any other name is still a mountain:) lol
edit:
giraffe born at brights zoo
without any spots
Thank-you John for this poignant and beautifully written poem…may we never forget the tragedies of war. Thank-you Marshall for always choosing a wonderful verse for our amazing renku. Thank-you Poetry Community for all the funny, witty and lovely lines…a joy to read each day!
attempted murder
by the morality police
yes, Rob, i like this edit version, more to the point!
happy you realized it too wendy, thank you!
could melting borders
lead to world peace
bankrupt banjo busker
wins the lottery
UFOs still searching
for intelligent life on Earth
Dan, so true…your UFO verse!
there are no borders
on the hummingbird’s path
(this qualifies as a backlink)
attempted murder of a child
by the so-called morality police
kittens in thornbush and animal
control has me on hold
happy he still has
his gas mask
Congratulations to John on his excellent verse being selected! Thank you, Marshall for keeping us on track.
waiting for a booster
covid mutates again
Congrats John and thanks Marshall!
building bridges is still
better than building walls
spiderwebs on the
peace talks table
this time the popcorn
triggers his PTSD
democracy holds the line
with seeds of resistance
profound listening
tasked by the Pope
seeds of democracy
die under autocratic rule
bushfires return
to ram home their message
psychology of power
drives democracy to autocracy
stealing democracies
one autocrat at a time
technological evolution
outpacing biologic evolution
overconsumed renewables
on edge of extinction
displaced widow takes
comfort from Psalms
hate crimes
hitting record high
kittens in rosebush and animal
control has me on hold
carte blanche
for a whole Ukraine
Really good, John and thanks Marshall!
*
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
*
fat bear week at last
some light news
*
in a wheat field
pulling out putin’s bulbs
*************
on their bellies
pulling out putin’s bulbs
*****************
pulling out the roots
of greed and hate
********************
in a sunflower field
pulling out putin’s bulbs
sunflowers and toadstools – climate confusion
my dance lessons
beginning to pay off
are you related to Patrick Swayze?!
9
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
10
beyond the forest border
undergrowth thicker still
uncertain supplies & tactics
we’re fighting a hydra
fire bursts out again
on hillsides round the world ‘
the copter’s sound
before its shadow
prone in the dirt
on a stolen rifle
Well done, John!
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
*
September song:
Hotter than July
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
rising food prices
nothing is by chance
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
*
the mindless stealing
of beautiful innocents
Great job, John! And Marshal, thanks for another thoughtful and thought-provoking commentary.
*
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
John Hawkhead
*
children’s gun deaths rising
as we wait for the peace prize
*
glad that Marshall and John…have recognition for the pain and suffering of the peoples Ukraine included in this renku.
Congratulations, John H.
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
*
carte blanch
for a whole Ukraine
*
a blank check
for a whole Ukraine
Congratulations, John.
scattered spores
following a random trail
through landmines
—John Hawkhead
we risk killing ourselves
by degrees