The Renku Sessions: Ultimate – Week 5
I try not to overwhelm you with requirements for each verse. As a result, otherwise very good verses can be passed over though no fault of yours but simply from a lack of information. The chief instance, in the case of the blossom verse, is that these blossoms should be literal; not pictures of blossoms or symbolic blossoms. Next, the blossoms should be the main focus of the verse rather than foils for some other image in a senryu-like verse. So, if you offered a good verse that was passed over for any of these reasons, I offer you my sincere apology.
Here are some of the blossom verse offers that I found most tempting:
cherry blossoms
inside and out
of the arboretum
Robert Kingston
a hazy
blossoming
madness
Richard Straw
the path dappled
with cherry blossom
and hints of blue
tuka morris
one sprig
of plum blossoms
in his breast pocket
Belinda Behne
the gift
of a first red tulip
from next door
Lorin Ford
flowering dogwood
from the corner
of my eye
Michael Henry Lee
the apple blossom
festival continues
despite rain
Andrew Pineo
wind swirls
blossoms around
the onyx lamb
Valerie Green
crazy paving pattern
broken
by pear blossoms
Mike Barrett
California poppy
blooming
in rubble
Pamela Garry
cherry blossoms
on the white
tablecloths
Anne Fox
passing trucks
whoosh lilac petals
off the bushes
Laurinda Lind
Here is my choice for our blossom verse:
my post box
covered with
cherry blossoms
Lakshmi Iyer
Here is what we have, so far:
Ultimate
ultimate frisbee
the scent of
sunscreen
Victor Ortiz
each tidepool has
its own moon
Orense Nicod
he traces
her collarbone
with a bit of hay
Belinda Behne
a live coal beneath
last night’s ashes
Ralph Matthews
my post box
covered with
cherry blossoms
Lakshmi Iyer
Here, as a reminder, is the plan for this very short renku:
1 (hokku) three lines, summer
2 (wakiku) two lines, autumn moon
3 (daisan) three lines, autumn love
4 two lines, winter love
5 three lines, spring blossom
6 (ageku) spring
This week, we will be writing a two-line spring verse. It must contain a spring season word or phrase but not any plant image.
While this is our final verse it does not have the sense of saying “the end.” Rather, it should be open-ended, giving the sense that the chain of images goes on, even though we are parting and letting go of it now.
Please submit a maximum of three spring verses. The deadline for submissions will be midnight (eastern US time zone) on Monday, July 6.
Looking forward to your “not the end” verses.,
John
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