The Renku Sessions: Way of the Wind – Week 6
I am John Stevenson and I will be your guide for a twenty-stanza, nijûin, renku.
A brief posting this week.
At this point in our renku, we are looking for a very pronounced departure from where we have been in the opening section.
We also have to check all the boxes: a winter or summer kigo from the list we’re using, a moon or moonlight image, three lines without a grammatical break, no obvious linkage to prior verses. Here are some verses that managed all of this.
this winter moon
as pale as the moons
of winters past
Lorin Ford
waning quarter moon
gives what it can
to the winter city
Jonathan Alderfer
moonlight
splashes
in the waterfall
Carol Jones
mother always says
an upended moon
brings winter showers
Marietta McGregor
that pesky mosquito
ought to be fuller than
tonight’s moon
Berry Shropshire
only the moon
saw him burn the notes
in the fireplace
Pauline O’Carolan
footprints
of a run in the snow
the moon
Margherita Petriccione
the moon’s
magic caught
in a weir
Wendy C. Bialek
the cat’s eyes
fixed on moths
dancing in moonlight
Liz Ann Winkler
And here is what I have selected as our fifth verse:
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
The casual dress of summer is projected upon the landscape. This is the verse that is charged with getting the party started. Our next two will be our first pair of love verses. I have mixed feelings about such a strong setup but can’t resist this offer. Since we are naming a season, we will forego that method of meeting the seasonal requirement for future verses.
Here is what we have, so far:
Way of the Wind
green barley—
we follow the way
of the wind
Lorin Ford
kids playing pooh sticks
with plum blossoms
Linda Weir
the long day opens
with a chime of pots
the kitchen island
Laurie Greer
a coin in the cap
of a street busker
Andrew Shimield
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
We are now approaching our first pair of love verses. The love verses in a renku are about love between adult human beings. So, love of pets, ice cream, etc. will not satisfy the requirements. The pair of love verses will need to have a sense of progress. This means that our first love verse should not be about the end or aftermath of love.
The requirements for verse six will be as follows:
- A two-line verse of fourteen syllables or less
- With a summer kigo from our designated list
- With a focus on love between adult human beings
- Without a grammatical break
- Linking in some way to verse five (and in no obvious way to previous verses)
For this renku, we will be using this site (http://www.2hweb.net/haikai/renku/500ESWd.html) as the source for our season words and images.
I will be reviewing your offers until midnight on Monday, June 7 (New York time). On Thursday, June 10 there will be a new post in which I will announce my selection of the sixth verse, comment on some of the other offers, and issue instructions for writing verse seven offers.
Thank you, everyone,
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://www.thehaikufoundation.org/code-of-conduct/
he navigates her belly scars
with a firefly’s flash
6/05/2021 by wendy © bialek
the shunga artist’s lover
moistens her dry lips
first tongue kiss in tandem
with a firefly’s flash
6/07/2021 by wendy © bialek
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
swimming with the girl
who moves like Marilyn
heat lightning
as they cha-cha-cha
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
– princess k
•
no boundaries for this love
as fireflies wink in&out
– Betty Shropshire
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
– princess k
•
first slow dance as a man
same as you in the afterglow
– Betty Shropshire
editing to:
first slow dance as a man
savoring the afterglow
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
*
inside one hula hoop
we set out for a starlit swim
*
his tender suit
in her delicate hands
********
her summer drive
smile in windscreen of his car
**********
her summer moon
in his nearby glass mirror
*******
firefly in midnight
dwell in their watchful play
***********
plateful of sweet fish
their night delicacy
********
Moonlight on her skin
I watch each breath she takes
Love lies sleeping!
in these evenings so long
our voices in a whisper
**************************
my breathless body
while I look at you
**************************
the skin sings
feeling your perfume between the sheets
talked into a swim
down to our last layers
17 years of sweet nothings
silenced by cicada song
6/07/2021 by wendy © bialek
or shortened form:
their sweet nothings
silenced by cicada song
6/07/2021 by wendy © bialek
shortened to:
17 years of sweet nothings
silenced by cicada
6/07/2021 by wendy © bialek
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
.
princess k
.
the unexpected burn
of your middle age kiss
.
the smouldering heat
in your midnight tango
hot, her swagger
along the golden shore
~~~
our first kiss
under a sinking rainbow
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
.
princess k
.
the kiss from my fingers
into a fragrant Breeze
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
.
princess k
.
love a like draft
of fresh spring water
correction!
.
love like a draft
of fresh spring water
a fragrant breeze
perfumes their yearning
***********************
fireworks punctuate
their ardor
****************************
cooling off after
a sultry samba dance
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
– princess k
•
sacred kingfisher eyeing
their backwater tryst
– Betty Shropshire
As three of mine have been skittled (trees, clothes) may I offer another two?
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
the way she sways
in the fragrant breeze
an ocean of thunder
as we cross the line
the sweat between her breasts
in the summer night
***
on the intertwined hands
the summer night and a cello
***
they drink together laughing
from an iced amphora
***
when she sways out of the shower,
the beach gets even hotter
***
on the curve of her lips
a drop of ice cream
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
– princess k
•
unheedful of the drought
as he gathers her close
– Betty Shropshire
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
a kiss of rainbows as they
fall for each other
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
the lovers’ rowboat
adrift in lapping waves
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
our nook in the dunes
as the fireworks begin
an evening downpour washes
the ink from our poems
ozone scented air
and the taste of salt on your lips
our yin yang legs
entwine to claps of thunder
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
basking in the afterglow
of their underhandedness
oops–should be no hands. Maybe this:
basking in the afterglow
of their bold understanding
*
or
basking in the afterglow
of their bold undertaking
Great one, princess k!
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
***
sharing an outdoor bath
with a river frog’s soundtrack
***
naked in the garden
until the mosquitoes
***
from our navels
the rise of fireworks
***
#3
fishing close together
lines and limbs touch
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
*
short night of dancing
as the Stonewall becomes Stonewall
Such a lovely opening to our love verse sequence, congratulations princess k!
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
*
body heat thru thin clothes
his first he-him kiss
*
Linda,
.
Can you find a way to write this without the grammatical break?
his first he-him kiss
feeling body heat thru thin clothes
Hi John. Trying to work this out so providing a few.
body heat thru thin clothes
upon his first he-him kiss
mountain top
f i r e works
6/05/2021 by wendy © bialek
or:
man-made fireworks
on the mountain top
6/07/2021 by wendy © bialek
Verse 1:
…
they lie entwined
behind the waterfall
…
Verse 2:
…
watching the evening downpour
and each other
…
Verse 3:
…
at the end of the rainbow
he stole her heart
…
Verse 4:
…
swimming naked
and both peeking
…
Verse 5:
…
Jack and Jill
hot on top of the hill
sounds of passion
in the evening’s lull
gringo serenade
under her open window
lovely verse, Princess K !
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon — princess k
*
cicadas sing the same song
they sang on their honeymoon
Many of you have been offering verses that feature flowers or trees. There are specific verses within the renku that require such images but we need to refrain until those verses come along.
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
.
lovers hidden
behind the waterfall
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
.
young lovers swimming out
to the third sandbank
.
holding hands
in the shade of a mango tree
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
***
feeling of spontaneity
electricity flows throughout the body
Nani Mariani
spelling out her name
with sparklers
intense love that
wilted faster than a sunflower
Congratulations, pk!
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
distant thunder
and love an echo too
lightning charges
the curve of your thigh
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
.
he tucks a peony
into her sarong
.
a fragrant peony tucked
behind her ear
.
an old bush warbler serenades
his mate and us
.
the fragrant breeze rocks them
gently in the hammock
.
he plucks a cicada shell
from her hair
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
a sweetheart’s blush
amidst the wild iris
Or
sweethearts blush
in the willow’s shade
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
their every kiss another
curve on the rainbow
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
#2
we choose the same tree
in the evening downpour
#3
two faces smiling
by the clear stream
#4
we glide
in a smouldering tango
#5
in summer chiffon she reviews
offers until midnight
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
learning every curve
in the luxuriant foliage
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
nothing meet cuter
than rainbows and fireworks
*
May I revise to:
staging a ‘meet cute’
with rainbows and fireworks
*
#2
her thin dresses
hanging out in his mind
her loose sarong
becomes his pick-up line
6/03/2021 by wendy © bialek
i imagined that, too!
should sarong qualiflies as thin clothing
revised:
should sarong qualify as thin clothing
since we have ‘cap’ in andrew’s verse, perhaps ‘clothing’ is out!
That is correct. While we try to avoid any obvious links to any verse other than the one to which we are currently linking, this is even more intensely the case with regard to the hokku and to the “last but one” verse. So, since two verses ago we had an article of clothing, we cannot have one in this current verse.
Are body parts out also with the mention of, hip?
Yay princess k! What a perfect verse!
fishing from the small boat
lines and limbs can’t help but touch
his smoldering gaze
hotter than the night
*
their short night
full of fireworks
*
falling for the boy
with a shady side
*
with love on his lips
no time for switching clothes
*
his shower of kisses
after a long drought
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
beside the wild irises
our clothes tangle
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
***
hand in hand
you and me were hit by the waves
Nani Mariani
well done princess k
*
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
the imprint of our bodies
in the cut grass
Congratulations atulations.., dear Princess k!!
*******
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
humming …
we swing in one hammock
Nani Mariani
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
.
What an excellent verse , in itself and to open the way for the ‘love’ verses. (for some unknown reason I visualise a sarong slipping down the hips in a very revealing way. I also (for no good reason) have the image of someone dancing in that sarong.
Congratulations, princess k. 🙂
ooops-left out kigo!
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
their sides bump
in hot hula class
6/03/2021 by wendy © bialek
how wonderful, pk!
congrats on a very relatable
and creative verse!
great pick. john.
thanks for the mention.
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
their sides bump
in hula hoop class
6/03/2021 by wendy © bialek
passionate kisses cool
with the evening air
how their torrid affair
started with sunscreen
building a fire together
to share popcorn
*
marriage is building a fire together
to share popcorn
call my Spanish wife The Sol
because she’s hot hot hot
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
hearts on fire in
the afterglow of a kiss
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
I ask the phoenix tree
am I too old to love
Love that vs princess k
******************************
the morning after smoldering
from the night before
each one burning hot
taking turns at the limbo
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
*
thunder just subterfuge for
this fateful collision
*
congrats princess k, I always enjoy your verses and thank you John.
*
mosquitos know that my wife
has sweeter blood
Lovely strong verse princess k, very evocative!
summer moon
low on the hips
of the horizon
princess k
hand in hand we run
where wild roses intertwine
Nice work, Princess! A lovely verse that gets us nicely set up for the love verses.
John, thanks as always for the comments, reminders, etc.
Congratulations princess k, a wonderful choice, John.
Thank you for pausing on one of mine.
Wow! Thanks John! I am very pleased to have a verse selected for inclusion in this renku and looking forward to reading all of the submissions for the linked love verse.
So happy for you, princess k. It’s a very clever verse, as yours always are. Pauline