Written for Colleen:
Colleen says: Your writing invitation is to experiment with the renga form.
Here’s how to write renga:
Renga or Renku features alternating stanzas, usually of 5-7-5 and 7-7 syllables.
The first part of the renga is a (5-7-5) haiku (hokku) written by your guest.
The second part of the renga is the host’s response (wakiku): (7-7). A cooperative
poem, written by 2 or more poets. For this challenge, the poet can write both parts
of the renku or work with another poet.
This form is spontaneous. It does not tell a sequential story. However, it is
structured with a beginning, middle and end.
Hokku (starting verse), followed by linked verses, and ends with a tanka (small poem).
Connected to the seasons. The hokku shows the season in which the gathering occurs.
Somewhere within the renga, there should be verses referring to each of the seasons
to create a complete circle. No title and no rhyming.
READ more about writing renga HERE.
Your Invitation:
- I’ll give you the hokku portion for the Northern & Southern Hemispheres, and
you write the wakiku portion. (I’ll add the kigo words to the hokku). See below ⬇️ - BONUS: After you write the wakiku in reply to my hokku, please add your own
hokku(haiku) on your post. In the comments on your post, I’ll add the wakiku
portion! - If you absolutely hate the renga idea, write a poem in ONE OF the 24 FORMS
using the Northern or Southern Hemisphere kigo words from last week HERE.
Northern Hemisphere hokku:
***
an empty attic
the sound of April showers
thunderous rumblings ©Colleen
***
yet the unfurling calms me
yet the bush warbler grounds me ©Selma
kigo: bush warbler
(please see link below)
MY HOKKU PORTION
like spring hills misted
the days of Golden Week
now here, now gone
Colleen’s portion:
my fond memories of you
sunlight glinting off the waves
© selma/©️ Colleen
Colleen’s portion:
my fond memories of you
sunlight glinting off the waves
Southern Hemisphere hokku:
***
the returning chill
red leaves blowing in the wind
regret of autumn
***
Example of how your post should look:
Colleen’s hokku:
an empty attic
the sound of April showers
thunderous rumblings
Your Reply – wakiku:
mourning doves crooning sad songs
sounds of the day waking up
Your New hokku: (this is my haiku example, you’ll write your own)
(don’t forget your kigo words)!(Beltane & May Day)
Beltane fires burn bright
the May Day King and Queen dance
wearing flower crowns
💟 I’ll add the wakiku in the comments of your post! 💟
HAIBUN
A reaching around of arms—
green, orange, purple, brown, red—
mostly green, and at turns, mud
keep us trekking past the meditating
skunk cabbage and unfurling bracken.
An unfamiliar Yo honk mingles with the
Ho hokekyo, kekyo kekyo call of the
bush warblers—they’re aware we’re
here as they chant sultra.
Later, as I think about not snapping a
picture of the skunk cabbage (I’m convinced that was the strange plant I saw in these woods), I remember
Bashō’s haiku:
“Bush warblers
chanting in verdure
skunk cabbages sit“
My haiku:
strange plant unfurling
Golden Week forest bathing
the departing spring
© selma
Written for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday
ALSO Written for Mark at Season Words Website Week 18: “Peonies Bloom”
April 29 to May 05 is the 18th week of 2024. This week, we are in the Solar
Term of Grain Rain (Apr 20 -May 04), and the micro-seasons of “Peonies …
http://seasonwords.com/2024/05/03/week-18-peonies-bloom/
Mark’s Haiku Invitation
This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu referencing a
seasonal flower near you.
Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your page and link back.
I can’t wait to read what you write!
About the bush warbler:
http://kimikokitani.blogspot.com/2009/03/haru-tsuge-dori-spring-annuncing-bird.html
Skunk cabbage:
poem by Mary Oliver
THANKS FOR READING. LET’S SHARE MORE JOY 🥹
- 44 words Quadrille: The Fields of Flanders - May 17, 2024
- Poetics: Left in the Lurch - May 16, 2024
- Wea’ve Written Weekly: There Is Another Sky—It’s Called Hope - May 16, 2024
Beautiful wakiko, Selma. 😀 I like your kokku as well. The April shower extends into May here. I hope your spring is beautiful. 😍
Spring has been wonderful. It’s still cool though, and then too hot too… but it’s a lovely spring. Thanks for reading and commenting. Xo
Our weather is strange also, Selma. 😊
Springtime joy all through your post!
I’m so glad you felt it, Belladonna. Xo
Beautiful poems Selma.
Gratitude.
Blessings.
Always my pleasure
like spring hills misted
the days of Golden Week
now here, now gone
Beautiful poem. Selma!
Thanks, Raj 🤗
Welcome,Selma
Calming and grounding – I feel that in spring, I adore the peonies that are starting to bloom now, such deep richness 💞Suzanne
Calming and grounding 😜 💕
wonderful, wonderful
Thank you, thank you 😊
Great poems, Selma!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Love all your poems, Selma 🙂
Thanks DL
Well written poems 😊
Thanks.
You’re welcome 🙂
I enjoyed this, Selma – a lovely way to share poetry!
Pingback: Tanka TuesdayJoin Us: #TankaTuesday 短歌 火曜日24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, No. 33, 5/7/24, Part I, The Beginning of Summer, (May 5 – 19) Rikka 立夏
Hello Selma! I had some medical tests, but I’m back now. Here’s my wakiku:
my fond memories of you
sunlight glinting off the waves
You’ve written some fabulous renga! I loved this challenge so much. It was fun to connect with everyone.
Pingback: Tanka TuesdayJoin Us: #TankaTuesday 短歌 火曜日Renga Poetry Recap: 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, No. 32, 4/30/24, Part II, Grain Rain (April 19 – May 4) Koku 穀雨
Hi Selma, What a wonderful post with so many great poems! I hope you have a great spring day!
I like that last line by Mary Oliver… No not everything in nature has beauty as definded by humans.
I don’t think I’ve skunk cabbage about, I do have poke weed! Also deep roots and little purple ‘fruit’ that birds like to eat and ‘deposit’ everywhere!
Lovely verses. We had a few cool days with some rain. However summer may arrive early. It was very humid this morning. I can see a slight breeze in the shimmy shake of young brances and their sprung leaves.
Thought I posted a comment… maybe it ended up in spam…