Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 18: Lightning Flash

Lightning flash above Athens, Greece

lightning flash–

what I thought were faces

are plumes of pampas grass

what is real, I ask myself

you or I or anything?

~Basho & Cie~

Notes:

The Hokku stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Matsuo Basho (1644 - 1694). The Akegu stanza was created by me.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 17: LIfetimes Ago

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evening sea fog

descending into sun-dried grass

sweaty lovers

So long ago, my dearest

But like it was yesterday

You sent me away

Across the silent starfield

Told me to forget

Many lifetimes come and go

But you never left my heart

Jane & Cie

Notes:

I can't help myself. I go where the muse takes me.

The simple explanation is as follows:

The initial Hokku stanza was created by Jane Reichhold (1937 - 2016). The remaining stanzas were written by me. And if that's all the more you need to know, thanks for stopping by!

However, if you are feeling brave or bored and want to follow me down a rabbit hole...

The remaining stanzas were written in the voice of Serab, one of the incarnations of the male protagonist in my current longest-running WIP, Fetch, which was created at the end of 2014.

Serab was a small, elf-like humanoid whose people had been all but wiped out by the brutal ruling class of West Zecor. He was a thief who had suffered many losses in a life which he often questioned the purpose of. 

Although Serab was extremely agile and clever, one day he became careless and was captured by the sadistic King Qweh and his merry band of thugs. Fortunately for Serab, Qweh thought it would be an extremely funny joke to present the diminutive thief to his sister, Princess Ondina, as a replacement for her bodyguard, whom Qweh had slain the previous night in a fit of drunken rage.

To Qweh's dismay, Ondina did not have the hoped-for reaction of dismay to Qweh's little joke. She accepted Serab as her bodyguard and assistant, stating that he looked to be capable of anything he might set his mind to.

This was the start of the powerful though ultimately tragic undying love between Serab and Ondina.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 16: White Crane

White Crane (Japanese Woodblock Print)

How I wish to call

A white crane from Fukei,

But for this cold rain.

I am happy when it rains

That is when I feel at home

Kikaku & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku stanza was written by Kikaku, an apprentice and close friend of Basho. He created this work as a gift when Basho was ailing.

The Akegu stanza was created by me.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019 + The Tuesday Platform: Offshore Breeze

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

coming to sea cliffs

the off-shore breeze raises

a flower fragrance

this place is not what it seems

will I find nightmares or dreams

Jane & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku stanza was created by Jane Reichhold (1937 - 2016.) The Akegu stanza was written by me.

If you're interested in the story which inspired my part in the poem, read on. If you really could not GAF, this is your cue to exit!

Among my many WIP projects is a tale called The Legend of Seacliffe, which is set in England in the mid-1800s. As the story begins, a man named Randal Messana takes his team of horses on a desperate ride on a dark and stormy night to get his badly injured mother away from the decidedly unhallowed halls of Lambswood, where the brutal Diamantina Lamb has beaten poor old Guinevere Messana nearly to death.

Randal sees a light burning in a barn near a darkened house and makes his way there to plead for help. There he finds a unique cast of characters: a tall, gaunt, will-o-the-wisp of a grumpy, middle-aged Swede, said grumpy, middle-aged Swede's kindly sister Ragna, and Ragna's husband, a hunchbacked Scot named Charlie, who is playing the piano when Randal arrives.

The trio of misfits in the barn are more than happy to assist Randal but warn him to approach the occupants of the main house with caution. As Jorn, the curmudgeonly Swedish will-o-the-wisp warns: "The masters of Seacliffe are no better than the mistress of Lambswood. To their credit, they have beat no-one to death, at least none of which I know. But they are a foul and inbred line, sticking to their own kind as they believe themselves to be far superior to peasants such as ourselves."

I have numerous WIPs, and sometimes I keep my hand in them by writing poems as placeholders. The above image made me think of Randal walking down to the shoreline and looking out over the bay. Yes, I know that I said the story was set in the mid-1800s. Let us imagine that Randal's clothes are drying and he has borrowed a set of Jorn's long johns to take his morning stroll. After all, Seacliffe House is in a remote area, and it isn't likely that he'd encounter many fellow travelers who might chide him for wandering about in his long johns.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019 #14 + Poetry Pantry #481: Hibiscus Red

Image by Josch13 from Pixabay

unable

to get hibiscus red

the artist eats the flower

flower becomes the artist

artist becomes the flower

Fr. Raymond & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza was created by Father Raymond Roselip (1917 - 1983), a Catholic priest who has been rightfully recognized as a twentieth-century master of English Haiku.

The Akegu (two-line closing stanza) was created by yours truly.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 13: Prayer Beads

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prayer beads dangling

a harvest moon prayer...

mountain home

to pray for understanding

the universe shall approve

Kobayashi Issa & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku stanza of this Tan Renga was created by Kobayashi Issa. The Akegu (second stanza) was created by me.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 12: Miscanthus Bud

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the Dutchmen, too,

kneel before His Lordship --

spring under His reign.

inevitable forces

to which all must bow someday

by my new banana plant

the first sign of something I loathe --

a miscanthus bud!

all things must have their season

even those things undesired

another year is gone

a traveler's shade on my head,

straw sandals at my feet

straw soon replaced by leather

weatherproof boots are a must

now then, let's go out

to enjoy the snow ... until

I slip and fall!

not such a big deal in youth

in old age a bone may break

Basho & Cie

Notes:

All Hokku stanzas were created by Matsuo Basho (1644 - 1694). All Ageku (closing) stanzas were written by me.

I would like to dedicate this set of poems to my mother's and my late father's friend Richard, who passed away yesterday from complications stemming from ALS. I hope that one day a cure is found for this terrible, debilitating disease.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 11: Tan Renga Hineri: Only Tracks

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late summer

alone on the beach

with only tracks

leading me to the unknown

who can know where the time goes?

I follow the tracks

to the melancholy sea

sorrow grips my voice

I remember who I was

I remember her lost dreams

Dreams impossible

foolish girl with head in clouds

she not of this world

she visited the seashore once

dreaming she could swim away

Jane & Cie

Note:

The first Hokku (Haiku) in this Tan Renga Hineri was created by Jane Reichhold (1937 - 2016). The other stanzas were created by me. 

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 10: Icicles

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muffled and silenced

the snap of an icicle

engulfed by fresh snow

in summer it seems a dream

a few months from now, common

Kim & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza was written by Kim Russell. The Ageku (closing) stanza was created by me.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 9: Snails

Snails in Moonlight

Artist Unknown

I bow to my master

Matsuo Basho told me the way

to watch a snail

Haiku taught me to embrace

the way of snail and turtle

Chèvrefeuille & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Chèvrefeuille. The Akegu (closing) stanza was written by me.

I am not being hyperbolic in any way when I say this. Participating in this exercise has been life-changing for me. Haiku is no longer simply a poetry form for me. It is a way of meditation, a way to improve not only my life but possibly the lives of others as well.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 8: Autumn Begins

Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay

cricket silence

between scraping sounds

autumn begins

for me a new beginning

or perhaps the end of all

Jane & Cie

Note:

The Hokku (Haiku) portion of the poem was written by Jane Reichhold. The Ageku, or closing stanza, was written by me.

Come the fall, I should have pictures of the old hotel my son is buying to renovate. This probably sounds a lot more posh than it is. This building is in a town listed on the Colorado Ghost Towns website, and it needs a lot of work.

For me, this move is literally either a new beginning or the beginning of the end. I have run out of options.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 7: Wisteria

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In the moonlight,

The color and scent of the wisteria

Seems far away.

As far away I think as

My sense of belonging here

Buson & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza of the poem was written by Yosa Buson (1716 - 1784). The Akegu (closing) stanza was written by me.

I have never felt that I belonged in this world. When I was younger, I always hoped I'd find people I belonged with. There have been a few where I feel like they put up with me to a degree or felt sympathy for me, but I have never had a sense of finding my "tribe." The only person I'm really at all close with is my son. I tend to form only very superficial relationships with other people.

Dinners with my mother are perilous and fraught with small talk. She has never approved of any of my choices, and she knows almost nothing about what is really transpiring in my life.

I am not at all close with the other members of my family. I would not recognize most of them if I passed them in the street.

At this point in my life, I do not wish to party and socialize. I have one friend whom I confide in via email, and that means a lot. This friend lives a few thousand miles away from me, so it isn't as if we could get together for coffee.

I have felt a degree of understanding and acceptance from the people participating in this little Tan Renga challenge, which I usually don't get a sense of during such challenges. 

I usually feel as if I am an outsider who has crashed a party when participating in blog hops, and the general sense is "what is that freak doing here at our exclusive soiree?" Some of the blog hops I participate in are very focused on clothing and fashion although other sorts of posts are allowed, and if you don't think I'm an absolute outlier when it comes to fashion, you don't know me at all. I can't afford nice clothes or even new clothes, and I look like an unmade bed most of the time.

One would think that I would feel more at home with creative blog hops, but I usually don't. I've been surprised by the feeling of peace I've gained participating in this one. Maybe it's just that no-one has attacked me yet. Hopefully, we can do without that happening this time.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 6: In Shadow

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autumn moonlight--

a worm digs silently

into the chestnut.

presenting a sunny face

though my brain feels full of worms

Basho & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Matsuo Basho. The Akegu (closing stanza) was written by me.

Matsuo Basho was born in 1644 and died 28 November 1694. As a point of coincidence, my father died on 28 November 2010.

As Chèvrefeuille explains, Basho's Haiku references his desires for a man. Basho was a Samurai, and, as with the warriors of ancient Greece, homosexuality was considered normal and acceptable. Relationships between older men and adolescent boys were also considered acceptable.

I do feel that homosexuality is normal and acceptable, but I think it is better not to have sexual relationships between adults and youth.

My portion of the poem does not refer to my sexuality. Being heterosexual, I never found myself in the position of keeping my sexuality a secret. It refers to living with mental illness in a society which stigmatizes people who struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. 

Some people think that in this age of readily available psych meds, no-one should struggle with psychological problems. Many people do not respond well to psych meds, and not all psychological problems are chemical in nature.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 5: Wintry Gusts and Fresh Fish

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Wintry gusts:

on the sardine still lingers

the ocean's color.

How fresh and lovely they are

When not confined to a can

Gaki & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku) stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Akutagawa Ryunosuke a.k.a. Gaki (1 March 1892 – 24 July 1927, death by overdose of Veronal.) The Ageku or closing stanza was written by me.

One of the things I treasure about this type of poetry is the way it makes a mundane item or creature such as a sardine beautiful and precious. Some people mock minimalist forms such as Haiku/Senryu or Tanka/Tan Renga, but I find that they have a meditative quality. 

My monkey mind is far too chatty and jumpy for me to meditate very well using traditional meditation methods. Either my mind wanders off track and I get bored and antsy, or if I do manage to relax, I fall asleep. 

This type of poetry allows me to meditate. I find that engaging in the Tan Renga challenge has made me calmer overall and given me an eye of the storm to escape to although my life is very chaotic. I am extremely grateful for this gift.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 4: Ocean Sanctuary

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sunday morning 

all the waves in white

kneeling on the beach

As if wanting to stop time

Pray for no more destruction

Jane & Cie

Notes:

The Hokku (Haiku stanza) of this Tan Renga was written By Jane Reichhold. The Ageku (closing stanza) was written by me.

This planet's oceans are in trouble. They have been badly polluted and overfished. Many coral reefs are sick and dying. 

A lot of work needs to be done to restore the health of the oceans. We can each do a small part by not littering the beaches or throwing waste into the waters, and, for those of us who eat fish, we can try and make sure that our fish comes from companies committed to sustainable harvesting practices.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 3: Butterfly on Dandelion

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a dandelion

now and then interrupting

the butterfly's dream

a butterfly now and then 

awakening a flower

Chiyo-Ni & Cie

Note:

The Haiku portion of this Tan Renga was written by the poet Chiyo-Ni. The two-line stanza was written by me.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 2: Beautiful Ugliness

A basho (banana) tree

banana-tree

unworthy to look at

beautiful ugliness

Dull, dry brown leaves in your skirt

Glorious green crown above

Yozakura & Cie

Notes:

The Haiku part of this Tan Renga was created by Yozakura the Unknown Haiku Poet. The two-line stanza was written by me.

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: A Lonely Fire

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smoldering fireplace

the sweet perfume of burned herbs

loneliness grabs my throat

Am I doomed to be alone

For all of this foolish life?

Chevrefuelle & Cie

Notes:

Chevrefuelle wrote the first stanza (the Haiku) and I wrote the second stanza (the two seven-syllable lines).

Tan Renga Challenge Accepted!

I will be participating in the Tan Renga challenge at Carpe Deim Haiku in May.

The first thing you may be asking is "are you flea-diddly-flipping nuts, Neighbor? Why, just a few days ago, you were spouting about how over poetry and prompts you were!"

However, this is not just poetry.

It's Tanka!

Tanka is one of my favorite forms of poetry.

In a Tan Renga, one partner writes the first stanza (the first three lines) and the other partner writes the second stanza.

Come along if you dare, and join in if you want.

I may also be working on making last month's mess into my first published book of poetry.

Why the hell couldn't I have had interests that pay in this life?

Nobody freaking makes money writing poetry!

~Cie~